Reality Poor Sports

The phenomena of reality TV failures having a bitch about the show after they're kicked to the curb is getting a bit tired. Of course I speak of Masterchef's Poh Ling Yeow who was eliminated from the show this week after a minestrone taste-test.

Poh made comments after the show about 'in-fighting' and 'sabotage' and insinuated there was some underhand dealings between competitors ... ummm ... correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it a competition? A footballer doesn't hand the ball to his opposition with a "there you go chap, I believe that's what you're after" and a pat on the back. As if any person in a competition wouldn't do everything they could to win.

Here was the article about Poh in the Herald Sun and here was a similar article the week before about ousted contestant Geni.

Contestants on reality TV need to realise that it has nothing to do with talent and that it has everything to do with demographics and ratings. Robert Mills and Shannon Noll are perfect examples of this - neither of them were able to sing in tune or with any sense of musicality at the start of their respective series of Australian Idol - yet they moved ahead every week while people with actual singing talent were dropped by the wayside. Why? Because they filled a demographic. Young, (supposedly) good-looking lads that they were, the teenage girls who vote for Australian Idol were inevitably going to develop RSI in their texting thumbs in support of these lovable lads.

You can almost pick the 'types' of people there will be on these programs. Australian Idol as an example will have; the big-voiced girl who loves singing Whitney and Mariah. The 'ethnic' boy or girl (Anthony Callea, Mark Spano, Natalie Gauci), the Rocker, the Emo, the Blonde Bombshell, the Sensitive-Little-Thing (Lisa Mitchell), and the musical-loving Stage Singer. There will also usually be a Kiwi element and of course the 30 or 31 year old getting their 'last chance' to shine. My particular favourite element is the 'quirky-kid' - these are usually not at all the kinds of people you would expect to see on reality TV and eventually get torn apart by the judges - remember Chanel Cole? Bobby Flynn anyone?

Basically, it's more luck than talent when it comes to reality TV - so I wish the contestants would stop being spoil-sports, appreciate their 5 minutes of fame for what it was, and fade into obscurity so the next batch of wannabes can have their shot at the title.