i'm enjoying the hell out of this boomlet in, like, dating shows (elimidate, change of heart, shipmates, the 5th wheel, rendez-view, blind date... there are probably others). these programs are, like, powerfully bad. they often have hosts who seem to be in their own level of showbiz hell (chris hardwick, aisha tyler, poor
greg proops playing a low-rent bill maher). and the contestants on the programs are, like, incredibly busted. they all seem to have bad tattoos, or horrendously poor, like, social skills. the commercials are for herpes medications and ged classes and psychic hotlines and backstreet boys greatest hits albums. and it's remarkably clear that the people who make these programs are on one hand cynical, bitter and ashamed and on the other hand rolling around in vats of money like scrooge mcduck saying 'wheee!'