TV: Two Train Wrecks

I'm completely a TV watcher, which is very difficult when you're traveling. I've started watching and subsequently missed a couple of train wreck shows. They are horrible or uncomfortable, but I can't stop watching to see what happens next.

Show #1: Battle of the Bods
Produced by Fox and shown on Fox Reality Channel, it typically shows new episodes on Saturdays and repeats them throughout the week. Five women dressed in robes stand with the hostess. The hostess talks them up and then asks them to rank the beauty of their faces in order from one to five based on how they think three men (hidden behind a one way mirror) would rank them. They get money for each correct match.

That was the first "round." For the second round, they redress in bathing suits. Ahead of time they were asked which body part they would like to be judged on, such as bottoms or abdominals. Again they rank, again they are given money for matches.

For the third round, they redress in lingerie and are judged on the "total package." For the finale, the men are judged by the women. Money dispensed, yada yada. TRAIN WRECK! Yet I can't look away. I can't ignore the way the women argue over who they think is the prettiest. I can't close my ears over the comments the men make about the women. Mostly, I find it interesting what people think is attractive, especially when it comes to judging myself.

Show #2: Dating in the Dark
An ABC show, it airs on Mondays at 10/9c. Three men and three women go to a house in which the men and women are separated by one or two dark rooms. Each "date" they are sent on takes place in one of the pitch dark rooms. The goal is to see if personality will trump looks.

The first date is a group date in which all six go into the dark room for a meet and greet. Then the host offers them a tidbit, a whiff of the other genders' clothing or a rifling through their luggage. They then use computers to send messages to the other about who they would like to date. All the dates are arranged in the dark room. After the dates, the host informs them that they were actually matched with one particular person. The first two episodes I watched all the contestants matched best with the person the show had chosen. Those couples then spend the next couple of days dating the person they want.

The host comes in with one more activity, such as asking them to draw what they think their date looks like. Afterwards, they get to see their dates and a decision has to be made: should they go on a real date (the show provides with a limo) or leave the house. This is the worst part because one party starts this final round by standing on a balcony overlooking the front door. If their dates liked the way they looked they will show up, if not the wounded one gets to see the other walk out the front door. TRAIN WRECK!

This one is more serious than Battle of the Bods, and I do find it more intellectually stimulating. In one episode the woman was completely superficial (hated her!) and in another the man thought their religious views would cause issues with them - even on the limo date. It is interesting to see what people are like when they date by personality.