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Author Topic: Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"  (Read 7381 times)

tvwxman

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Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"
« on: March 25, 2008, 07:32:58 PM »
Interesting article from Mother Earth...

I can't stand the premise, yet I still tune in. What does that say about me?

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/20...onfinement.html
-------------

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- "May all of your consequences be happy ones!"

clemon79

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Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2008, 08:04:40 PM »
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'182463\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 04:32 PM\']
I can't stand the premise, yet I still tune in.[/quote]
What can't you stand about the premise?
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tvwxman

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Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 10:05:07 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'182464\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 08:04 PM\']
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'182463\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 04:32 PM\']
I can't stand the premise, yet I still tune in.[/quote]
What can't you stand about the premise?
[/quote]
On one hand, what they do to the contestants is often borderline cruel (IMO).

On the other hand, they signed up for it willingly, so screw em.

It's good tv that I wincingly watch.

/On another note, does anyone know just how long they endure the solitary confinement? That's never shared.
-------------

Matt

- "May all of your consequences be happy ones!"

mmb5

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Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2008, 10:16:17 PM »
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'182473\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 10:05 PM\']
On one hand, what they do to the contestants is often borderline cruel (IMO).

On the other hand, they signed up for it willingly, so screw em.

It's good tv that I wincingly watch.

/On another note, does anyone know just how long they endure the solitary confinement? That's never shared.
[/quote]
I heard the first season was 11 days.


--Mike
Portions of this post not affecting the outcome have been edited or recreated.

clemon79

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« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2008, 03:20:39 AM »
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'182473\' date=\'Mar 25 2008, 07:05 PM\']
On the other hand, they signed up for it willingly, so screw em.[/quote]
And this is why I asked. PRECISELY my take on it. Nobody is forcing them to submit themselves to anything. They're just as attention-whory as anyone else on a reality show.
Quote
It's good tv that I wincingly watch.
It's good TV that I watch gleefully, mocking them all the way. :)
Quote
/On another note, does anyone know just how long they endure the solitary confinement? That's never shared.
I think the cited article said that Series 2 went about twelve days as well.
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Clay Zambo

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« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2008, 10:01:39 AM »
From the site: "This is a psychotic-experiment show, not a reality show."

There's a difference?
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Neumms

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« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2008, 05:00:28 PM »
Just by the article, I thought it interesting at first, but is borderline torture really that fun to watch? And this guy is pretty scary:

"Another reject involved having a contestant's loved one read a prepared script; the resulting audio would be edited into a track saying that someone had died or that a spouse was leaving him. 'It's a funny idea, but it's just like, okay, that's probably wrong,' Hiatt says. Then he reassesses. Honestly, Hiatt admits with a laugh, he doesn't think that last one goes too far. 'I guess it's just a matter of taste.'"

clemon79

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« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2008, 05:54:50 PM »
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'182557\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 02:00 PM\']
Just by the article, I thought it interesting at first, but is borderline torture really that fun to watch?[/quote]
When you know that the contestants are all partaking in it of their own free will, and can stop literally at any time?

Tremendously.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2008, 05:55:00 PM by clemon79 »
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Brig Bother

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« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2008, 06:48:09 PM »
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'182557\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 09:00 PM\']
Just by the article, I thought it interesting at first, but is borderline torture really that fun to watch? [/quote]

I went into series one wanting to dislike it from the premise, but unfortunately it's so well made and darkly comic that I managed to get over any objections pretty quickly. It's nothing like torture, it's just a big old endurance competition.

TLEberle

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Behind the Scenes at "Solitary"
« Reply #9 on: March 27, 2008, 12:02:52 AM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'182561\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 02:54 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'182557\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 02:00 PM\']Just by the article, I thought it interesting at first, but is borderline torture really that fun to watch?[/quote]When you know that the contestants are all partaking in it of their own free will, and can stop literally at any time?[/quote]And this is perfectly shown in 2.0, when one of the guys from Survivor: Vanuatu is in one of the pods. After winning a cheese pizza in the Solitary Auction, someone else steals it away from him moments later. And then he's stuck in the black box for an hour. While sirens are blaring.

In a later "favorite foods" contest, participants must drink blended shots containing favorite foods of the participants. Then two or more foods are blended. Then more, and more. Long after everyone else has quit, our Survivor Alumnus is told by Val that he's the last one. In Round Seventeen. And yet he still asks for another shot.

When you know that the participants are one Red Button away from ending the whole lot, it's hard to feel bad. But when one contestant endures more pain merely to prove to himself that he can, it's hard not to laugh.
If you didn’t create it, it isn’t your content.

weaklink75

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« Reply #10 on: March 27, 2008, 11:10:53 AM »
It's an intriguing show psychologically....and the fact it's only for $50,000 makes it interesting too (imagine if this were a network show and you made it $500K instead of $50K- who knows what would or could happen)....

ChrisLambert!

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« Reply #11 on: March 27, 2008, 11:21:17 AM »
Season 1 of this show is available on hulu.com now, for those lacking Fox Reality.

I've watched the first two so far. Intrigued enough to continue.
@lambertman

clemon79

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« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2008, 11:45:41 AM »
[quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' post=\'182647\' date=\'Mar 27 2008, 08:21 AM\']
Season 1 of this show is available on hulu.com now, for those lacking Fox Reality.[/quote]
Ya know, I even asked myself that yesterday when we were talking about it, but just kinda shrugged it off and said "Naah." (Which is dumb considering that Hulu has, like, everything ELSE under the sun.) And I haven't seen Season One yet. Thanks for the tip!
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Brig Bother

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« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2008, 12:21:04 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'182649\' date=\'Mar 27 2008, 03:45 PM\']
[quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' post=\'182647\' date=\'Mar 27 2008, 08:21 AM\']
Season 1 of this show is available on hulu.com now, for those lacking Fox Reality.[/quote]
Ya know, I even asked myself that yesterday when we were talking about it, but just kinda shrugged it off and said "Naah." (Which is dumb considering that Hulu has, like, everything ELSE under the sun.) And I haven't seen Season One yet. Thanks for the tip!
[/quote]

I'd say season one had overall a higher quality of interesting test than season two so you're in for a treat.

EDIT: Or perhaps more likable contestants. I think Season one is the more enjoyable one, anyway.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2008, 12:25:57 PM by Brig Bother »

clemon79

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« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2008, 01:05:47 PM »
[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' post=\'182651\' date=\'Mar 27 2008, 09:21 AM\']
I'd say season one had overall a higher quality of interesting test than season two so you're in for a treat.

EDIT: Or perhaps more likable contestants. I think Season one is the more enjoyable one, anyway.
[/quote]
I must be, because I enjoyed the Season 2 tests and contestants quite a bit.

I don't know when I'll GET to it, mind you, but I definitely will.
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
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