Rooting Against Reality TV Contestants

I know I was supposed to post Workout #2 of my Strength Training Challenge today BUT I left my camera at work! So I will post it on Tuesday instead. I am so sorry. I feel like I am making an excuse for turning in a school assignment late! I effed up. Sorry friends. Tuesday I will have a new workout. If you were dying to lift something heavy today, just do Workout #1 again! Or check out my Workouts tab. Word on the street is that the Oh No, It Snowed Workout really sucks!

Now, ONWARD to something no one cares about!

ROOTING AGAINST REALITY TV CONTESTANTS!

Over the years I have watched a variety of reality television shows. For the past couple years, Paul and I have been watching Big Brother and Survivor. They are my favorite shows on television right now. 

While it is fun to root for someone on these reality shows, it’s probably more fun to root against people. It’s satisfying when a hero wins, but I get a special sort of glee when someone I HATE crashes and burns.

**Note: When I use the word “hate”, I don’t mean I actually hate them for real. I just hate them in the way it’s easy to hate people on reality television shows!**

This past Wednesday was a BIG NIGHT in the Michael-Cooney household! It was the premiere of Survivor Second Chances and the finale of Big Brother 17. I really enjoyed the Survivor premiere, but this post is going to be more about my reaction to the Big Brother finale. Please note: There are SPOILERS in this post. If you did not yet watch the finale and are planning on it, please don’t read the rest of this!

Let me begin by saying I HATED VANESSA. Every week I was hoping she would get voted out of the Big Brother house, but each week she managed to squeak by. “The Game” is all about lying and manipulation, but she acted like she was the only one allowed to lie and manipulate. She was emotional, self-righteous, and she didn’t own her game. There are a lot of villains who are loved and respected because they admit to what they are doing (Helloooo Dr. Will!) but I think Vanessa really believed she was the only honest person in the house. Did I mention she’s delusional too?

SO

FREAKING

ANNOYING!!

Somehow Vanessa managed to make it to the final three and she battled against Steve to win the final Head of Household competition. Whoever won the comp would choose who to take to the final two. However, there was no way Steve and Vanessa were going to take each other. Whichever one of them won was surely going to take Liz, who would be much easier to beat.

My heart was PUMPING during the final comp! Steve had a one point lead right until the end when Vanessa managed to tie it up. There was one question left. When I saw their responses, I really thought Steve had gotten it wrong but he was CORRECT! As soon as he won, I knew it was over for Vanessa. Watching him evict her was the sweetest thing I could have asked for. I screamed. I jumped up and down. I scared the cats. Paul shut the window so our neighbors wouldn’t think I was getting murdered. It was glorious!!!!

Look how sad she is. It makes me so happy!!!

It wasn’t until the commercial break that I realized I had a pounding headache from all the stress… The stress of rooting AGAINST someone! (How do football fans do it!?)

When the episode was over, I was too hype to go to bed right away. I was happy Steve ended up winning the whole thing, but I was even more happy that Vanessa LOST! I even woke up a couple times during the night to go to the bathroom (I drank a lot of water to try to make my headache go away) and whenever I woke up, I would instantly remember how Vanessa got evicted and it just made me happy all over again.

Confession: I have re-watched the Vanessa eviction 3 times since that night. I finally deleted it off my DVR.

So as I reread this post, I am realizing I sound like such a horrible person! I hate someone I don't even know and get great satisfaction seeing them in emotional turmoil. I don't feel like this toward real life people, just people on reality shows. I can't help it! I get very wrapped up in it and take it so personally- even more so than the contestants in the game! I watched post season interviews of all the contestants and they all said, "No hard feelings! I love everyone! We will all be friends!" I am amazed how they can let it all go, while here I am in the corner still high from Vanessa's loss!

Just so you know, Vanessa is already a millionaire from playing poker and her girlfriend just proposed to her, so she is going to be juuuuuuuust fine.

Do you watch any reality TV shows? Was there anyone you HATED?