Do you personally believe that it is okay to use sob stories during talent shows?

[Thalian]

True or false, it doesn't matter, do you believe it is okay/moral? I am not talking about banning it, however you can discuss banning it... I am simply asking if you think that it's right.


On almost every talent show, there is at least one person who will come in with a sob story in hopes that the judges or the audience will vote for them. With people saying things like:
"I am doing this for my mum up in heaven."
"I just want to my grandpa with cancer to be proud of me."
"I come from Kenya and I want to win this so I can donate the money to feed the Kenyans!"




Do you think it's right?

[Deleted]

I don't watch any sort of talent shows but I can imagine sob stories get pretty irritating.

Everyone has issues in their life. As far as I'm concerned it's a talent show and the contestants shouldn't do anything but their acts. Olympic gold medals aren't given to the athletes we feel most sorry for, for fucks sake.

[Chirri]

For a TV "Talent" show, yes.

A local Talent show? No.

TV is about ratings. They want that stuff spewed out for viewers.

There's a reason I don't watch much TV.

[Nekreab]

This is the very reason I don't watch them, it irks me to think these people are 1. Trying to burden others with their problems (of which we all have some in one way or another) 2. To think that this will make the viewers sorry for them and vote for them. 3. to try and get an advantage with the judges. They are supposed to be talent shows not charity shows.

[Mormolyce]

Seems a bit hysterical to say "it's not right".

It does get pretty damn old though and I wish like every single reality show didn't milk the "human drama" angle regardless of its relevance to the show.

[Deleted]

I don't pay much attention to such things.

[Toffie]

I don't care at all, I only watch those shows for something like this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

[Deleted]

I'd really like to win anothershitshowwithabunchofretardedteenssinginglikemorons because my grandad has cancer, my mother lost her leg, my dog died, my cat got ran over, my brother was mugge-

That's pretty much how i see it, queue some sob story music, and bam.

The public circle jerks over it and whatnot.

[Siri]

I like knowing a little bit about the person who is about to perform, it just goes overboard every now and then.

[Collegeguy]

Hate to burst bubbles but reality tv isn't real. It's like Jerry Springer but with a much more effective marketing team.

[Graeham]

I consider it acceptable if it's done in a dignified manner. It's a bit of a slippery slope though since the purpose of a competition is generally to be genuinely good at something rather than bringing personal tragedies into the mix in an attempt to gain support and sympathy. I don't pay much attention to mainstream talent shows, though - they tend to feel rather manufactured and fake.

[Natureseer]

Personally, I don't have very strong feelings about talent shows in general

[Myndtaker]

It puts me off watching them, seeing people with talent getting eliminated simply cause the other guys grandmother has a brain tumor and likes jazz. #ImNotCynical

[Feral Camel]

We have one show here in Australia where it seems 2 out of 3 contestants have overcome an adversity or have a sob story. It's so often that now every time my old man hears a sad story on the news he'll say "I guess we'll be seeing them on The Voice next year".

[Denkou]

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the sob stories about contestants on American Idol/The Voice/whatever were really made up to draw in ratings. I think its nice to know a little bit about the contestant, but a talent show should be judged based on talent, not on how hard of a life you had.

[Libram]

I would gladly trade the dance routines for sob stories any day.

[OneSent]

Sob stories and people who love to play the victim always give me an odd vibe.