Hubris Comics

It pretty much ruins any enjoyment (if there’s any to be had) of ‘reality TV’ shows- remembering that there’s a camera involved.  My wife and I watch Survivor, and have been known to watch those funny video clip shows.

But take just one moment to realize that, while the Survivors are doing sneaky things, hoping that they’re not being observed by the others in camp, not four feet away are a gaggle of people- cameraman, sound engineer, gaffer, tech, and the occasional director, medical staff, lighting expert, and whatever chump they get to lug around all the equipment and the cases they come in. It suddenly takes away the sense that there’s a game being played.

Likewise, when watching some of the more hilarious video clip shows, it was fun to say, just as the clip began, “Hey, why was this being video’d?”  And then you’d realize that no one in their right minds rushes out to take video of a guy pulling a nail out of a barn wall.  NObody.  So when the entire barn wall collapses as the nail is pulled, you’re free- if you’ve taken your moment to think and ask the question- to realize that the whole thing is a total set up.

Which is why comic strips are better.  You can show everyone when the cameraman gets it in the neck, and there’s NO camera there to take the participants’ attention away from the catastrophe.