While discussing running into "Grandmother Lovers" on TLC, a friend noted that Bridalplasty was the worst show they had ever seen. IMDB corroborates this: it's rated 2.9 out of 10. But, where does that stack up?
To compare, I looked at a the most popular reality shows and a few more that I've watched and found patterns:
Good Eats - 9.1
Most Extreme Elimination Challenge - 8.8
Survivorman - 8.4
Deadliest Catch - 8.2
Amazing Race - 7.6
Top Chef - 7.6
Chopped - 7.5
Pawn Stars - 7.4
Project Runway - 7.3
Property Brothers - 7.3
House Hunters - 7.1
Hell's Kitchen - 7.0
Duck Dynasty - 6.6
The Voice - 6.6
My 600 Pound Life - 6.2
America's Next Top Model - 5.5
The Biggest Loser - 5.5
Million Dollar Listing - 5.3
Say Yes to the Dress - 5.2
Dancing with the Stars - 4.7
Dance Moms - 4.6
Finding Bigfoot - 4.3
American Idol - 4.1
The Real Housewives of {whatever} - [3.6 - 4.3]
19 Kids and Counting - 3.8
Toddlers & Tiaras - 3.2
Bridalplasty - 2.9
The Bachelor - 2.8
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo - 2.7
Keeping Up with the Kardashians - 2.5
** - Grandmother Lovers is not yet rated
There seems to be a strong correlation with the content of the show and its ratings. For example, educational and legitimate-ish competition shows rank near the top. Shows where we just watch people make choices score in the middle, and shows about dysfunctional families pretty uniformly score low. Production value and major network status seems to have little to do with ratings.
So are shows featuring competitions fundamentally better? This can't possibly be the case.
Do audiences prefer to get excited about competition more than getting frustrated at what some brainless housewife does? Is an opportunity to learn inherently associated with higher quality? This last point gives me hope, and it seems that ratings do indeed correlate with the primary emotion they invoke:
Success and education are positives and frustration is a negative. The bulk of the shows in the middle kinda invoke none of the above. In this sense, we can say that all these shows at the tail end are worse than nothing. We're worse off for having seen them. And the Kardashians are the worst of all. Kudos.
To compare, I looked at a the most popular reality shows and a few more that I've watched and found patterns:
Good Eats - 9.1
Most Extreme Elimination Challenge - 8.8
Survivorman - 8.4
Deadliest Catch - 8.2
Amazing Race - 7.6
Top Chef - 7.6
Chopped - 7.5
Pawn Stars - 7.4
Project Runway - 7.3
Property Brothers - 7.3
House Hunters - 7.1
Hell's Kitchen - 7.0
Duck Dynasty - 6.6
The Voice - 6.6
My 600 Pound Life - 6.2
America's Next Top Model - 5.5
The Biggest Loser - 5.5
Million Dollar Listing - 5.3
Say Yes to the Dress - 5.2
Dancing with the Stars - 4.7
Dance Moms - 4.6
Finding Bigfoot - 4.3
American Idol - 4.1
The Real Housewives of {whatever} - [3.6 - 4.3]
19 Kids and Counting - 3.8
Toddlers & Tiaras - 3.2
Bridalplasty - 2.9
The Bachelor - 2.8
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo - 2.7
Keeping Up with the Kardashians - 2.5
** - Grandmother Lovers is not yet rated
There seems to be a strong correlation with the content of the show and its ratings. For example, educational and legitimate-ish competition shows rank near the top. Shows where we just watch people make choices score in the middle, and shows about dysfunctional families pretty uniformly score low. Production value and major network status seems to have little to do with ratings.
So are shows featuring competitions fundamentally better? This can't possibly be the case.
Do audiences prefer to get excited about competition more than getting frustrated at what some brainless housewife does? Is an opportunity to learn inherently associated with higher quality? This last point gives me hope, and it seems that ratings do indeed correlate with the primary emotion they invoke:
Success and education are positives and frustration is a negative. The bulk of the shows in the middle kinda invoke none of the above. In this sense, we can say that all these shows at the tail end are worse than nothing. We're worse off for having seen them. And the Kardashians are the worst of all. Kudos.
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