You know, I can’ t help but feel that the vote-out system in all the reality shows we see, is a bit ineffective. Instead of asking people to vote for their favorite contestant, the television channels should ask them to vote for participants they like the least. I think this will evoke a better response from the audience and the chances of the correct person being voted out are higher than in the present scenario.

 

I say this, because on the basis of whatever I have heard and seen, the ‘hatred’ factor is what motivates us into action more than the ‘love’ or ‘like’ factor. Surprisingly, in most reality shows, there is at least one (at times, more) participant whom you cannot stand the sight of. J

 

Even the rational person, who watches these television shows for ‘time-pass’ and does not believe in wasting his money by smsing, would find it hard to resist voting off the ‘undesirable’ participant. I think the television channels should lap up my free and valuable suggestion, don’t you think so? J

 

The only reality show which followed this format was the celebrity reality show ‘Big Boss’ and it really made sense there. The only problem was that by the end of three or four episodes, most of the celebrities had over-exposed the grey side to their characters (not surprising as the celebrities comprised Rakhi Sawant and Kashmira Shah, and others like Anupama Verma and Rupali Ganguli who almost gave the former two a run for their money) and given the chance, you, as the viewer, would have voted all of them off. J

 

Another reason I say this is because of the American Idol episode couple of weeks back. One of the singers, Carly Smithson, who is considered a possible winner of this season, was among the ‘bottom three’, as far as votes were concerned. This came as a huge surprise, and one of the possible reasons this could have happened would be assumptions on the part of the public, that she being such a good singer would naturally get a lot of votes from others, and so, not bothering to vote for her.

 

Another point in favor of voting the least liked person!  I am sure this would increase the palatability of reality shows as also shoot up our interest levels in watching them. What say you?