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The 6 Most Annoying and Overused Reality Show Phrases

Richard Lawson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:39:00 EDT

FourFour Rich (swoon) recently put together a wonderful video montage featuring repeated uses of that tired and frustrating reality competition show adage: "I'm not here to make friends." Yes indeed, it's been said so many times it's lost all meaning. Though it's not the only overused and essentially meaningless reality show mantra trundling around the airwaves these days. Take a look after the jump at five other old saws and groan and bury your face in your hands along with me.

"I'm in it to win it."/"I came here to win."
Uttered by bull-terrier wide-shouldered ladies and lilting, wispy gays alike, reality competitors love to remind themselves and the cameras that they are, in fact, competing for something.

"I'm just playing the game."
Similar to the "here to win" tropes, wicked contestants like Project Runway's Wendy Pepper and Top Chef's Spike Stupidhat have repeatedly defended their actions by saying that they're just playing the game of winning. Popularized by Survivor which, unlike shows where actual creative ability is meant to determine success, is actually about playing a game.

"And you know, I'm thinking: 'I could be going home tonight/today.'"
Weary contestants, beaten down by the days competition or sensing the tides of bad voting turning their way, will often sigh this to the cameras. Are they hoping that the producers will take pity on them? Are they trying to steel themselves for a possible disappointment? Well, considering that these things are filmed after the fact, we're pretty sure they're just trying to get you excited. We just wish they'd find a new way to express their worry. But, it can't have anything to do with "packing his/her bags." Because that's tired too.

"I think I might be falling for/in love with ___"
You think? You might be? And let's not even go into how annoying it is to say that you're "falling for" someone. Though, to be fair, we might actually just be mad at the genre that produces this fairly tame line, as we're not so much fans of A Flavor Shot at The Bachelor's Rock Love.

"Throw ___ under the bus."
Popularized by Top Chef, now everyone on TV is saying this damn thing. I liked it at first, it had a kind of cigar-chomping zip to it, but now the bus and the world under its wheels are too crowded.

Which other phrases rankle with you?

Mike Darnell Attempts To Make Amends For 'Moment' By Busting Deadbeat Dads

Molly Friedman — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Just when we thought reality TV couldn't sink any lower, Fox has officially scraped the bottom of the cringeworthy barrel by ordering a JD Roth-produced pilot called Bad Dads. The series, originally titled Deadbeat Dads until Mike Darnell christened it with its new name, depicts divorced fathers who've refused to pay child support, ambushing them at their ritzy country clubs on camera and forcing them to pay up. Playing the Chris Hansen role is some guy from a child-protection agency, who will go so far as to "make their lives miserable - foreclose on their house...repossess their car...all for a noble cause"! Roth, the reality wunderkind behind The Biggest Loser and Beauty And The Geek, claims the series aims to provide "justice for women." Which sounds lovely, but how exactly will pointing out just how mean and "bad" men are week after week warm our hearts?

There are certainly more than enough shows on the air right now depicting women as gold-diggers (The Bachelor), alcoholic sluts (Rock Of Love), and vapid brats (The Hills). But is counteracting the derogatory portrayal of fame-hungry women by featuring dozens of selfish, uncaring absentee fathers really the logical next step? As THR puts it, the series will "depict the sacrifice and heartache" of wounded women. We never thought we'd say this, but we're kinda missing the era of Mary Tyler Moore and Murphy Brown at this point.

FOX ZEROES IN ON 'BAD DADS' [THR]

Vajuniors, Chihuahuas And Evil Stage Parents

Mark Graham — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:30:00 EDT

· Intrepid Defamer Videographer™ Molly McAleer watches a LOT of TV during the course of her day. Unfortunately, she sees a lot of funny moments that, for one reason or another, we don't get around to covering. She found herself with a few spare minutes this weekend and cut together this outtake reel of hilarious moments that we didn't manage to feature last week (save for KTLA's Jessica Holmes; her act is worth a second look). With that intro, please enjoy this feature that we haven't quite gotten around to naming yet. Enjoy and, if you have any suggestions for what we should call this, leave your suggestions in the comments! [Molls She Wrote]
· Proving that that they aren't going to let a little thing like a self-imposed "family hour" get in the way of making a buck (particularly after GE's atrocious first quarter earnings), it's NBC's officially licensed "MILF Island" t-shirt. [NBC.com]
· Nobody has more fun than Miley Cyrus. Nobody. [YouTube]
· Noted political heavyweight Brody Jenner has just released his official presidential endorsement. The resident beefcake of The Hills is voting for ... wait for it ... Obama! If you're wondering why, the answer is simple: "He's just cool!" Word. [Us Magazine]
· And just when you thought things were going bad for the State of California comes this news: California in for a devastating quake within 30 years. [SF Gate]