While flipping through the channels the other night, I came across a game show featuring a young married couple. The apparent goal of the show is to get one of the spouses to confess to things that could ultimately sink the marriage.
In the episode I saw, the young wife was asked if she was still in love with her former boyfriend. (Apparently questions had been asked of both spouses ahead of time). When she answered that she was, they gained points. She was then asked if she would marry her old boyfriend instead of her current husband if it were possible. She again answered in the affirmative, and the couple were apparently on their way to winning a larger prize (although the husband's expression suggested the ultimate prize would be divorce).
I thought this was the most disgusting TV show I'd ever seen. Then I remembered a show from the 1960's called "Queen for a Day."
In this game show, several wives would tell their hard luck stories: husband lost his arm in an accident; child was crippled by polio; mother had died in a car accident.
The more tragic the story, the better. When all of the women had told their stories, the audience was invited to applaud for their favorite hard luck story. An applause meter picked the winner, who received a new washer/dryer, or a new TV, or refrigerator, or some such appliance.
Even at my young age, I realized there was something bizarre and completely wrong with this, although I couldn't nail it down.
I don't know why I bring this up, except that I'm reminded again that people's appetite for the revolting is nothing new.
