The Year of the Sex Olympics
I'm not entirely sure that this counts as a movie since it originally aired on television in the UK. However, it is pretty interesting so i'm going to review it anyway.
In some ways this 1968 television movie made by the BBC is both a precursor to reality television, especially Survivor, but also thematically similar to Mike Judge's film Idiocracy.
It starts off by telling us that the film takes place, "sooner than you think..." in a world where people don't do anything but watch television all day long. In fact, it has gone so far that rather than actually have sex themselves, all they do is watch people on television have sex as part of a competition. The main characters are the behind the scene people who produce the shows and judge the sex competitions in preparation for the upcoming sex olympics.
Because it was made for television we don't see any of the sex though. In reality, the movie isn't really about the sex but rather the fact that people have been dulled into passivity by watching television all day. The world is so passive that one character says, "Sex is not to do. Sex is to watch." and the characters regularly take drugs that are in tubes with baby bottle pacifiers on them. In the attempt to keep the people dull and entertained they eventually send some people out to live on an island by themselves where they have to try to survive without any television, electricity, or packaged food. As the participants encounter tragedy the television executives are more and more excited.
"The Year of the Sex Olympics" is really interesting because in trying to make a statement about the impact of television it very clearly predicts reality television. Now I'm a fan of most reality shows (although I really despise the current talent contests like American Idol and I've tired of Survivor) so I don't really buy into the message. It is also rather unevenly paced. Before they got to the Survivor part I felt it was getting pretty tedious. Then the survivor part moves kind of quick with a few things using a bit more explanation. Then it ends without a traditional Hollywood style comeuppance for society. In some ways I like the ending but in others it was a bit too sudden and lacked the real punch that I would have liked.
three thumbs up
reality shows
get a bad rap by some folks
I like them myself
In some ways this 1968 television movie made by the BBC is both a precursor to reality television, especially Survivor, but also thematically similar to Mike Judge's film Idiocracy.
It starts off by telling us that the film takes place, "sooner than you think..." in a world where people don't do anything but watch television all day long. In fact, it has gone so far that rather than actually have sex themselves, all they do is watch people on television have sex as part of a competition. The main characters are the behind the scene people who produce the shows and judge the sex competitions in preparation for the upcoming sex olympics.
Because it was made for television we don't see any of the sex though. In reality, the movie isn't really about the sex but rather the fact that people have been dulled into passivity by watching television all day. The world is so passive that one character says, "Sex is not to do. Sex is to watch." and the characters regularly take drugs that are in tubes with baby bottle pacifiers on them. In the attempt to keep the people dull and entertained they eventually send some people out to live on an island by themselves where they have to try to survive without any television, electricity, or packaged food. As the participants encounter tragedy the television executives are more and more excited.
"The Year of the Sex Olympics" is really interesting because in trying to make a statement about the impact of television it very clearly predicts reality television. Now I'm a fan of most reality shows (although I really despise the current talent contests like American Idol and I've tired of Survivor) so I don't really buy into the message. It is also rather unevenly paced. Before they got to the Survivor part I felt it was getting pretty tedious. Then the survivor part moves kind of quick with a few things using a bit more explanation. Then it ends without a traditional Hollywood style comeuppance for society. In some ways I like the ending but in others it was a bit too sudden and lacked the real punch that I would have liked.
three thumbs up
reality shows
get a bad rap by some folks
I like them myself
