The Lameness of Truth

I don't want to say that this show is what's wrong with America today, but THIS SHOW IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH AMERICA TODAY. Adam and his roommates are weirdly obsessed with this show, which means I've been forced to watch it twice. And by watch, I mean read a book on the couch and glare at them. I have an intense hatred of this show. Hatred is not a strong enough word.

There are the obvious issues: greedy shallow people answering personal questions that are designed to be embarrassing and hurtful on national television. I mean, they don't pick the squeaky clean girl next door to be on Moment of Truth, they pick the med student who stole her brother's girlfriend and used to dance topless via webcam for tuition money. That means these people are shameless enough to air out their dirty laundry for money. ON TELEVISION. If you have no respect for yourself, at least have respect for your poor jilted brother!

But that's not even my biggest problem with this show. My chief complaints are twofold:

1. Enough with the pretense. The contestants aren't physically hooked up to the lie detector for the show, which means they completed the actual polygraph portion before taping. The jig is up! Don't pretend to be shocked when the question comes up. Don't take twenty seconds to consider your answer. Don't pause dramatically before revealing whether the answer is true or false.

2. Let's not applaud these people at the end of the show, shall we? At the end of this week's episode, the host apologizes to a failed contestant, saying "What a shame, you're a great guy." To a man who was just revealed to have cheated on his girlfriend and forged credit card receipts as a waiter to receive bigger tips! And who lost the money he had earned by lying about stuffing his jockey shorts as an underwear model!

I have to go rinse my brains out with soap now.