OS: It's like we were saying before, sadmad, the more you care to
look into the actual reality of 'reality television' the more you're
drawn to the slime just underneath the surface.

MM: When you get a chance, sadmad, you might want to peruse this
little item, which kind of reiterates a lot of what we've been
talking about -

http://www.fox.com/tradingspouses/recaps/208.htm

sadmad: "Trading Spouses"? Isn't that another show on the FOX Network?

MM: Yep.

OS: Another show produced for the FOX Network by none other than -

sadmad: - Rocket Science Laboratories!

MM: Correctamundo. Again.

OS: Are you familiar with this show?

sadmad: Seems to me I am.

OS: Alright, as you'll see this is just a recap of an episode of this
show that aired some time back.

sadmad: Yeah, I can see that.

MM: Nothing of real interest there, to be sure. However, check this
out, okay?

http://www.bio.miami.edu/rob/ts.html

sadmad: What in the world is this?

OS: It's a blog made by an actual participant on this same episode of
that same show.

MM: What's of interest here is how we see the heavy hand of Rocket
Science Laboratories at work once again -

OS: - reprised in a different form or venue, so to speak, but
evocative nonetheless, from our experience on JM2.

MM: For instance, check out the parts where the guy here notes how a
number of 'reactions' were actually from something else totally
unrelated to what the audience was seeing, done for the purpose of
presenting a storyline that adhered to what they (FOX/RSL) wanted to
convey.

OS: Paying particular attention to the instance he cites where the
person named Ann is shown laughing about the business about the trip
to Iceland and him looking like he was hurt by her laughing at it.

sadmad: Both from things completely out of context, you mean?

MM: Right.

OS: Does that evoke any remembrance from JM2 to mind?

sadmad: Wow! Let's see - the first one that comes to mind would be
that moment in the first episode when, just after telling all the
girls that the man they're all going to meet is an authentic American
cowboy (eliciting a bunch of sour expressions, as if they're all
immensely displeased at having to consort with someone of that
stature) Samantha then informs them of his just having inherited the
80 million dollars.

OS: And then they're all shown breaking up in what looks like
relieved laughter -

sadmad: - like the girls were all very possibly laughing at something
else altogether (maybe a joke someone told, or something) but got
manipulated to make them appear like the bunch of gold diggers the
storyline wanted to portray them as.

MM: I agree. That's one we thought of too. I wouldn't even be
surprised if those sour expressions earlier might have been something
similar.

sadmad: But the most notable example that comes to mind was after
Kristyna returned from her 'Boredom Date' with David in Florence. She
comes back to the Villa and the group is all around a table finishing
dinner and she starts going on as how concerened she was at how badly
the date had gone.

OS: Then while all the others seem to be commisserating with her, and
while displaying an expression of distress, she then appears to look
in the direction of Cat -

MM: - who is shown laughing -

sadmad: - as if she's coldly, unfeelingly, laughing at Kristyna's
supposed discomfort. When, in all probability, that shot of Cat
laughing there was from something else altogether. Totally out of
context or unrelated - but provided to assist the audience so as to
give the impression of Cat the producers wanted for the purposes of
their storyline.

OS: Excellent. You get an 'A' in the science of FOX/RSL 'reality',
sadmad.

sadmad: Thanks. But getting back to the subject of Linda and
this 'deal' she took advantage of from the FOX/RSL producers -

MM: What about it?


(Part VII to follow.)