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Originally Posted by ila
I am really pissed off at that show for what they did to Miriam and I am equally pissed off at all the guys that were contestants on that show, including the winner. The only person who acted with any dignity on the whole show was Miriam. The rest were complete jerks (and that is the mildest thing I can think of to call them). To put Miriam through that experience was unconscionable. The winner almost showed some class when he at first agreed to go with Miriam and then later backed out. How bloody cowardly of him.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bionca
Yeah it rally depends on how the producers came to her with it. Either she was as much a dupe in the process as the guys, or she let her need for money decide for her...
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Well, I'm not pissed at the show for "what they did to Miriam" (as Ila put it) since technically they didn't "do" anything to her -- after all, she agreed to be on the show of her own accord. Not to mention, according to everything I've read about the show (and the legal wrangling that took place afterward, which the show's producers settled out of court) AND to answer Bionca's question as well -- Miriam was fully aware and in on the show's "stunt" all along. Look, Miriam obviously knew her own status going in (that's a big duh!). AND she knew that her job was to flirt with each guy on camera and to get them worked up and to return the favor. Her job was to get them to come on to her...hug her...kiss her...make advances to her...all for the benefit of the camera. AND she knew from the start that the whole hook was that she (and the viewers at home) would know about her true TS status, but the contestants wouldn't.
Miriam knew the whole POINT of the show was to ratchet up the sexual heat and innuendo (you know, all that good stuff that TV viewers love to watch) which would culminate in the last episode, on air, reality TV show "shock moment" where her real status was revealed AND the reactions of all the guys would be caught on camera. And she knew that the whole POINT was to certainly capture the reaction of the big winner, where he had to now decide -- on national TV and for everyone to see -- how he actually felt about her, and even his own sexuality, given that he just learned he'd spent the last few weeks coming on to a TS. So, in that regards, she was more than a willing participant in setting up the big pay-off moment. She knew going in "what" this was all leading to. That's why I can't blame the show or say that they did something "unconscionable" to her.
And in defense of Miriam, you could say this as well...
From HER point of view, the show was also SUPPOSED to be a dating show at its core. It was SUPPOSED to be a chance to meet a nice guy, someone who would want to date her no matter what. Or to put it poetically, a chance to find someone who would like her for who she really was. And I'm sure that really was the sales pitch that the producers made to her. I'm sure they said, "Look, IF you do this, you're
guaranteed to make some money. You're
guaranteed to be on TV and gain a lot of fame, which would be good for your career. So that's a win-win right there. But the icing on the cake is that maybe...
just maybe...you'll connect with one of these guys. OR maybe once the show is over and you've been in such a big spotlight, maybe other nice guys that are out there will contact you. So even if none of these guys work out, maybe you'll still find a nice guy from all of the fan mail you'll be getting."
Of course, I'm not sure how much of THAT argument holds water. And that's because (speaking for myself) I think Miriam is stunningly gorgeous. On a scale of 1 to 10, I think she's a 500. And from the parts of TSAM that I've seen, she seems to have a great personality too. She seems like a total sweetie. So, there's a part of me that finds it hard to believe that she didn't ALREADY have a boyfriend going into this -- that she simply did this for some TV exposure and as a career move. Or even if she didn't have a steady boyfriend, there's another part of me that finds it hard to believe she doesn't ALREADY have a billion guys knocking on her door, who'd give an arm and a leg for a chance to go out with her and to try and like her for who she really is. Hey, I know I'd ask her out in a heartbeat!
Then again, that's the reaction I always have watching TV dating shows, where they always try to sell you on the idea that the gorgeous contestant suffers from the
"Cheerleader Effect." Translation: she's the hotty school cheerleader that everyone thinks is a knockout -- that everyone would love to go out with -- and thus everyone assumes she must have a boyfriend OR she's already got a date for Saturday night. So, the irony becomes that because of her perceived popularity no one asks her out and thus she DOESN'T have a boyfriend NOR does she have any dates lined up. And thus she really is the beautiful girl who sits at home all alone on a Saturday night simply because no one thought to actually ask her out.
In the end, though, I agree with most people -- the winner of TSAM was a total dope not to go on the boat trip with her. I mean, he seemed to genuinely like her...he clearly had put in the effort to win the contest...so you'd think if nothing else (sex aside) that he'd still take the trip to just go and relax and have fun with Miriam, so they could remain good friends and look back on the whole experience and smile. But since he didn't have the gentlemanly guts to do even that, that's why I think the winner was a huge LOSER in my eyes. You suck, dude!
So, if you're out there, Miriam, send me a PM.
Speaking as one of the "nice guys", I'd be more than happy to take you to dinner and a movie any time just to hang out and to laugh and to get to know you simply because you're you. Because in the end THAT'S what being with anyone...whether it's romantic or just as friends...should ALWAYS be about!
