Moment of Truth?

truth ~ noun

1. The true or actual state of a matter
2. Conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like
4. The state or character of being true.
5. Actuality or actual existence.
6. An obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
7. Honesty; integrity; truthfulness.
8. Accuracy, as of position or adjustment.

Reality TV is going way over the top. And the one that’s got me whopping mad is The Moment of Truth, hosted by Mark Wahlberg. Google it and you’ll find a whole load of write ups about it. But essentially, contestants are asked a series of questions prior to the actual show, hooked up to a polygraph.

According to Wiki: Without knowing the results of the polygraph, he or she is asked 21 of those same questions again on the program, each becoming progressively more personal in nature. If the contestant answers honestly, according to the polygraph results, he or she moves on to the next question; however, should a contestant lie in his or her answer (as determined by the polygraph) or simply refuse to answer a question after it has been asked, the game ends.

Now mind you, this being reality TV – there’s money involved. Great huge sums of money too! 6 levels of questioning, starting from USD 10,000 and culminating (if you’ve cleared the 1st 20 questions) at Question 21 with USD 500,000.

You’ve probably seen the ads on the telly – the sobbing mum, the devastated husband, etc as the contestant chooses between honesty and dishonesty. But wait - the pain from the honesty could be seriously cushioned by the comforts of having half a million buckeroos.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for honesty and telling the truth. But there’s a time and place for it – behind closed doors. And it should come from motivations other than that of being paid to tell the truth. In front of international syndicated television, is definitely not the time and place to tell your hubby that you slept with someone else after you married him, or to let your mum in on the fact that you use drugs. No matter how much money you stand to win. But then again – half a million dollars - that ought to buy a lot of therapy sessions.

We must be a sick lot of society if watching people air their dirty laundry is fascinating.