If we’re lucky in the Opinion section, we work through our beliefs completely and support them with great arguments. But sometimes, we don’t need a deeper reason to hold our convictions. Rapid Fire is for those tweet-length takes that can be explained in just a sentence or two — no more justification needed.
In this Rapid Fire, writers gave their opinions on the question: To celebrate the advent of “Love is Blind” season five, pitch a terrible concept for a reality TV show… that you would still watch.
Nell Srinath, Opinion Editor: I always thought it was funny that “Too Hot to Handle” gathers contestants under the pretense that they’re on a raunchy, original TV show, only to be shocked when a talking plastic button enters the set announcing the show’s real premise: several weeks of televised celibacy. I don’t think the game should just change once. As soon as participants get comfortable with one game, I want that cursed button to pop up out of nowhere and throw the entire cast for a loop. As the episodes pile up, it’s slowly revealed that the contestants are in purgatory for eternity. Peak TV.
Dan Stark, Associate Opinion Editor: “Jersey Shore: President’s Edition.” In this, Biden, Trump, Obama, Bush and Clinton would spend their summer on the Jersey Shore as they annoy the sh** out of each other like they do in those AI videos on YouTube. I would pay to see Trump start an argument with Bush about whether he did 9/11.
Grace Sim, Staff Writer: How about a music show where singers compete against AI versions of themselves by singing songs that are completely out of their comfort zones? The audience would have to guess who the real singer is and who is AI. It may sound like an uncreative concept, but it would be hilarious to see a heavy metal rock band singer belting out a Taylor Swift classic, and the reactions of the singers would be priceless.
Emma Mattingly, Contributor: “Survivor,” but with commentators — political and otherwise. It would group together names like Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, Joe Rogan, Jordan Klepper, John Oliver and so many more and require them to remain civil whilst surviving on some remote tropical island. Just think of all the conspiracy theories that would be thrown around and the arguments that would occur.
Aastha Gupta, Staff Writer: “Love is Blind” but with a twist. The people are already engaged and they’re meant to find their fiancée among strangers using the 30 questions to ask to fall in love (their voices are distorted). But oh no? What if they fall in love with someone else? Or worse, what if they can’t figure out who their fiancée is?
Shannon Hong, Associate Managing Editor: Take it from your local “Survivor” superfan — replace all the contestants with babies. Shows like “MasterChef Junior” and “Chopped Junior” exist, but imagine a bunch of babies in the Big Brother house. No strategy, no backstabbing, no drama — just eating and sleeping.
