My Rating: 4/5
Wah, wah, wah, WIPEOUT!
ABC finally has a show that I really like, and it’s called “Wipeout,” which is a reality show involving athletic competitions that are sort of like “Fear Factor,” but “Wipeout” is a lot more funny. “Wipeout” seems to be based off of a Japanese show that was even more goofy. You can check out the show’s episodes on television and on ABC’s website here: http://abc.go.com/. Once you open this website, search through it to find the homepage to “Wipeout,” and then search through the homepage to find videos of all the episodes of “Wipeout.”
I prefer the internet over the television because I usually have a lot more control over the internet than the television, such as I can effectively block out most advertisements on the internet, but I am completely at the mercy of corporations when it comes to the television. Only some TV devices like TiVo allows TV viewers to skip commercials, watch TV shows whenever they want, and fast forward, rewind, or skip around TV shows. The drawback with TiVo and other similar TV devices is that you have to buy them and sometimes subscribe to their services. My recommendation, just use your personal computer. You probably have a computer anyway, so you might as well use it as your TiVo and TV all rolled into one. If your computer cannot handle online video, then upgrade your computer. Computer upgrades are cheaper and better than ever before. Going back to “Wipeout,” you can watch the show on the ABC’s website, but you still have to watch commercials.
Each episode of “Wipeout” is more or less 43 minutes long without commercials. Each episode is broken down into 4 stages: the first course, the second course is always a jumping challenge, a third course, and the final course. Each stage weeds out the weak and only the top competitors of each stage are allowed to move onto the next stage.
“Wipeout” is NOT your typical athletic event. In “Wipeout,” the competitors are not suppose to physically interact with one another or attack one another. It is nothing like “American Gladiator,” where average people physically battle against extremely fit people. It is not like mixed martial arts, which consists of fighters trying to pummel and grapple their opponents into submission. In “Wipeout,” the competitors independently race through a very challenging course, or they have to keep their hands to themselves as they outrun or outlast everyone else on an arduous course.
What makes “Wipeout” different than “Fear Factor” is that “Wipeout” does not involve conquering popular fears such as eating disgusting foods, trying to escape out of a sinking vehicle, and completing a physical challenge that is hanging 100 feet into the air. “Wipeout” requires its competitors to wade through slippery mud, run up slick ramps and stairs, jump from platform to platform, run on unstable pathways, swim from place to place, run through gigantic rubber balls (yes, gigantic rubber balls), avoid getting punched by a wall (yes, a punching wall), swing on ropes to travel around, and so forth. Each course and all contestants are thoroughly padded to protect the contestants from seriously injuring and killing themselves. “Wipeout” is sort of like bringing into reality the treacherously cute worlds of “Super Mario Brothers,” “Megaman,” and other video games.
In “Wipeout,” there are competitors from a very broad range: obese people, chubby people, skinny video gamers, average-build people, muscular people, young adults, senior citizens, middle-aged adults, clumsy people, amateur athletes, semi-pro athletes, women, and men. The show could either use more Asian and Hispanic competitors, or more Asians and Hispanics should apply to compete for the show. “Wipeout” also needs more variety in the snags they use on their courses. After watching all of the episodes from the first season, I got a tiny bit bored with watching the competitors struggle through similar obstacles. “Wipeout” should add puzzles into their courses: math puzzles, word games, geometric conundrums, mechanical enigmas, etc. This would allow competitors to take a well-deserved break from physical challenges, force competitors to use their brains, and give smart, but ungainly people a better chance to compete.
The winner of “Wipeout” wins $50,000. Well, the winner does not really win $50K, because the government takes a large portion of that for taxation, but you get the idea. The best competitors are always people who are lean or muscular, agile, have good stamina, can run and swim well, and are between the ages of 18 and 50. No surprise here, but watching physically inept people struggle to race through a course loaded with ridiculous obstructions is flat out hilarious.
The competitors are further ridiculed by 2 commentators, and the 2 commentators are either pretty witty and funny or they have good writers. The commentators talk in a booth far away from the competitors to avoid hurting the competitors’ feelings, or maybe because the show’s producers add in the commentary after the competition to make the commentary more witty and funny with superb timing. The physical challenges and jokes are not cruel, but are done in a teasing manner. Everyone is just trying to have a safe, goofy experience.
Another “great” commentator is Jill Wagner. She interviews the competitors before each competition and sometimes talks about the competitors while they compete. You might recognize her, because she is the gorgeous model for Mercury automobile commercials. She doesn’t say much in “Wipeout” and she’s neither glib nor witty, but this doesn’t matter. Just listen to her with your eyes. She is an embodiment of a symphony.
Lots of different competitors, hilariously difficult courses, funny commentary, and Jill Wagner — what more can you ask for from a reality show?