‘Dismissed’ joins reality show bandwagon

Forget “Undressed.” There’s a new guilty pleasure to tune into — MTV’s “Dismissed.” Trying to capitalize on the reality television craze, “Dismissed” lets one person go on a date with two contestants who compete for his or her attention. In the end, one emerges the victor, and the other gets unceremoniously dismissed.

Each contender has to choose an activity to do, giving each contestant half the date to plan. It can include anything from a romantic picnic on the beach, to a day at Six Flags. During the date, contestants are given a 20-minute time-out card, which they can pass to the other contestant for some “alone time.” On these time-outs the contestant does just about anything asked of them to win the other person’s affection. This means anything from a hookup to skinny-dipping in a hot tub, and yes, it might even involve handcuffs and chains.

One of the greatest things about the show is that the contestants are the most pathetic people the casting crew could find. They usually are a cute bunch, but they aren’t exactly the brightest people out there. The participants will do just about anything so as not to be rejected on television, despite the fact that they might not be attracted or the least bit interested in the date. Throughout each episode all three participants are allowed to have “camera time,” when contestants talk alone to the camera and viewing audience. In one particular episode, one contestant said, “I really feel a connection. Its amazing.” Later, upon being dismissed, he retracted by saying, “We really aren’t similar.”

Another bonus in “Dismissed” is to see how the two contestants interact with each other. They will say just about anything that comes to their mind, ranking on each other’s clothes, accents, and activities they have chosen.

But there is something about the show, that once you have watched it, you find yourself tuning in regularly. So much so that walking down the hall in your dorm at 11 p.m., it’s tough not to come across a few residents tuning in.

“Its a great show,” Jessica Awar, 19, said, “We are watching other people have problems and not worrying about them ourselves.”

But while some viewers like the show for escapist reasons, others just like to gawk at the participants. Gary Samson, 20, said “I think its so funny to see people compete for someone else. Its almost sad they have to go on a show, but hey … its fun to watch.”

“Dismissed” airs on MTV at 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sunday at 10:30 p.m.