The Demographics of Joe Millionaire 1 and 2

[Bumpkin]

JM1 experienced a viewership and ratings sucess like no other Fox reality tv offering before it.

Yet JM2 has been such a dismal ratings failure, Fox doesn't quite know what to do with the show.

First we're Monday nights. Then we are replacing American Juniors on Tuesday nights. Then again, we're back to just Monday nights, before JM2 replaces the much-hyped "Skin" with back to back episodes until the season end.

What gives?

As one of 22 million viewers who tuned in to see Evan choose Zora, (and who, in turn, found the FORT) I'm wondering why the ratings for the current season of JM are so dismal.

Are you burned out on reality tv? (after a summer full of offerings)

Has the reality tv dating genre run it's course?

Are European contestants just not as much fun (or as spiteful) as American gals?

Or does the lead character just not hold the same appeal as hunky, dorky Evan?

I have my own thoughts on the matter, but want to hear your own first.

[psucashcow]

My husband would say that the reality tv dating genre is passe. I'm thinking that shows based on a lie (like JM) can't be replicated too well because the premise is only novel once...unless there are additional twists. FLOM and FLOM2 succeeded to a degree because, even though they had Erin in FLOM1 and she thought she knew all the twists, NBC still threw in other changes to mess with her mind. With JM2, nice guy who actually appears to be attracted to the girls (Linda) unlike Evan, but the women themselves are more cynical, unlike the Americans..how many of the American women really questioned Evan being an heir to a fortune..the Euros have several times already in their asides. Besides, reality programming only truly blooms in the summer when they compete with reruns.

[Darienka]

Hi Bumpkin:

I have to say I was surprised to see that JM2 had poor ratings...I find it much more fun to watch these European gals. They are by far more entertaining than the American girls...Euros have so far proven to be outspoken, hysterical, not afraid to be themselves (this goes mostly for the Swedish ones, especially Olinda and Alessia who is now gone, but she was the clown in that crowd and it was nice to see that mix of people)...She was a natural...Sure, there was a slight language barrier, David could not always catch everything she said but what the hell.. I love the accents too...Cat has a very sexy accent, to me it sounds more French than German (I have a few German friends and they accents are much "rougher")...My fellow Czechs didn't really have strong accents (at least in my opinion) and they were well-versed. The same goes for the Swedish girls and Anique...Well, as I have said, quite an interesting mix of ladies that we have here..

I think the location is nice although it gives a home advantage (or not) to the Italians. They should have chosen a neutral country, perhaps France...Wasn't it in France where the first one was? For some reason, I cannot recall it 100%. Oh no, wait, it was in France. I remember Evan took the girls to Moulin Rouge and what not...But I guess that needed countryside to fit David's cowboy lifestyle so it makes sense...

To answer your question, I am not burned out by watching reality TV but I am very selective..when it comes to all programming...I don't have all the time in the world to watch TV so I have to choose...My reason to watch JM2 was, as I have already addressed in other postings, to see how my fellow Czechs are doing on the show. Plus, I am very curious by nature..Now I'm hooked and I will watch the show until it ends..Even if Kristyna, the last Czech girl on the show as of Friday a.m. is voted off..Who knows? My favorite at the moment is Cat and Anique..Olinda is outrageous and very out there but doesn't she look like she had a bad face-lift or something? Her mouth is crooked..it goes to the side, I don't know what it is..Somebody mentioned earlier that she is 26 looking like a 40-year-old, that's pretty exact (although she's a nice girl, not an ugly one)..

And when it comes to David, I like him more than Evan...Evan was just spooky and -excuse me - dumb. Very dumb...He could not express himself. To me, it is also interesting to see how David is very polite, it's always yes, sir, yes madam...very interesting...It's better to be polite than rude..I don't really care if he knows what "ciao" means or not...you cannot blame him for not knowing everything about foreigners and their background. Some people had a chance to travel and explore the world and he's not one of them..So what? You learn as you go and he's doing exactly that...

I am curious to see how the "story" on Fox continues.

Have a good weekend everyone,

DeeDee

JM1 experienced a viewership and ratings sucess like no other Fox reality tv offering before it.

Yet JM2 has been such a dismal ratings failure, Fox doesn't quite know what to do with the show.

First we're Monday nights. Then we are replacing American Juniors on Tuesday nights. Then again, we're back to just Monday nights, before JM2 replaces the much-hyped "Skin" with back to back episodes until the season end.

What gives?

As one of 22 million viewers who tuned in to see Evan choose Zora, (and who, in turn, found the FORT) I'm wondering why the ratings for the current season of JM are so dismal.

Are you burned out on reality tv? (after a summer full of offerings)

Has the reality tv dating genre run it's course?

Are European contestants just not as much fun (or as spiteful) as American gals?

Or does the lead character just not hold the same appeal as hunky, dorky Evan?

I have my own thoughts on the matter, but want to hear your own first.

[AJane]

I personally love this show...but maybe those of us with European families just find the JM2 women more fun to watch. I think Americans may be a little turned off by the Euros' obvious attraction to the 80 mill that David is supposed to have. I don't know that the average viewing public in North America can really relate to these women. My husband did not get why none of them wanted to camp out - OMG, they were talking about a perfect date being a spa treatment and a day of shopping, of course they don't want to camp!
Also, the producers were just evil to pick David as JM2...like throwing a rabbit into a den of wolves. I don't think the ladies find him that attractive (when he's dressed, anyway, Olinda notwithstanding) - Evan would have done better with this bunch.
Just my 2 cents...

[LG.]

I think this season is just as interesting as the last season, and I'm certainly more interest in David than I was in Evan. I think Fox might have just gone to the well one too many times for a show with "a surprise twist" as the featured element.

[NYGal]

Most people I've spoken with believe that reality shows are heavily scripted and that the majority of the winners were undeserving. For example, the men in my office said that never in a million years would they have picked "plain Jane" Zora over "hot" Sarah, and they felt that in real life Evan wouldn't have either, so the show must have been rigged. That would probably help explain why the ratings for JM2 is off.

[funnygirl422]

Most people I've spoken with believe that reality shows are heavily scripted and that the majority of the winners were undeserving. For example, the men in my office said that never in a million years would they have picked "plain Jane" Zora over "hot" Sarah, and they felt that in real life Evan wouldn't have either, so the show must have been rigged. That would probably help explain why the ratings for JM2 is off.

He picked the girl he thought least likely to be after the $$. That was his job. Also, they did script it a bit. According to an article in Zora's website, when he told her he did not have $50M she said "I knew it". They refilmed that moment so that it would look like she was this wholesome, non-gold-digger type.

Bumpkin: Any reality show that makes me feel better about myself is GREAT!

[LaughAtlantis]

Personally, while I'm watching JM2, I miss Evan. I think he was far more engaging than David, who is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Last season, it was the interaction between the women and Evan that made the show. This season, the behind-the-scenes back-at-the-villa makes the show. You could remove David entirely and I'd still watch these women interact just for the sheer fun of their cattiness. It's better than your average soap opera.

[psucashcow]

Personally, while I'm watching JM2, I miss Evan. I think he was far more engaging than David, who is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Last season, it was the interaction between the women and Evan that made the show. This season, the behind-the-scenes back-at-the-villa makes the show. You could remove David entirely and I'd still watch these women interact just for the sheer fun of their cattiness. It's better than your average soap opera.

Maybe it was evident more last night because the shows were back to back, but the segway of "Back at the Villa" was funny, just to see who Olinda was dissing next...but, without Olinda, it's like losing LeeAnn on Bach 4. And David,talk about restraint, heck by 4 women, old Bach Bob had lip locked with one and all. Other than Cat, he's not really checking for chemistry by the Guiney method with anyone else.

[PipSqueek]

I find the European women and setting more appealing. Whats killing the show this season for me, is David. The guy has NOTHING to say. Im tired of him reiterating the same small-talk, only to look down at his shoes afterward. He's too shy and nervous.
If Evan were there, in that setting, with those girls, it would be a bordello of delicious smut. This is why im sad.
Lack of Smut aside, there simply is no substantive/interesting dialogue between David and the Euro's. All the interesting dialogue happens between the girls.
Not to say that Evan was a great speaker, but, at least he had charisma, and the interaction between him and the girls was titalating.
I highly doubt, we'll be seeing David and whomever, move off-camera, and retreat down by the bushes (ie Sarah and Evan).