I don’t often participate in this sort of stuff. That’s not because I think I’m too cool (though, I probably do because I probably am), but more because I work in television and don’t have the interest in watching a ton of extra TV aside from Seinfeld re-runs and Spurs games.
However, every year (for the last 3 or 4) I’ve really gotten into The Next Food Network Star. I’m sure you can figure out what the show’s about (here’s a fun fact: Guy Fieri won season two of this show back in 2006, something that–in the long run–has probably saved the show).
Just as with American Idol and America’s Next Top Model and America’s Got Talent and all those other (fucking) shows, Food Network Star allows you, the fan, to actually be involved in the decision-making process.
This year, I voted for the plucky gal pictured to the left, Damaris Phillips (her show idea combines dating and cooking and how to impress women through food. Sign me up). As an incredibly superfluous side note, I should mention that the two clowns (and yes, aside from the face paint, they were clowns) running opposite her in the finale were so awful that it not only made my choice easy but would’ve made her defeat sting that much more.
And that’s the feeling we’re talking about. I have no stake in Damaris Phillips. I don’t know her, I’ll almost assuredly never meet her (though, she did reply to me once on twitter, so there’s that). In fact, most of the times we watch these contestant shows, we’re far more interested in the process than the resulting career (that said, I do actually want to see how she does on Food Network). However, when I watched the finale with my roommate and she won, we actually high-fived (I’m not sure if he has actually happy or just happy to have me stop pestering him to vote for her).
Think about that though… Two guys feeling actual elation for a stranger winning a competition in which they have absolutely no stake in and won’t ever have one in.
That’s this feeling.
Polar opposite of this feeling?: That (fucking) guy everyone hates winning (but hey, at least you can brag when their career flops)
scott spinelli 