American Gladiators is back on TV. (Or would proper grammar be “American Gladiators are back on TV?”) In any case, Stephanie and I caught the show last night. It’s kind of like you remember it, except with less stuff happening and more people talking. In other words, just what you’d expect in today’s post-Survivor reality TV format. I guess they want you to care about the contestants so they spend time talking about them? I don’t—I just want to see people get jousted so hard their fingers come off. And some of the gladiators are clearly trying to make names for themselves (ahem, Wolf, yeah it’s really cute how you howl whenever the camera points at you, but you look like an idiot).
Maybe I’m remembering American Gladiators through the rose-colored lens of memory. In fact, I know I am. I was, after all, twelve years old at the height of the show’s popularity. Still, the new show isn’t entirely without its good points. For one, the lady gladiators aren’t quite as scary (i.e. manly) as they used to be. Another improvement is the updated Eliminator, which is now incredibly grueling. Somehow moving the uphill conveyor belt to the end of the competition makes it a hundred times more difficult. When the contestants finish, they are barely able to move. I don’t think it will be long before someone finishing the Eliminator just throws up right on Hulk Hogan’s legs. That would be hilarious.
I’ll probably keep watching, at least for a little while, although I’m not sure if I would be doing so if there were other shows on TV.
January 7, 12:36 pm
I will have to agree with Kip, the show is pretty cool, but if there were other things on I probably wouldn’t continue watching for long either. However, I would like to make two comments about the lady Gladiators myself. Yes, they aren’t as masculine as the original She-Ra’s were on the original, but they also aren’t as hard to beat. Most of the challenges have two contenders not really having all that many difficulties getting around the Gladiators. The other thing is that I am totally annoyed that one of the Gladiators is calling herself “Siren” because that was the name of one of the original Gladiators. All the other new Gladiators came up with all new names to go by that are pretty creative. I like Fury and Crush as names, why couldn’t you come up with something like that. I came up with Smoke for a good Lady Gladiator name just while watching the show. So “Siren”, you’re on notice.