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[Marlin Democrat] -- Big city, small town
Apr. 20th, 2005 11:07 amBig city, small town
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Demorat
April 20, 2005
Last weekend, I was flipping through the stations on the TV.
Infomercial. Baseball. Old B-Movie. Informercial. Self-help show. Food. Ice-skating. Informercial. Infomercial. Reality TV. Inf—
You get the idea.
I ended up on CMT and discovered a new "reality series." Out of pure curiosity, I set the remote control down, leaned back in my chair, and prepared to be amused.
"Popularity Contest" is a contest that brings 10 city-slickers to the small town of Vega, Texas, population 936.
Located in the Texas panhandle, this small town could very well be another planet to these men and women who have never set foot in a town smaller than Dallas. There is a successful businessman, an opera singer, a sales representative, models, a professional cheerleader, a major league baseball scout, a chef and even a psychic/medium. All of which are out of their element in a small town as close-knit as Vega.
I admit it. Two episodes in, and I'm hooked. The contestants are learning about small town values, the 'grape-vine,' and, of course, Texas High School football. In this town, it takes more than a smile and wink to win popularity status. It takes hard work, honesty, and a genuine spirit.
These values are what earn the contestants their popularity status, as every three days the town assembles to vote for their favorite contestant. The person with the lowest number of votes is deemed the least popular, and they are escorted out of town by the sheriff. The person left standing will earn $50,000.
Having grown up in a small town — granted not one as small as Vega — I watch the show with great amusement. You hear so much about the "country hick" being out of their element in the big city, but rarely does anyone stop to think about how someone from the city would find it hard to fit into a small town.
Small towns have their own way of doing things. People drive, talk and walk a little slower. Everyone either knows everyone else, or they just may be related! Car doors are left unlocked. Parents sometimes know what their kids did... before the kids have a chance to do it! You're less likely to find a Wal-Mart, McDonalds, or other nationally known chain. Instead there are still Mom-and-Pop stores. High school sports rule, and the whole town supports the teams.
In bigger cities, all of the above are practically unheard of outside of tails of the "old days."
The series "Popularity Contest" is in a lot of ways just another reality TV gimmick, but it's also eye opening to various things. Big cities and small towns may all exist in the same area, but they are indeed two different lifestyles.
I see myself headed to the big city in the future, and hopefully I can slide into that lifestyle with relative ease. Its a different mindset, different pace of life, and different expectations. However, I feel like I've been lucky to have grown up in a small town.
Small town values are the basis of so many things, and they give a great base to go back to and rediscover the basics of life. That's something that can — though not always — be missing in the fast pace life of the big city. It's at least easily lost in the bustle of business, the excitement of night life, and the politics of trying to stay the big fish.
"Popularity Contest" is an interesting look at how sometimes, its the simple things — a smile, a shoulder to lean on, and old fashioned hard work — can move someone ahead quicker and happier than anything else.
Nise's Notes
by Denise Schoppe
The Marlin Demorat
April 20, 2005
Last weekend, I was flipping through the stations on the TV.
Infomercial. Baseball. Old B-Movie. Informercial. Self-help show. Food. Ice-skating. Informercial. Infomercial. Reality TV. Inf—
You get the idea.
I ended up on CMT and discovered a new "reality series." Out of pure curiosity, I set the remote control down, leaned back in my chair, and prepared to be amused.
"Popularity Contest" is a contest that brings 10 city-slickers to the small town of Vega, Texas, population 936.
Located in the Texas panhandle, this small town could very well be another planet to these men and women who have never set foot in a town smaller than Dallas. There is a successful businessman, an opera singer, a sales representative, models, a professional cheerleader, a major league baseball scout, a chef and even a psychic/medium. All of which are out of their element in a small town as close-knit as Vega.
I admit it. Two episodes in, and I'm hooked. The contestants are learning about small town values, the 'grape-vine,' and, of course, Texas High School football. In this town, it takes more than a smile and wink to win popularity status. It takes hard work, honesty, and a genuine spirit.
These values are what earn the contestants their popularity status, as every three days the town assembles to vote for their favorite contestant. The person with the lowest number of votes is deemed the least popular, and they are escorted out of town by the sheriff. The person left standing will earn $50,000.
Having grown up in a small town — granted not one as small as Vega — I watch the show with great amusement. You hear so much about the "country hick" being out of their element in the big city, but rarely does anyone stop to think about how someone from the city would find it hard to fit into a small town.
Small towns have their own way of doing things. People drive, talk and walk a little slower. Everyone either knows everyone else, or they just may be related! Car doors are left unlocked. Parents sometimes know what their kids did... before the kids have a chance to do it! You're less likely to find a Wal-Mart, McDonalds, or other nationally known chain. Instead there are still Mom-and-Pop stores. High school sports rule, and the whole town supports the teams.
In bigger cities, all of the above are practically unheard of outside of tails of the "old days."
The series "Popularity Contest" is in a lot of ways just another reality TV gimmick, but it's also eye opening to various things. Big cities and small towns may all exist in the same area, but they are indeed two different lifestyles.
I see myself headed to the big city in the future, and hopefully I can slide into that lifestyle with relative ease. Its a different mindset, different pace of life, and different expectations. However, I feel like I've been lucky to have grown up in a small town.
Small town values are the basis of so many things, and they give a great base to go back to and rediscover the basics of life. That's something that can — though not always — be missing in the fast pace life of the big city. It's at least easily lost in the bustle of business, the excitement of night life, and the politics of trying to stay the big fish.
"Popularity Contest" is an interesting look at how sometimes, its the simple things — a smile, a shoulder to lean on, and old fashioned hard work — can move someone ahead quicker and happier than anything else.
