What's amazing is that we both think this is probably the best show on TV right now, but we think so for reasons that are polar opposites.

When Tim, keeping as stiff an upper lip as he could, said after his eviction that if he could paint his feelings on a canvas, it would be mostly black, he was serious. He tried to smile and act lighthearted, but you could tell that he was in some real pain.

Here's my guess: you didn't give a rat's a## about that. You could barely wait to get thru the paragraph I just wrote about it.

There's a pathos to this series as well as brilliant, silly, and outrageous humor. That pathos stems from the fact that there are real people with real feelings being manipulated. Matt Kennedy Gould could laugh at himself and appreciate the joke played on him by "The Joe Schmo Show", as well as appreciate the money and gifts he won, but I'll bet he still isn't over the feeling of betrayal that Brian the Buddy wasn't his buddy at all. If he were to work thru it, it would require spending a lot of time with the real Brian and re-establishing a new relationship.

This series, "Joe Schmo 2", has a similarly good-hearted victim - this one said he would give a KIDNEY to the fake overbearing intimidating father of a fake girl, because he believes in this so much and he likes this fake girl so much. And the sincerity of his intention was verified by a polygraph machine.

Eleanor putting the make on the blow up doll - so funny I was rolling on the floor. Derek: "Omarosa - uh, Ambrosia, do you have any parting gifts? Sorry - parting words?" - hysterical! Montecore flying into the glass window on rehearsals - funny as hell, and I'm a hard core animal lover. As long as he wasn't really hurt. Rhett Reese totally absolving Jana Speaker of any blame for Ingrid catching on - I couldn't stop laughing! We all know why he did it, too! Despite that misleading nasal voice, he's a total red-blooded all-American male.

As you said, humor on a lot of levels.

Now TJ in the bathroom on a chain didn't do it for me - but if that cracked you up, fantastic! That just makes us different. It doesn't make me better than you or you better than me. It is impossible for me to act condescending to you because when I say you don't give a damn about aspects of this show like the producers panicking that their entire series and livelyhood is going to crash and burn, like Ingrid questioning her own sanity, like Tim seriously falling for a girl that doesn't exist, ALL I'm saying is that you don't give a damn about aspects of this show like the producers panicking that their entire series and livelyhood is going to crash and burn, like Ingrid questioning her own sanity, and like Tim seriously falling for a girl that doesn't exist. You said yourself that you found this stuff boring. There is NO "JUDGEMENT" implied or present in my re-stating it.

You said: "If the schmoes realize the reality is fake, the humor is lost. If the schmoes are too stupid, than the show veers into an exploitation of their stupidity."

I ask: Exactly what is in between? They either figure it out or they don't. If they don't, then they are truly "schmoes". That's what this series is all about. And that's why for me the reveal is the most riveting part. Because it's like - um, we've been enjoying their gullibility, laughing at them buying this stuff, but then there's also a few of us that are a little afraid for them, because altho we know that they are going to feel like crap when they find out, we don't want them feeling TOO bad. It's back to that pathos thing. But it's my fear for them that is actually part of why I find this show entertaining - that dramatic aspect - so in my own way I have as much a hand in exploiting them as anyone else.

As far as I know, I am so far in the minority here in my views on this show that it's ridiculous for me to even post here. Because in addition to laughing till it hurts, I have one other response to this show, and it's one that's patently clear I'm totally alone in on this site - I take this show very, VERY seriously. I really, REALLY care.

So you shouldn't feel judged or looked down on, buddy. You should be laughing your a## off at me. Sneering down at me. Just like everyone else here does.