COMMENTARY: Hate-watching threatens the TV show industry
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the 78th Golden Globe nominees Feb. 3. The nominations included well-deserved (and not-so-deserved) nominees.
The Golden Globe Awards are a part of the film industry’s award season, recognizing American and international films and American TV shows. The 93 members of the HFPA give nominations.
Like in previous years, opinions about snubs and surprises began. Both the nominations and snubs prompted fan and critic-led discourse about hate-watching. Conversations began after people felt that shows like Emily in Paris did not deserve a nomination over fan-favorites like I May Destroy You, Insecure and Bridgerton.
Merriam Webster defines hate-watching as “taking pleasure in criticizing TV shows or movies.” In simpler terms, rather than watching a TV show because it is good, people will continue to watch a show even though they hate it.
TV shows have been around since the late 1940s, so horrible TV shows are nothing new. However, people used to change the channel. However, this issue has now turned into an opportunity to live tweet and fuel the serotonin-filled phenomenon of hate-watching.
TV shows are one of the best forms of entertainment, but they are not exempt from criticism. For example, although the show received much criticism, 13 Reasons Why gained viewers despite its problematic scenes and characters.
Regardless of many parents’ and adults’ displeasure, the show was popular enough to have four seasons on Netflix. This popularity was not necessarily because of how good it was; instead, it was because of the number of viewers and the buzz surrounding it.
The TV show industry is already oversaturated with shows. There are plenty of shows for everyone to enjoy, but people seem to spend more time focused on the bad ones. This fixation prompts the cancellation of good shows. Although they may reflect how good a program is, the viewership is just not there.
This problem is why hate-watching is terrible for the TV industry. The overindulgence of mediocre shows allows them to renew, giving them more opportunities to be up for nominations at awards shows like the Golden Globes.
These increased opportunities turn into a cycle of renovations of lousy TV shows, leading many actors to have the trouble of being taken seriously when they get new jobs.
Hate-watching shows is not a new concept, but social media has exacerbated this phenomenon. Because of social media, people can make their opinions heard and encourage others to take part in hate-watching. There are even online forums dedicated to hate-watching and recommending current TV shows to hate-watch.
For some reason, the ability to criticize allows the general audience to engage with a predictable show more than a show with more substance because they are looking for things to mock. Thus, continuing the cycle of increasing the viewership of these types of shows.
