The Armenian Real Tv? Cube

[MosJan]

Real TV?: “Cube” captures a version of “reality” that has Armenia watching and talking

 

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By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

: 24 cameras get every angle of Cube life

Five or more years since the genre became a sensation in other parts of the world, Armenia audiences long deprived of the joy of voyeurism now have their very own “reality TV” program.

 

For nearly two weeks television sets within the reach of TV5, have been burning to broadcast such intriguing and necessary information as whether group hairdresser Knarik will come up with a new design for Michael, whose hair this week was dyed in a pattern rather like a spider’s version of a soccer ball.

 

The thrill of knowing what 16 bored youth have for lunch is mixed with the edge-of-seat drama of whether the Armenian girl will show what she’s sleeping in (having been careful to use the covers for, well, cover, to protect her proper Armenian self from the 24-hour camera she agreed to live in front of for 30 days).

 

The show is called “Cube”, and if local viewers aren’t captivated by the actual program, they nonetheless cannot avoid its advertisement, looping scores of time an hour in commercial rotation promising: “New Show! Exciting Show! Reality Show! Wow!”

 

This is no scaled down model of tell all television, either. This, scorekeepers, is international competition! Wow!

 

Contestants, a total of 16, were selected from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Georgia; 4 girls and 4 boys are from Armenia.

 

The essential rules of the game are to not get drunk (200 grams of cognac or vodka, or 400 grams of wine per day are the limit), don’t use physical violence, no profanity and – this is crucial – no whispering. Within those restrictions, viewers get to (as the advertisement faithfully promises): “Watch them dance! Train! Argue! . . .” And: Subscribers to the Super System satellite network can watch the action 24 hours a day. Wow!

 

All of this takes place in a 1,000 square meter studio that includes one bedroom for the guys and one for the girls, a gym, kitchen, bathrooms (mercifully camera-free zones), and, in some designer’s inflated idea of “reality” in Armenia, two Jacuzzis.

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This being the “Dali” version (later versions will be based on other famous art), Dali-esque decorations add surrealism to this “reality”. Twenty-four cameras assure that nothing is missed, whether it’s a lover’s quarrel or (especially) gossip about other cast members.

 

Particularly salacious this week was the breakup of Michael from Olga, as the above-mention soccer head turned his affections to Yana. Prime time viewers caught the spurned tears of Olga and the puppy-love joy of Yana.

 

At the end of the day, stress levels rise in Cubeland. That’s when each contestant takes a pellet pistol, aims it at a lineup of fellow contestant photographs, and “shoots” the person he/she wishes to be dismissed from the group. At the end of the week, the person whose photo is most bullet-riddled is dismissed – pending, also, call-in votes from viewers.

 

TV5 won’t say how many calls the show gets, but ArmeniaNow’s unofficial Cubecount puts it about 300 on one day and 600 on another.

 

“This is a big test, to live in a closed area for 30 days, to communicate with the same people all the time, get along with totally unknown people, there are times when you can’t get along even with your own sister,” 22-year old contestant Knarik Davtyan told ArmeniaNow.

 

Participants were selected by the organizers of the game (the board of the “Armenia” TV). Appearance was the main criteria. Fluency in Russian is also required since, what “reality” in Armenia would be accurate unless the official language were Russian?

 

The show’s host, Mark Saghatelyan, says the aim of “Cube” is to show “real nature” in different situations. (The aim, for contestants, however, is somewhat less philosophical: They’re competing for a Grand Prize of $4,500.)

 

“Reality” TV

Saghatelyan promises that passions will become aroused as “Cube” progresses.

 

Passions among viewers are also being inflamed. Whether Armenia needs such a show has become a topic of café conversation and on Internet sites such as www.panorama.am.

 

Viewer Mariam Mkhitaryan, a 21-year old student says “Cube” is the real deal. “Go to any discotheque, the same thing goes on there; Russians have had such shows long ago, it’s good we also got one, I would also like to take part.”

 

Bryusov University classmate Anna Harutyunyan, argues that “Cube” represents a decline of Armenian moral values.

 

“As an Armenian girl I am ashamed when I see Armenians with half naked breasts walking before the cameras, not to mention their lack of education, talking in repulsive jargon, where every second word is ‘blin’ (a jargon word in Russian meaning "pancake", but also slang for "whore").

 

Milena Arzumanyan says her 12 and 14 year old daughters are “Cube” addicts, who “do not move away from the TV set”.

 

“I am afraid they will begin resembling those clowns, since children always have the longing to be shown on TV and this show says one should be at least immoral to achieve it,” says Arzumanyan, a pediatrician.

 

Hakob Ghazaryan, 18, says he calls the show regularly.

 

“It’s good we have a show like this,” the teenager says, “but I don’t let my sister watch it . . .”

[MosJan]

did not have much tiem to see teh whole program - but for a breef moment

 

i say it's ok lets see haw it will work

 

 

now my question is do we need a Armenian Real Tv or not

is it ok ???

[Nané]

I saw the first episode in Erevan ... I must say it's much better than the first show they did a few years back. I think it was called "Alfredi Senyakum"

[gamavor]

I just wonder what is next....? Armenian baseball federation maybe?