Obnoxious displays of wealth on TV a turn-off for many By Alana Semuels LA Times November 29, 2008 Viewers affected by the drama on Wall Street 'don't want to watch rich people whine' -- so networks are cutting back on shows that might offend. The third season of "Wall Street Warriors" started filming this spring, as the financial sector's meltdown accelerated. The show's camera crews captured the pain and anger of the biggest stock market crash in decades. But right now, the show doesn't have an audience. "Wall Street Warriors" was shot for Mojo HD, a high-definition cable channel that's shutting down Monday, leaving the reality series without a home. Its producers are shopping the show to other networks, with no takers so far. Its problem: Americans are too depressed about their own finances to entertain themselves by watching shows about money, according to industry executives and academics. "People don't want to come home at the end of the day and have more bad news about their money," said Jeanine Basinger, chairwoman of the film studies department at Wesleyan University. "They don't want to see the Enron scandal, they don't want to see CEOs getting away with it." Television ratings reflect that trend. ABC announced last week that it wasn't ordering new episodes for "Dirty Sexy Money," a show about a wealthy and unscrupulous New York family. In mid-November, only about 3.6 million viewers tuned in to watch NBC's "Lipstick Jungle," a show about three high-powered New Yorkers, which is almost half the number who tuned in when the show began.
Viewers affected by the drama on Wall Street 'don't want to watch rich people whine' -- so networks are cutting back on shows that might offend.
The third season of "Wall Street Warriors" started filming this spring, as the financial sector's meltdown accelerated. The show's camera crews captured the pain and anger of the biggest stock market crash in decades. But right now, the show doesn't have an audience.
"Wall Street Warriors" was shot for Mojo HD, a high-definition cable channel that's shutting down Monday, leaving the reality series without a home. Its producers are shopping the show to other networks, with no takers so far.
Its problem: Americans are too depressed about their own finances to entertain themselves by watching shows about money, according to industry executives and academics.
"People don't want to come home at the end of the day and have more bad news about their money," said Jeanine Basinger, chairwoman of the film studies department at Wesleyan University. "They don't want to see the Enron scandal, they don't want to see CEOs getting away with it."
Television ratings reflect that trend. ABC announced last week that it wasn't ordering new episodes for "Dirty Sexy Money," a show about a wealthy and unscrupulous New York family. In mid-November, only about 3.6 million viewers tuned in to watch NBC's "Lipstick Jungle," a show about three high-powered New Yorkers, which is almost half the number who tuned in when the show began.
Better days are ahead. In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
