Total Drama Island is Total Parody

Cartoon Network brings us reality TV with a twist: it's the furthest thing from reality. Aren't most reality TV shows the furthest thing from reality? Very true, but this is an animated reality TV show blatantly based on CBS's reality hit, Survivor. Twenty-two twenty-something campers have subjected themselves to surviving Camp Wawanakwa, a camp conveniently located on a remote island. Surviving means not only surviving being around one another, but also surviving the torturous challenges devised by the show's sadistic host, Chris. Welcome to Total Drama Island.

The Campers

The contestants are a delectable hodge podge of stereotypical personalities typically found on reality TV: the goth, the popular bitch, the dumb blonde, the crazy temper, cowboy/surfer guy, the overly pierced guy, the ugly girl with braces, the overbearing bossy girl, the fat girl wearing clothes ten times too small, the fat girl's best friend, the jock, the Napoleon Dynamite, the pretentious bookworm, the pretty boy, the young kid, the home-schooled kid, the animal lover, the huge guy, the prankster, the guitar player, the overly nice girl, and the spirit leader.

What the Reality TV Show is About

The premise of the reality show may sound quite familiar. The campers are divided up into two teams, the Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass, and battle each other each week to avoid the campfire elimination ceremony at the end of the show. The last one to survive will win a pile of cash. Some of the challenges are typical, such as a dodgeball tournament and an awake-a-thon. But then there is the challenge to dive off a 1,000 foot high cliff into a circle of buoys protected from shark infested waters. And an over-the-top parody of Fear Factor, appropriately called Phobia Factor.

The campers even have access to private camera talk time in the outhouse. Flies buzz around their heads as they discuss their takes on the challenges and their prospects for winning. One hopes for their sake that there is a camera-free outhouse for their use.

The losing team must attend the campfire ceremony and vote someone off of the show. The host passes out marshmallows to the remaining campers as a symbol that they may stay to roast their marshmallows like good little campers. The poor sap voted off must immediately depart for the Dock of Shame and board the Boat of Losers.

Love or Hate Reality TV? You'll Love This Show

Total Drama Island will appeal to fans of reality TV and fans against reality TV, unless you really dislike animated shows. Look for new episodes on Cartoon Network on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. EST.

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