Over the last few years, I have come to enjoy programs involving aspects of human competition and one good thing about streaming programs is the ability to watch all available seasons.

One of the programs I have enjoyed is The Amazing Race, and lately (and how I hate to admit it), I've been watching old seasons of Survivor. (I also like Alone, Outlast, and some of the cooking competition programs - especially those of barbecuing/grilling. Netflix has a really good barbecue competition program).

Now, I know these programs are most likely heavily scripted and carefully edited, but the fascinating thing about being able to watch them in current times as they have aired over decades is how they have captured society through its changes.  And in some ways, they are like visual encyclopedias of society through the years.

For example, in the first handful of years of The Amazing Race, contestants use language and sometimes behave in ways that would be considered highly offensive and not tolerated today.

While in Survivor, when it comes to the younger and older contestants, the work ethic of the two groups is at complete opposites of the spectrum.  I'm up to episodes from 2010, and so far, it is not uncommon to watch how the young contestants are lazy and see their time as a vacation, while the older contestants want to work and get things done and provide for the group.  Not only that, while the younger contestants demand automatic respect, they refuse to offer such respect to the elders and often bitch about those older as being bossy when the older/mature contestants bring up the need to collect food and firewood and things like that.

One other interesting thing, particularly in Survivor, is the contrast between people that come from all the different aspects of American life and how they interact with each other, both good and bad. 

Ps...now, programs I refuse to watch are the Big Brother shitshows and celebrity talent shows - I draw the line here.