Boring Nonsense and Embarrassment

I grew up in a restricted home, so television was limited when I was a child. I was only allowed an hour during school nights, and weekends depended on the wellness of my behavior. Three hours only meant that my father was in a good mood, so it was also a chance in luck. As a child, it was typical to only live for cartoons, so I was never fond of the channels that displayed real actors and live scenes. Therefore, when I had reached middle school, a controlled schedule had benefit myself to not depend much on television.

            I barely discovered reality shows after hearing a few conversations about American Idol. Feeling a bit of an outcast, I decided to watch a few reality series. Soon, I was instantly hooked to shows like Project Runway, Punk’d, The Hills, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and America’s Best Dance Crew. Now there are shows on MTV like MADE, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and Jersey Shore. Where is the world coming to? I have always thought MTV stood for music television, not reality television.

            Nowadays, college has kept me busy, so I watch television on occasions, but rarely any reality television. I think one of the reasons why I watched reality television in the first place is because it gave me something to gossip about. Maybe it was also due to the enjoyment of playing the psychiatrist and analyzing the behavior of other people. Another appealing factor of these reality programs are the unusual, yet interesting, locations that are filmed. The boundaries of nature and survival alone can make a fascinating show. By having a bunch of people from different backgrounds and some challenges that most of us hope to never face can result to excitement and humor. But the real reason for these reality shows might be for those who want to feel better about themselves. Similar to going to a fast food restaurant, people would feel more self-assured to not be the fattest person in the row.

            Many reasons why some watch these reality shows is because it is often on every paid program. I believe the one of the problems are that these reality shows are much cheaper to produce and they have a better chance on making money through multiple seasons than scripted shows with the best writers, directors, and actors. Although, I have to admit that there are some reality shows that are getting better in creativity and quality. There are the shows that deal with hoarding, addiction, medical issues, obesity and other traumatic situations in life, so for those who know someone who may suffer in these conditions may learn how others go through life and through attempts to deal with them. Exposing some viewers to these types of problems can help open their minds and get a better sense of understanding.

            There are many reasons why reality television will stay popular due to high appeal and quality. Therefore, as long as people volunteer to be filmed being themselves in various circumstances, reality television will continue. Nevertheless, the real question is why would anyone want to put themselves through boring nonsense and embarrassment in the first place?