Reality TV
What have we come to, when our most worthy television time slots are being occupied by absolute nonsense? “I’m A Celebrity; Get Me Out Of Here!” is just the latest example of why we are failing as a society.
Why do we feel as though this is the best way for our nation to enjoy their free time at night? And the sad part about it is that we keep feeding the monster, because of one reason: money. The advertisers are pumping through tons of cash. Hence, many new stupid reality shows get thrown on TV, and we are just eating it up, like french toast.
What happened to being sensible? When did we fall off the cliff, and into this abyss? We used to have morals and standards, but now, in the era of instant technology, we are all prey to this disease. Regular people are being branded as celebrity and this is very dangerous. These brief glimpses at fame can jade a person and in turn, jade the entire population.
Why the hell does anyone care about this moronic couple Jon & Kate, let alone their octagon of kin? Is there any reasonable reason why they need to grace the covers of major tabloids for several consecutive weeks? Who gives a damn? This is the type of crap that leads to a decline in a society’s intelligence. Being subjected to such garbage, for so long, we eventually see this type of “entertainment” as the status quo and never think to question it.
And don’t overlook the fact that most of these so-called “reality” programs are somewhat scripted, and many of the scenes we see in the finished product have been reshot several times. There have been countless mentions of this type of production in the NY Post’s Page Six in regards to “The Trampy Uber-Drama Girls”, err, “The Hills”.
We had a small taste of this over 20 years ago when The Real World debuted on MTV. It was a singular show, that seemed to resonate with the grunge era and was therefore adopted by the dotcom generation. But now, with shows about surviving on an island, or choosing your soul mate from a carefully selected group, to following around airheaded starlets, we have become no better than those same tabloids.
Each of us is to blame. Shows like “TMZ” air on a daily basis and lead to the necessity of slimy photographers stalking every step a person takes, with the intention of finding them in a precarious situation. It’s probably a sign that things are going south and I am not talking about dinner.
Obviously, there are certain reality programs that are coherent and well done, but they are few are far between. We need to find a better balance of shows that fall under this category, especially if they are going to be presented during the most watched hours of the night, prime time. Reality television is here to stay, that’s for certain, but for us to set such importance on these ”instant celebrities“ and play them up as genuine shining stars is simply foolish and irresponsible.
