The reason why I am now unashamed to mention this is because I had an epiphany last night which made me realise that reality TV is actually the cleverest, most realistic commentary on the society in which we live.
Critics of reality TV go on and on about how fake it is. Ofcourse its fake! It's meant to be because quite honestly as a human race we can't handle the truth! Think about those home videos your parents took while you were growing up. All those birthdays, school sports days, concerts, talent shows. Theres not even any point recording these things because no one watches them afterwards! It's not entertainment, the sound quality is bad, the picture is grainy and too dark or too bright, much of what people are saying is inaudible, there are many, many awkward silences.
Reality TV is the alternative to that. You want to see people's spotless mansions, not their filthy carpets which were last cleaned in 1982. You want good lighting, makeup, fashionable clothing. You want to be able to hear everything people are saying, so that you can follow the storyline. Instead of those amateur family videos you want to be able to view someone else's family, friend, relationship dramas that echoe your own, except theres are in HD format.
We're living in a society that is constantly plugged in to many if not all forms of media and craves constant entertainment. The amount of films, documentaries, series made every year is not even enough to satisfy that. Reality TV is a hybrid form of media, it combines the need for people to see their world reflected on screen, to connect with people they feel are real while also providing pure entertainment, interesting storylines, dramatic climaxes etc.
People often view the watching of reality TV to be a voyeuristic past-time, a fulfillment of perverse desire to look into people's lives. However I argue that reality TV is exactly the opposite of this. In fact I believe that reality TV is deliberately removed from true reality. Think how much cheaper and easier it would be if people just chased normal people with hand-held cameras but the high production values of reality TV suggest that there is a deliberate distance inposed so as not to appear voyeuristic. Think how the Kardashians drift off to sleep with a full face of make-up and perfectly coifed hair. We do not want to see them drool, or notice their eye crispies!
Honestly I think the producers of relaity TV are geniuses! To be able to create storylines around mundane issues, to direct untrained actors and cleverly balance their material between home video and all-stops-out, flash sitcom or drama series is very daring and very admirable.
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