Time to Say No to Unreal TV Shows

By: Victoria Pazzano, Editor

You’re sitting on the couch, staring into the hypnotic screen of your television. There are plenty of advertisements and commercials, but you can’t help but notice that most of them are about the new and upcoming genre of American television, the reality based TV show. Things like "Married by America” and “Are you Hot” are just a few of the new reality shows that are flooding the prime time airwaves of the now immense sea of entertainment we endure in television.  But the real question is, are these reality TV shows really an example of human reality?  Though they are labelled as reality TV shows, their growing popularity in today’s society does not even begin to justify how fictitious they really are.

Reality TV shows are not even close to what life is like in the real world. In fact they more closely resemble ‘unreality TV’.  A description of an average person’s day would not include waking up next to complete strangers on an island, eating whatever unnatural elements you can find, competing against others to win the man/woman of your dreams, while judges grade your physical appearance the whole way through.  Whew!  That would be quite a tough life.

What we need to recognize is that there is always going to be the traditional razzle-dazzle propaganda of showbiz, even in so-called reality TV.  When “Survivor” was first introduced, everyone eagerly awaited who would receive the million dollar  prize. However, after that, there have been so many sequels, I don’t even think there is a word that can aptly describe the rising number of them.  Reality TV shows are becoming so popular in our society today, it makes it a much easier time for the producers and directors of the shows to create something that doesn’t require much thought. 

Kylie Minogue, a rising Australian star, said, “Fame used to be a by-product. We can look at it and see a little bit more clearly what's happening, but for teenagers that's the kind of TV they've had for the last five years with Big Brother etc. It's like, what do you want to do when you grow up?, I want to be famous. What for? It doesn't matter.”

 “It’s the quality, not the quantity”.  I’ve heard that philosophical phrase about a hundred times, with the voice of my former teacher echoing in my mind, as I struggle to complete an essay.  Unfortunately, this statement is the complete opposite when creating a new hit reality TV show. 

Everything comes down to money.  If there is a cheaper way to do something, that will still attract the same attention and get the same profit as if it were of better quality, then amen to that.  “It’s a low-cost programming”, said Clay Calvert, a professor of communications and law at the Pennsylvania State University.  “It’s still going to be cheaper than paying the cast of Friends.”

So the next time you’re channel surfing, don’t give into the temptation of the new hit reality TV show.  It may seem like they are taking over the entertainment business, but there are other TV shows worth watching, ones that require actual actors with some talent, and a cast of good writers that actually create storylines and plots. It’s up to us to shut down the over exposure to reality TV. Look a little deeper into your TV Guide for an alternative to “Married in America” or “Are you Hot?”  Yes, as sad as it is, even Dawson’s Creek is an acceptable alternative to reality TV shows.  At least it has a story written by real writers…and it’s got trained actors.