Honey Boo-Boo,
Jersey Shore, Survivor, Toddlers in Tiaras, these are just a couple
of examples of the rash of horrible reality television shows that
have been popping up all over the place. My understanding of reality
television shows is that you take something like a competition or an
activity that people want to see and you record it. This means that
each show tells you something about the viewing audience as well as
those participating. For example if you watch American Chopper you
more than likely like motor cycles as well as the creative process
involved in customizing them. Or if you watch The Most Dangerous
Catch you might like watching people perform in dangerous situations.
So I ask you what does this tell us about the viewing audience of the
horrible shows I mentioned above.
I believe people
watch these shows because they focus on what I call the dark side of
reality, and by doing so they make you feel better about yourself by
solidification your values or making you feel superior. These shows
focus on drama and depravity more than anything else, and even though
most of the people involved in these shows are looked down upon by
the general population, we still idolize them and many wish they
could be them. For example the show Toddlers In Tiaras is about a
group of children who are in beauty competitions. But a majority of
the show is filled with the drama between the over competitive
mothers (who as far as I'm concerned are angry that they didn't become professional models so they are living their dream through
their children). The viewing audience thrives on this drama for a
couple of reasons, the most prevalent of which is the love of
competition or the desire to feel that they are better than another
person. I know plenty of people who think what these mothers are
doing is horrible but they continue to watch the show because it
helps prove to them that they are good parents.
These shows seem to
have one purpose, to feed our desire to want to be better than
someone else. And by finding people we love to hate to fill the
roles, they have done just that.
I agree with what your saying about how the audience of these certain reality shows watch because of drama, but I personally believe that that is not the only and main reason why. I guarantee the majority of audience who watches these shows are teenage girls from the ages 16-22 to specifically add drama to their young lives. Their life contains it and by watching it helps fulfill their day successfully. Although, I know there is a select few that watch reality Television shows to get a nice laugh out of it rather than just thinking entirely highly of them self. Most of the cast on these shows have way more money than the audience watching them and highly doubt they are so condescending toward them since they are so drawn to the cast in the show. Im strongly convinced that a lot of people watch shows like survivor and jersey shore because it humors them to think that people living in a society just like them and trying to get by will almost do anything on live television just to get rich and famous. Even ifs it takes giving another Guido a jersey shore beating or eating raw catfish on an island with other stranded friends on survivor. They do it all and more.
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