Reality TV

     As a child the television was a source of fascination and awe for me. I enjoyed anything from documentaries on exotic animals, to Looney Toons on the weekends. The one type of show I have never had an interest in though, is reality TV. Although the title implies that the contents are 'reality', I have always thought that there is too much of a scripted feel to the shows. While I can understand the interest people have in these shows, I have never found them to be appealing.

     One of the downfalls of reality shows, at least from my point of view, is that they promote behavior that is not beneficial to anyone. Series like, "Real Housewives" (from anywhere), display women who are superficial and attention-focused. There is no reason for grown women to act, speak and treat each other the way the women on these shows do. While people may argue that they only watch for the entertainment, and do not behave the same way, our subconscious is more susceptible to influence than most people think.

     Another negative affect I believe reality television has, is that it encourages people to gossip, and become overly-involved in other's affairs. Granted, the people on these shows has volunteered to put their lives on display, but I personally don't understand that. Why would you want the whole country to know exactly what your family fought about last night? I don't consider myself an exceedingly private person, but I am definitely uninterested in the activities of other's. This is certainly a factor in my dislike of these shows. I believe that your business is your business, and it should stay that way.

     I have found that I am simply not entertained by most reality shows. Of course, I have not seen all of them so there is a chance that one day I will find one that appeals to me, but so far, I am horrified more often than I am amused. When I watch television, I want to be captivated by a fantastic other world, or alternate universe, or learn new things, and see new places. I don't want to be dragged into the craziness of some family I have never met. My family has enough of it's own crazy. To me, television should be a suspension of the real world, or a celebration of it, not a dramatized, exploitation of humans innate nosiness.

     Although I don't mean to offend any fans of reality television, I can truthfully say that I consider reality TV to be a waste of time. The phony, over-characterization of the people, and the ridiculous scenarios seem laughable. Unfortunately, I do not mean that in a good way. Maybe one day I will change my tune, but for now I am going to continue avoiding reality shows.