Tiring of Reality TV

Published August 2011

Reality television. It really is turning into the bane of my existence. Channel surf these days and one would be hard pressed to miss such programs that are invading with an almost pandemic ferocity.

The 'Next Top Model' shows, the 'I Can Dance/You Can Dance/We All Can Dance' efforts and the 'Looking For True Love With A Bunch Of Strangers' offerings – these are just the proverbial cherries on the mountain of mindless small screen drivel that is seriously starting to hurt my gray matter, otherwise known as a brain.

I am aware that there are some great shows, like The Biggest Loser and American Idol for example, which in my opinion set the benchmark for what the end-game purpose of these programs should be – namely to positively change the lives of contestants and participants. But the rest? It's difficult to find a reasonable explanation other than to judge and jump to sweeping generalizations about money hungry glory hounds looking for their 15 minutes of fame and celebrity has-beens trying to inch their way back into the spotlight.

But perhaps I'm being a bit harsh. As mentioned, there are pros to reality television. Sadly, I think I'm starting to lose sight of that. I'm someone who couch potates on a very regular basis. I don't read for relaxation as a large majority of my work requires a ton of reading so the only real way for me to unwind is to lie in front of the telly on weekends. My whole point of loving television is that it provides me with a bit of escapism from the daily grind. But with the onslaught of this sort of programming? Not so much. Again, not all shows are bad. Some really do break the mould and try their best to stay away from the sadly predictable formulas that a lot of these programs have adopted time and time again. Unfortunately, they are the minority, not the norm.

But why do people, in spite of themselves, still watch reality tv? Is it due to the prospect of passive voyeurism? That we are secretly eager to observe the (supposedly unscripted) nitty gritty of the daily lives of others? I read somewhere that one of the main reasons for the popularity of reality shows is because audience members feel as though they can relate to the participants. I had a bit of trouble getting my head around that initially but in hindsight it does come across as a reasonable explanation, as seeped in fantasy as it sounds.

Now my biggest concern is the future of such entertainment. Will we, the public, tire of shabby plots and worn out ideas? I, for one, look forward to the day when well-crafted, witty and original shows return. In the meantime all I can do is patiently wait for the death rattle of reality television.