Reality T.V.: A Misnomer?
Being an early riser, and voracious walker, while traveling, I am able to see people as they present themselves on the street as they really are. The downtown of any city st, 7:am, there appears the blazing sounds of wheels turning, as buses speed by in record numbers with people on their way to work, or the sound of heels clicking on the unclean pavement as men and women make their way from one street to another.
This past weekend, we were in downtown Philadelphia, for a short, hectic, but truly enriching visit as we went to see our son graduate from college. While taking the ususal early morning stroll, and observing people in their true elements, I began to think about this entire phenomenon of reality television. Is it really so real? What do we see? People, scripted, as they choose potential mates, the most beautiful compete for that unreachable job, individuals sing their hearts out to see who can conquer who and prevail in a controlled environment to get that recording contract. This is not reality, truly. Reality is seeing homeless people talking to themselves on the street, often the result of mental illness, and being unable to do any better than what is before them, people daily struggling to make ends meet to put food on the table for their families, pay sky rocket prices for gasoline. Is this the stuff that people would want to see on television? Which brings me to a conclusion. We do not really want to see reality on television. That concept is way too painful. What we want to see is the unreal, but think that it is real, someone to whom we can aspire to be, cheer on or route for, as we go on with life as it really is.
The unreal appearing real, that is the question.
Thank you for your minds.
This past weekend, we were in downtown Philadelphia, for a short, hectic, but truly enriching visit as we went to see our son graduate from college. While taking the ususal early morning stroll, and observing people in their true elements, I began to think about this entire phenomenon of reality television. Is it really so real? What do we see? People, scripted, as they choose potential mates, the most beautiful compete for that unreachable job, individuals sing their hearts out to see who can conquer who and prevail in a controlled environment to get that recording contract. This is not reality, truly. Reality is seeing homeless people talking to themselves on the street, often the result of mental illness, and being unable to do any better than what is before them, people daily struggling to make ends meet to put food on the table for their families, pay sky rocket prices for gasoline. Is this the stuff that people would want to see on television? Which brings me to a conclusion. We do not really want to see reality on television. That concept is way too painful. What we want to see is the unreal, but think that it is real, someone to whom we can aspire to be, cheer on or route for, as we go on with life as it really is.
The unreal appearing real, that is the question.
Thank you for your minds.
10 Comments:
Ahh, it's good to have you back, B! Actually you were so gentle about reality TV, you must be tired! Opiate for the masses, bread and circuses, something to keep one's mind off what's really going on, absolutely.
And Bucky sends a slobbery lick to you and a thwack of the tail to Astro!
Welcome home, and congrats again to your son.
I've developed a true aversion to Reality TV. I used to watch Survivor and Amer. Idol with my kids, but all of us have gotten sick of it. Enough already!
You are correct about us not wanting to see reality. The reality of most of our world is ugly, violent, and painful. Just watching the news is reality enough.
I love Philly. I lived there for 8 months and I think it is a wonderful city.
Your observations are right on the money. Scripted reality is so pervasive in our society, from our TV entertainment to the information we get from our government. We are told how to think, what to feel, which things we should pay attention to and which ones we should ignore. We have really started running head-long down a slippery slope now that the general public believes that scripted BS is truly what reality is all about.
It scares me.
Thank you for your kind words and wishes!
Philly is an interesting city, with much reality, especially in the streets of downtown Philadelphia.
What was so surreal, if I may use the comparasion, was that the Philedelphia museum a had the Dali exhibit showing. Sadly, all tickets were sold out, or I surely could have made this post even more interesting!
intrsting point u make there ma'am.. i do agree with you.
I can't agree more.
True reality television would be quite boring and probably pretty depressing.
I guess it's kind of like watching C-SPAN.
I don't know. We've got PLENTY of mental illness in my family, and most people find us entertaining. We should film contests at my house. Like who will come up with a completely irrational idea in the middle of the night, and try to get everyone else to buy into it. Or the supreme battle of wills - everyone sits and watches the TV Guide channel and waits to see who breaks first and reaches for the remote. We sort of think that people who go on "Amazing Race" and jump off a bridge are just the tiniest bit crazier than we are, even though we're certifiable. But we watch them anyway.
Hey, welcome back. You were in my part of the country! Another blog I check on is Prattoons, who is in the Philly area.
I've read interviews of people who were on those "reality" shows and they talked about how conversations were edited and put out of context and sequence. That sure ain't real!
There are at least two aspects of reality television that account for its appeal: The first is that it's one big display of humiliation. It seems audiences love to see people humiliated and cut down to size. The second, flip-side aspect is that the shows are enactments of the American Dream. In spite of how much we love to see people humiliated, we also love the idea of someone who wins big after a long struggle. We still want to believe that *anyone* can make it big. It's the old boot strap theory. If you only work hard enough, the world is yours...
I for one can't stand to watch them. The final, end-of-season moment of triumph is too short-lived to offset hour after hour of pain, suffering, and negativity. I'll stick to comedy, thanks!
Beautifully summerized, K.
You are right...People somehow get some thrill out of a public viewing of humuliation and then victory.
I could not ever understand the sick appeal of Jerry Springer shows, but believe that somewhere that show had the audience it did, more as a result of people finding it conforting that they were not alone in their dispair.
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