Is it Really?

You would think distinguishing reality television from fictional television would be as easy as determining left from right (some still struggle with this). It is not fair for me to come to terms that every "reality" show is fraud, but I do struggle with the thought that every scene being shot is not scripted. It also makes me wonder if the lifestyles shown on reality television are of true essence, or if the lifestyles are altered and tweaked by the producers. Based off of lecture notes, this proposes the theory that some things you see on TV may be hyper-real reality, emphasizing the concept that people on your television set work hard and are driven like any ordinary person working on the come up. This is indeed real, but the way it is marketed may be false. 

Whenever I sat and watched shows like Real Pastors of LA, Ghost Hunters, or one of a million house wife shows that airs on every “stinkin” channel there is, it makes me wonder how far someone will go to get air time. I am not here to judge, but I will question and attempt to distinguish what is realistic and what is fraud. An example would be “Real Pastors of LA”. It is hard to see how entertainment has infiltrated church congregations. This show highlights the glitter and glamour of living a pastor lifestyle in LA rather than the Christian values that the Pastor or church congregation lives by. Honestly I think this makes the church look like a joke, and it makes the spokesman of the church seem a bit lustful for perishable objects. Granted, I get that if you work hard for something then you deserve it, but the things that television tries to highlight makes it seem a bit out of context. 

With this being said, who is in control of what is being shown on TV? Do Pastors go the extra mile to look impressive while shining God’s light, or do the producers offer/demand what makes Television interesting? Typically it is a story that involves drama, fortune, or poverty. Television probably doesn’t make it difficult to determine left from right, but rather it may reflect a toddler putting their shoes on the wrong feet.