I absolutely dislike reality TV shows. They are so demeaning to most people, or too glamorized. All these producers focus on is showing the highest of the high, or the lowest of the low. Everything is scripted these days, and I really can't stand to see people actually believe in their s***. Teen Mom basically encourages young girls to get pregnant, because they might end up on the show for the next season. Real Housewives just makes me want to vomit everywhere. I won't even get started on Honey Boo Boo. There is never a happy medium to these shows either. Why isn't there a reality TV show on a happy, middle class family who are living in the suburbs with their two children? Well, that's not exciting and dramatic, so there you go. Another reason that I can't stand to watch these shows is because when something happens, the camera/show people don't even help them out. On all of the Repo shows, they get into fist fights all of the time and the camera crews just let it happen. One day, someone is going to get seriously injured or maybe even killed and I hope that falls down onto the camera crews and their negligence to help people.
I have other thoughts though. I am a screenwriter, so if I ever got offered a job to work for a reality TV show, I think that I would. I mean, money is money and I need a job. That still doesn't mean that I have to watch or even like the show that I'm working for. It's just a job. Either way, reality TV shows will always make me sick to watch.
I've had the same dilemma. While I don't like what reality TV shows present, I think I would still work for one. I don't want to be a screenwriter, so if I was working crew I would probably comfort myself by saying, "Well, they needed someone anyway.... I'm not really contributing to the problem." But that's the problem, isn't it? People need money, and they'll do what they have to to get by (or get what they want). That, besides the desire to be famous, has to be the reason the subjects of reality TV shows subject themselves to being filmed all the time. They've seen other reality TV shows. The cast of Duck Dynasty and Honey Boo Boo must know they won't be presented in the most favorable light. But they need the money. I think it's sad that people have to do that, both in front of and behind the camera, but that's how the world works I guess.
ReplyDeleteOn other hand, I always assumed most if not all people understood what was really going on when they watched reality TV. I was surprised to learn from this class that that is not the case. I know the knowledge that reality TV is in no way reality didn't just come floating into my head by itself, but I can't remember where I learned it either. I've known it for so long now that it seems like the ever-present truth that everyone already knows. But sometimes I learn that other people don't actually know that yet, and I'm forced to think from a new perspective.