In my days coming up, we didn’t have cable in the household. My mom was not in agreement on spending the extra $$$$ on it. I can’t say that I felt I missed too much. It seemed like back then without cable you missed seeing all the new videos, cartoon network, and other shows that I may not have understood anyway due to being a little naïve and sheltered back in the day. I never felt I was missing out though, we had shows like The Cosby’s, Dawson’s Creek, 90210, Saved By the Bell, Full House, Cheers, Martin, Family Matters. Now a days you hardly hear of people without cable and some form of reality television show that the entire family watches weekly.
Reality TV has become one of the newest biggest phenomenon’s. The shows based around peoples real lives have become a new norm for society. I am not sure if it has anything to do with people wanting to know how stars live or just see what other people go through in their everyday life. Looking over the TV line up there is: American Idol, The Voice, Real Housewives of Atlanta, The Bachelor, Big Brother, Survivor, The Vanderpumps, Biggest Loser, Love and Hip Hop, The Real World, just to name a few. Many of the reality shows out are of great value as they share so many positive things. They show people on the journey to their dreams, surviving unique conditions, finding love, and much more. So many of these shows don’t have a great angle shown, not saying life is normally all glitz and glam. However, some of it is just over the top. I find myself wondering if these people are really like this or if it is just for the ratings. I am not a huge reality television person but have watched it from time to time with people that I hang with. I have prior to writing this taken time to catch up on some to provide a clear opinion for myself.
I surely hope that most people are watching certain reality shows as a way to allow their brain to rest. We all have those shows that no one understands why we watch them nor requires our brain to work while watching.I have nothing personally against any of these people that were granted an opportunity to share their everyday ins and outs. After all, who would pass up an opportunity like this to share your view of the world and who you really are??
The largest issue I see behind so many of them is it seems that the nastier or more drama filled you are the more opportunity that seems to come your way. I find this shocking as it really goes against the wonderful golden rule of treating others as we want to be treated.
Kandace you summed it up collectively, with painting a picture of how reality shows have effected our perception on life. T.V and social media is beginning to overpower our childrens mind. God has made me to be strong and equipped me for the wilderness and my son is breakong me down. Not blaming and justifying everything on tv, but our kids are lost and it makes the future blurry for this new generation. I could touch on alot of things, but the roots of our today issues is our children, and its a War! I rebuke and refuse to let it conquer me.
This blog hits the nail on the head!! What we take in, affects what we put out. SO TRUE K JOI!! I believe everyone has a desire to connect to something. We connect with people everyday but have a tendency to not be our true selves. For me, I know I am one way at work, another way with my aces (girlfriends), another way when I am on a date, another way when amongst my family, etc. I feel people are connecting to these reality shows because it seems people have the ability to be free to be whoever they want to be and make $$$$ while doing so. Getting paid to be nasty!! Making lota of money to be catty and rude!! It seems some reality stars are not trying to gain respect, they are not trying to save face – they are trying to get paid like the rest of us. We do not have that freedom to be who we want, us common folk could miss out on opportunities or take the risk of being judged by others and without rhe benedit of making the 6 figures the reality stars make!! Not worth it, so most of us try to fit in. There are some of us who could care less about fitting in, who could care less about what others think of them, who will say and do what they want no matter what…..MORE POWER TO THEM.
It is unfortunate as you said that, this is a platform (reality tv) that is touching so many people but is not always used in the most positive manner. I do watch shows like RHOA and see how the negative, nasty, rude people seem to be the ones who are gaining. That is ridiculous but “the people” are being given what they want. They are connecting or finding pieces of themselves in the so called reality of others. My opinion.