What is reality TV?
May 28th 2007 06:56
Alright, so I was talking this over with my girlfriend the other day, then I put it to the people at the office I work at, and it seems there is a definite, if vague distinction between what is and what is NOT reality TV.
Basically, the conclusion I came to is that the point of reality TV – Big Brother, Survivor, Biggest Loser – is to show us a dramatic representation of real people in supposedly real situations, or even just real people in ridiculous situations. The essence of it, I think, is that they are real people and we follow them over the course of shows, which essentially means a development of a story for them as a televisual character.
So, really, reality TV involves a narrative, a story.
That is, as opposed to Lifestyle shows, like Oprah, or Ready, Steady, Cook. They involve real people in real situations, but there is no story that continues over any length of time outside the individual episode. Reality TV hooks us into human relationships and conflicts, which can’t really be dealt with all in one episode.
And so far my theory works. I’ve considered all the main ‘real life’ shows, and those that feel like they can be called reality TV always have some sort of conflict and story that continues over a length of time.
The funny thing about that is it pretty much means reality TV isn’t real at all, because reality doesn’t happen when its filmed. As soon as it’s filmed from a particular perspective for a particular purpose it is no longer real. It has a bias.
But that’s starting to get into mighty cerebrally hair-splitting thinking.
Funny thing, too, is that making this distinction makes me feel better about how much of what I watch ISN’T reality TV, but it doesn’t take away the agony of reality TV itself – or rather, all the stupid stuff that seems to come with it.
Like the idea that as long as you’re being ‘real’ and ‘true to yourself’ then its okay to be a complete tool on national television. Big Brother in particular breeds this sort of ‘being real can be being a wanker if that’s what you really are – and as long as you’re being real then nothing else matters’ way of thinking.
And that’s just ridiculous.
If everyone who was a wanker could justify it by saying its just the way they are, then nobody would ever be nice to anyone else, which would suck.
Conclusion: reality TV makes people feel okay about how much they suck whilst allowing them to criticize people who they think suck.
It's like massive negative group therapy.
Basically, the conclusion I came to is that the point of reality TV – Big Brother, Survivor, Biggest Loser – is to show us a dramatic representation of real people in supposedly real situations, or even just real people in ridiculous situations. The essence of it, I think, is that they are real people and we follow them over the course of shows, which essentially means a development of a story for them as a televisual character.
So, really, reality TV involves a narrative, a story.
That is, as opposed to Lifestyle shows, like Oprah, or Ready, Steady, Cook. They involve real people in real situations, but there is no story that continues over any length of time outside the individual episode. Reality TV hooks us into human relationships and conflicts, which can’t really be dealt with all in one episode.
And so far my theory works. I’ve considered all the main ‘real life’ shows, and those that feel like they can be called reality TV always have some sort of conflict and story that continues over a length of time.
The funny thing about that is it pretty much means reality TV isn’t real at all, because reality doesn’t happen when its filmed. As soon as it’s filmed from a particular perspective for a particular purpose it is no longer real. It has a bias.
But that’s starting to get into mighty cerebrally hair-splitting thinking.
Funny thing, too, is that making this distinction makes me feel better about how much of what I watch ISN’T reality TV, but it doesn’t take away the agony of reality TV itself – or rather, all the stupid stuff that seems to come with it.
Like the idea that as long as you’re being ‘real’ and ‘true to yourself’ then its okay to be a complete tool on national television. Big Brother in particular breeds this sort of ‘being real can be being a wanker if that’s what you really are – and as long as you’re being real then nothing else matters’ way of thinking.
And that’s just ridiculous.
If everyone who was a wanker could justify it by saying its just the way they are, then nobody would ever be nice to anyone else, which would suck.
Conclusion: reality TV makes people feel okay about how much they suck whilst allowing them to criticize people who they think suck.
It's like massive negative group therapy.
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