why we love
reality TV
reality TV is everywhere it is broadcast day and night across the globe but what exactly is this television genre?reality TV is programming in which ordinary people are placed together in unusual situations for weeks at a time often in order to compete for some kind of prize the participants are filmed almost continually and their communication with each other is unscripted
there are reality shows on every topic imaginable for example there are shows in which contestants compete to win a modeling contract(such as brazil's top model)a recording contract(britain's pop idol)a million dollars(america's survivor)a college scholarship(india's airtel scholarship hunt)a marriage proposal(australia's farmer wants a wife) and a nomination for a seat in congress(argentina's the people's candidate)
in the last decade hundreds of different reality programs have been broadcast in countries around the world yet surprisingly this has not seemed ton diminish the public's fascination with the genre on the contrary reality TV has only increased in popularity
so let's look at some of the reasons for its appeal one thing many people find appealing about reality TV is the way it brig instant fame to ordinary people while the fame fades for most after the show some reality TV contestants go on to become true stars for example after appearing on american idol jennifer hudson shot to fame as an actress hollywood even awarded jennifer an oscar for her performance in the movie dream girls in less than two years jennifer went from being a complete unknown to being a top recording artist and hollywood star reality programming allows people to watch and imagine that the same thing could happen to them they too could become a star
reality shows also owe their success to human nature people are by nature nosy they are fascinated by other people's personal lives and like to know what is going on behind closed doors we get a thrill out of seeing a person confess a secret to a friend witnessing someone tell her boyfriend a lie or watching someone offer a ring to his true love
reality TV can also help us feel good about ourselves parents watching the shocking behavior of children on the u.s show nanny 9-1-1 may find themselves reflecting on how relatively well-behaved their own children are a woman who feels her boyfriend isn't quite smart and sophisticated enough might feel differently after watching an episode of the japanese reality show Ainori (love bus)the obnoxious behavior of some of those men may make her realize that her boyfriend is prince charming after all
of course not everyone loves reality TV some complain that there is nothing stimulating or enriching about it they claim that reality TV has a negative effect on individuals and on society many also feel that reality TV presents ethical problems these people argue that it is morally wrong to expose the private lives of contestants and to put them in embarrassing situations simply for the viewers' entertainment
love it or hate it the global phenomenon of reality TV is here to stay so make yourself a snack grab your remote and get comfy on the couch there's no end of reality TV in sight