Guest Author - Justine Preci
Reality TV, Is it really real?
To many people the term Reality TV is somewhat of an oxymoron. We all want to know, as we watch these people’s lives unfold week after week, if what we are watching is “real” or is it staged. I do not know the answer to that although I tend to think that some of the shows are a little “realer” than others.
In my opinion, the shows that feature food and cooking or other non-relationship topics seem to be a little less staged than many of the relationship based shows but that is most likely because of the subject matter at hand. As much as there is drama and suspense on “Amazing Wedding Cakes” as we see the intricacies and difficulties involved in creating beautiful and sometimes awe inspiring cakes, and the suspense of whether or not they will get to their final destination in one piece, it is still just about cake in the end.
On the other hand a relationship show like the “Bachelorette” which starts off with 20 or more men that eventually dwindles down to “the one” at the end of the season is naturally more prone to cynicism because of the focus on love and relationships. The fact that only one “real” relationship has come out of the 12 seasons of “The Bachelor” and four seasons of “The Bachelorette” with as many proposals as seasons, doesn’t help to persuade us that what we are tuning in to is “real”.
Even if the actual relationships that form on these shows are real, the settings and circumstances are so far from reality that it may not be fair to call this “reality”. During the season the contestants are viewed on amazing dates in closed off arenas with famous stars serenading to them, or helicopter rides to exotic locations or exciting adrenaline pumping dates bungee jumping or zip lining. The relationships form in such an unrealistic bubble that it has to be a huge let down once the filming stops and the couple has to begin to really get to know each other outside of all of the TV show excitement.
Then there are the hundreds of other shows covering any and all topics; from cars to animals to fishing the list is endless and within the genres there are usually multiple shows to choose from. Some of these shows such as “Animal Cops” featured on the Animal Planet channel seem to simply have cameras following the cast which in this case is made up of hard working animal cops that are dedicated to helping abused and neglected animals. If you are like me and love animals this is a sometimes very difficult show to watch because of the un-imaginable level of abuse and neglect that people inflict on some of these poor creatures. It can be eye opening and can put a fire under you to get out and help animals in need though.
In the end, the compelling thing about reality shows is that no matter what your favorite topic or greatest interest is there is probably a reality show out there that is about that very thing. Most of these shows are likely more pure entertainment than reality but there are some out there that can inform us and maybe even inspire us or maybe at the very least get us to try an exciting new date zip-lining with our significant other.
