When the term, "reality TV," comes to mind, the first three shows I instantly think of are Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and The Bachelor  and The Bachelorette. While you may not watch these shows regularly, I am sure you have at least heard of them. Americans just can't seem to get enough of reality television. What is it about indulging in the lives of celebrities, or dating shows, that has us so hooked?

The first theory I have deliberated over is the fact that reality TV is entertaining. Everyone enjoys a good laugh, so why not watch that silly TV show your peers rave about? Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, for example, is a spinoff from the TLC show Toddlers & Tiaras, which features pint sized beauty queen pageant-goers. Alana Thompson, more famously known as Honey Boo Boo, gained notable attention on the show with her eccentric behavior, and trademark phrase, "A dolla' makes me holla' honey boo boo child!" Here Comes Honey Boo Boo focuses on the life of Alana and her crazy family. During the handful of times I have watched this show, I can honestly say that I laughed every single time. Any fan of the series would surely agree that the show is entertaining. Maybe Americans are addicted to shows like this because they can somewhat relate to the dysfunction. 

Reality shows allow us to get a glimpse into the lives of celebrities who choose to live their life on camera and put themselves on display. One prime example is the E! Network series, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. You either love the Kardshians or hate them. Anyone who claims they haven't at least heard of them is either a liar or is living under a rock. Plain and simple, America is obsessed with the Kardashians. With their lavish lives and blessed looks, it is easy to become intrigued with them. While we certainly see the celebrity side of them in magazines and other media, the show allows us to see the less glamorous side of their lives and realize that they are human, too. 

Maybe we like watching our favorite celebrities on TV because we like to see that they aren't always perfect. It is also interesting to see what goes on in a celebrity's life, as the general public only perceives the glitz and the glam -- rarely the up close and personal. I feel that is the main reason why people indulge in celebrity reality shows. Whenever I would watch the show back in high school, my parents would always glimpse at the television screen in the living room and make a remark about how stupid they were. However, they would stop and watch the show for a few minutes and then continue what they were doing. Although they disliked the show, it still captured their attention. More or less, celebrities live interesting lives and Americans can't get enough of them.

Another side to reality television centers around dating. With ABC's, The Bachelor, going on its 19th season, and its counterpart, The Bachelorette, just finishing its 10th, one can say that America is fascinated with dating shows. Growing up, we were always taught to go to college, have a successful career, and get married and have kids. However, not everyone finds their other half with ease and they resort to online dating or, in this case, a reality dating show. I suppose America is drawn to the dating side of reality television due to the fact that they are in the same boat, or just love the idea of relationships and finding your soulmate.

I remember watching The Bachelorette with my grandma when I was in elementary school, and wishing that I could find my "prince charming" on a TV show, just like the pretty girl I saw on my screen. Now that I've grown up, I don't really buy into the whole concept of reality dating shows because a great majority of them hardly further the relationship beyond the show. Or worse, they get married and then make bank on their divorce later by highly publicizing it through magazine articles and talk show interviews. There are the select few pairings that work out, however, and I give props to them. It's those success stories that America likes to hear about and watch.

So why is America so obsessed with reality television? I feel like we indulge in these shows because we like the feeling of a secret guilty pleasure. We laugh at Honey Boo Boo's family because we find ourselves relating on things we would've never thought. We hate everything to do with the Kardashians, yet we enjoy peeking into their lives and seeing things from their perspective. We perceive those resorting to dating shows as sad, yet we find ourselves watching a marathon of The Bachelorette on a Sunday night, and envying the girl who found her soulmate. All in all, America is addicted to reality TV because it is misrepresentation of the general realities of life and makes us feel a little bit better about ourselves.