I took some time off watching TV. I’d say that my TV watching came to a halt when I started college. Up until I stopped watching it, I was mainly focused on reruns of FRIENDS or other hit TV series so I wasn’t in-tune with reality TV as much as my friends were. I heard people talking about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Catfish, Long Island Medium, to name a few. Listening to the conversations within my surroundings about reality TV made me want to push my head through a wall because it sounded so stupid. So my question is, how real is reality TV? It’s a hard question to answer and think about because you just don’t know. Are the situations that occur on these TV shows real or are they glorified to fit modern day show business?
I used to watch a lot and I mean a lot of shows on TLC when I was younger. I always believed that everything they did on TV was real, but now that I think about it, it’s hard to believe that. I tried to put myself in their shoes. I asked myself “would I act normal if I knew the cameras were filming me?” Probably not. That got me thinking that reality TV is not actually that real.
I considered a few shows that can go either way. For example, Long Island Medium. Long Island Medium is a perfect example for modern day reality TV. Theresa Caputo does her thing, but there are instances when her, her family, and her friends are going about their day supposedly without them acting like there’s a camera filming them. Those parts can be seen as scripted and they probably are, but there are certain times when it just has to be real. For example, when she’s doing her Psychic/Medium readings with clients; that stuff really cannot be made up.
I recently started to watch TV again when CBS premiered their 18th season of Big Brother. Big Brother is another perfect example of a reality TV show that can be seen as scripted or made up. But when you think about it, the show starts out with 16 house guests and they are being watched 24/7 from the second they walk in to the second they walk out; not everything that goes on could be made up. It’s hard to assume anything, but does the drama in that show occur naturally or do the producers evoke it to the house guests? I believe that it’s a little bit of both. I believe it’s both because I have been involved in drama similar to what goes on in the Big Brother House, so I know that things can turn upside down almost instantly. I also see it as a little phony because of certain “Live Leak” pages on social media. The house guests are not updating these posts so someone who works with the show has to; how can you confirm that he or she is telling the absolute truth? You cannot.
My opinion on reality TV is that it’s there for people to enjoy. Whether it’s truly real or not, 10 million people still watch it and obsess over it (including me). I don’t think that there can be a way to fully prove that everything is true or everything is false. I believe that if you love the show and the people on it, then you can form your own opinion on what goes on. I think it’s great to enjoy reality TV and become passionate about what’s on the air, but in the end, it is just a TV show. I’ve seen arguments and heated debates occur because of reality TV. I don’t think it’s necessary. Just watch, enjoy, and something that many people should learn how to do, keep your opinion to yourself.
