Do We Love Reality TV for the Lack of Reality?

While there has always been controversy over how much reality is actually included in reality television shows, it has become a recent trend to air "reality" programs which appear blatantly scripted, prompted and casted. Shows like The Hills and now, The Baldwin Hills are two of these and probably the most popular - but yet, the producers are claiming that the shows are reality.

People are interesting beings; we see the "characters" from these reality shows endorsing products, acting and singing - for example, Lauren Conrad of The Hills is the Mark. Spokesgirl - and yet no one bats an eye at it. We see them in their television shows, presented to us as reality, and then turn around and watch the same people in other television shows and movies but nobody wants make light of the fact that some people merely want to be on television to expose themselves; face time, as it's called in Hollywood.

While these shows may be addicting to some people simply for entertainment factor, there are others that continue to buy into the "reality" claim from the producers. However, what I have noticed is that the way viewers see these shows is very much, if not exactly the same as the way that they see sitcoms and soap operas; they get roped into the drama, the relationships between people, the microcosm of a certain clique of people and become obsessed with it as if it were real.

Whether this is simply human disillusionment or otherwise, TV viewers nowadays have become increasingly confusing with their choices. What makes something labeled as "reality" more appealing than a sitcom? People are funny creatures: we desire seeing something that we can relate to and understandably so. However, as this reality fad has progressed it has become more and more apparent that these shows are essentially sitcoms without the laugh-tracks, sets and steady camera angles.

The conclusion is really quite simple. While we may call these shows trashy and stupid, people will continue to watch and request them, and as long as money is involved, producers will continue shooting them. Why? Why not watch documentaries instead? Those are real. Well, the problem with documentaries is that they are often specialized: made for a target or niche audience that is usually quite small and specific. Reality shows that follow the lives of beautiful young people provide us with a look into what we already know - what a person's life looks like, whether it be more glamorous than ours or not. We strive for that familiarity because it is what we know, and therefore what interests us. This is a way for us to feel secure in the way that we live; if we see it on TV, hey, that means it must be okay. Of course, this opens up Pandora's Box, but that's another can of worms.

Human beings may be known for our thirst for knowledge and quests into the unknown, but when it comes to our entertainment it seems that we like to see what we know. Reality TV shows may be the most idiotic or the most brilliant thing to hit the world - who am I to say? But what I do know is that this genre that roared onto the scene shows no signs of slowing down. Be it real-reality or not, human beings as a whole like to feel reassured by what they see on television and while it may just be merely a label nowadays, reality appears to be here to stay.