Is Reality TV Really Real?

Remember several years ago when "reality television" was first introduced a la MTV's The Real World? It was a time when this idea was novel, fresh and intriguing. What was The Real World, you ask? It was cited as being a true story of what happens when you put 7 different people in the same house. When the first one roled around to being aired, everyone who saw it thought it was a cute, fresh idea. However, since the first Reality Show, a whole spectrum of reality shows have hit the air.

The Flavor of Love

Flavor Flav was a very popular artist in the 80's who was known for his love of big clocks and this outrageous behavior. He returned recently to put on his own reality show called The Flavor of Love. After one season came and went - a relationship didn't work out and soon enough there was the introduction to Flavor of Love 2. This one seemed more hopeful as a slew of single women were invited into Flavor's home and through a process of getting to know dates - girls were either kept and eliminated. However, season two also reintroduced us to New York, who was the runner up in season one. It seemed almost too set up when she returned and people began betting on her staying right up to the end of the show. Lo and behold, she did, but not without causing as much trouble and mischief as allowed. Her immaturity and manipulative ways seemed almost too made up to be real - more of an attention cry than a real person. Then of course, you discover the girls who have agents get them onto the show in order to boost their own careers. Flavor does dispose of these girls as soon as he discovers their real intent for being on the show. However, there is nothing beneficial to be earned from seeing girls backstab each other in hopes of dating an eligible bachelor. In fact, after New York lost a second time, Flavor set into motion a follow-up for New York - getting her a chance to find true love in a not-yet-released television show called "I Love New York".

Survivor.. any series

I couldn't even stomach watching a whole season, let alone more than one show. What survivor is about is basically your real life Gilligan's Island. In fact, they had a reality show about that, too, where they took people who were like the characters in the show and got them on an island. However, Survivor incorporated more people and involved teams. There's nothing reality about being set up in games and being told what will happen. But sure enough, teams compete in various feats of strength, agility and mindwork and are eliminated based on the losing team. They vote the person off a la the ever popular game show 'The Weakest Link'. The team who loses has to decide who gets voted off and in a secret vote, each person goes in, writes down the name of the one they want off and in the end it is tallied up. The loser is forced to say goodbye and leave. As the show progresses and more and more are eliminated, the contest becomes more of a 'eliminate the stronger opponent so I can win' instead of voting off the one who did the least. The show doesn't give an idea of what would happen if anyone were truly stranded on an island and goes to show that greed has no bounds. They aren't thinking survivor, they're thinking who ends up with the cash and fame at the end.

The Bad Girls Club

This is the newest dose of reality tv put out by those who created "The Real World" what this show is about is totally garbage. What is so real about 7 tough, loud-mouthed girls living together? It sounds like the worst sorority at a university. So there you have it, an offshoot of the real world where instead of seven different strangers living together you have seven of the meanest, baddest girls who at one moment are all sweet to each other and in the next breath a G-rated version of Carrie. This isn't reality tv. This isn't even real. In real life there are no cameras and 'personalities' being exploited for public amusement. The Bad Girls Club is just another attempt at getting ratings to rise by throwing out a new style of old reality.

Be a star instantly

Ask any musician who worked hard for years only to be rejected over and over until they hit their break. Going on tv and competing is not how it's done and if you're relying on that as your 'in' to the music business, you're in it for the wrong reason. There are numerous "star search" shows on tv and what these are about are basically each round you sing a different style of song and based on your ability and the judges moods, you're either told you're moving on or you haven't a shot ever. Now what we have learned from losing in the past is that it isn't the end all of your music career. How many people lost on Star Search in the 80's only to become something big unlike the winners? Going on television CAN get you publicity (Just look at William Hung) but where is the hard work that you put into earning this reward? There is none. In reality you don't just go on stage and be voted on by people. In real life you work hard and invest time.

All those family reality shows

There are too many of these to count out. Of course, they never go into the real lives of the lower class or even middle class. It seems reality only applies fully to celebrities. Yes, you can argue by stating they have trading spouse shows, but those aren't reality. Those are 'if things were different' shows. That does not make reality because the people go into it knowing they are only in a new life for two weeks maximum. However, you see these everywhere now. This wrestler, that old singer .. this pop star couple. These are their realities, but only minimally. These people are so used to cameras that they know how to act in front of them and I don't mean in a thespian sort of way. What you see are semblances of family life you can relate to along with an idea of what celebrities live in. Some are rather lazy, moody and some are rather immaculate. There is one more realistic television family on the air though which showcases the struggles little people have in a larger world.

Not all reality programming is bad. No, in fact, as I mentioned, "Little People Big World" for instance, gives us a glimpse into a very different life - witnessing the struggles of little people in this world. However, don't fall into the belief that everything you see on television that is labeled 'reality' is just that. You never know what is staged or what isn't. Take each one with a grain of salt and don't fall into any beliefs that what happens is spur of the moment - as some things just aren't spur. Above all else, remember these programs aren't documentaries for a reason: their sole purpose IS entertainment.