MTV's the Hills: Why We Watch

It's a Monday night, and the time is either 10:00 or 11:00. Where are you? If you're like many adolescent and 20-somethings, you're watching The Hills. Never in my life did I think that a show of pieced-together, pseudo-scripted conversations involving a small group of college-age people in Los Angeles would be one of the most important parts of my week. I was wrong, however, and left wondering "why?" Why do we watch MTV's The Hills? There are many reasons, and they are all, if not only when combined, very convincing.

The people on this show are all beautiful, and this "easy-on-the-eyes" aspect is one of the chief things that draw people in. The girls on the show are all pretty, and don't dress conservatively. The boys are all tall and muscular. In pretty much every scene, the characters hair and makeup are different, and this also keeps the eye interested, as the looks are constantly changing.

The editing is also fantastic, and takes you to a different place. If you're like me and currently enjoying snowy, sub-freezing temperatures, it is refreshing to see fast-moving aerial shots of Hollywood set to hip music. Seeing how beautiful the inside of a very aesthetically pleasing Los Angeles club triggers an adrenaline rush and an aspiration to this type of lifestyle.

Interaction between the characters, as well as certain character's personalities, contribute to the show's appeal. Many of the men on the show, namely Spencer Pratt, Brody Jenner, and Justin-Bobby, are hilariously rude to their female counterparts. Spencer and Justin are by far the worst offenders, treating their respective girlfriends, Heidi Montag and Audrina Patridge, with extreme disrespect. The manner in which they do it, though, is actually really funny. The laughter is rife with an air of "do people actually act like this?" It has something to do with this being presented as entertainment, but this sarcastic chauvinism is looked forward to each week.

Last, and perhaps the most unimportant reason we watch The Hills is its plot. Although we now know it is only pseudo reality, (meaning there is no script but the scenarios are staged) it is certainly as boring as our own realities. The girls are catty to each other, and the boys sometimes too aggressive. Sometimes, watching it feels akin to being a fly on the wall of a Hollywood mansion turned party house. This doesn't mean, however, that I'll stop watching it anytime soon.