Reality TV: A False Reality

By: Meghan Mitchell

There are many things people think about reality television – it’s stupid, funny, interesting, educational and/or entertaining. But is reality TV today still what it originally set out to be?

MTV started reality TV with its hit show, The Real World. This show opened viewers’ eyes to different people and their realities. Today, reality TV shows have drastically changed. They seek out train wrecks to entertain viewers rather than cultured people from different backgrounds. For example, shows such as Rock of Love, A Shot at Love, Charm School and Paris Hilton’s New BFF exploit people for all the wrong reasons.

Competitive dating and celebrity personalities have taken reality TV and turned it into downward spiral towards bad scripts and poor acting. How much of what we see is even real? And what ideas and norms are being promoted through these shows? Charm School, a show that strives to better girls “gone wild”, has kicked girls off because there is no need for improvement. So, in other words, in order to win the actual competition you have to first hit rock bottom – what image does that portray? On Paris Hilton’s New BFF, girls worship Paris and serve her hand and foot to win. Is that the definition of a best friend, or an obsessed, fame hungry individual? Whether participants in reality TV are there for the real reason, according to the show, or just trying to get on TV, they end up embarrassing themselves and ruining their reputations in THE REAL WORLD.

I can sit here and rip apart these shows for hours, but the truth of the matter is, every time one ends, another pops up. What does this say about today’s entertainment culture, and us as its viewers? Almost every channel has at least one reality TV show, but is it just MTV and VH1 that degrade its participants? If these insane shows continue to prosper, I’m seriously worried for the future of teenagers that watch the programs. Some may view it as a car crash, “you don’t want to look, but you can’t turn away,” – these viewers probably find humor in reality TV; but, others may still view these shows as REALITY – one that, hopefully, never truly exists.