Jenn's Unedited Rant On Reality T. V.
April 02, 2004, 9:24 AM

*Not to be confused with the rant on "The Long Winter." This is a different rant- a different hate.

There is something sick about reality television- a sort of creepy addiction that comes with watching other people's lives from the comfort of your own home. Much like the peeping tom from hell, people sit and watch the most basic elements of human interaction skewed for ratings. Ratings?

There has been a recent boom in the lifestyle improvement genre of reality television. Think, Extreme Makeover, think Trading Spaces. These shows expose people's weaknesses and turn them into a marketable television concept.

My question is, why do people watch them? I believe it is the pleasure in watching how exquisitely ordinary other people are. Week after week we see new chins and new chesterfields only to be there for that trumpet moment when the transformation is complete, life is 'perfect.' Faith is again restored and people believe that someone 'like them' can change, moreover, they realize there are many people that aren't the prime time, cookie cutter model we used to see. Ordinary existence rules the day!

I believe people get the same satisfaction out of watching the shows, as do the participants. Aside from the obvious '15 minutes of fame' concept, what makes people expose themselves to the viewing audience, possibly for ridicule?

Today is a media driven generation. Characters are no longer characters and people are having trouble separating the actors from the parts they play. What a horrible limitation on creative freedom on the behalf of those many talented actors that can't find success outside the role they are 'supposed' to play. But what a day for reality television!

Suddenly the actors ARE the characters, the problems ARE real (though the definition of real is loosely defined). How simple it is to watch T.V. and connect with it today, those people having the makeovers exist. Those ugly kitchens are real!

I worry that this is leading to a even bigger craving for a perfect world. Just as advertisers sell to people's insecurities improvement genre reality T.V. shows prey on peoples desire to be somebody, to be that somebody!

I know the arguments they offer people motivation for self-improvement and through self-improvement comes self-esteem. However, shouldn't we find a way to motivate people to better themselves from within themselves?

Once upon a time people wanted to be like a character, which is undisputedly unhealthy. Today they want to be on the show, and I worry that pride is being lost. I worry that people are sitting in front of their Television watching 'reality,' to escape from their own.

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