Sitting down excitedly on the couch for the new episode of the Real Housewives of Orange County this week in my cozy and ridiculous hot pink velour track suit, some Kettle Corn, and a giant class of chocolate almond milk, I thought to myself just how lucky I was to have this opportunity. Are you kidding me?!? I actually thought for a moment that there was no place in this world I would rather be—I mean, I really couldn’t wait to be introduced to Tamra’s hot new Latin boyfriend or see how Alexis’ vacation would go in San Diego. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to watch other people they have never and will never meet? I can’t think of anyone.
In a society consumed with The Bachelor, Top Chef, Survivor, and Jersey Shore, it’s hard to imagine life without reality TV. It started in the 90’s with MTV and their national phenomenon Real World and then swept America’s youth up and away with Jack-Ass in the early 2000’s. This trend carried over into Laguna Beach and mainstream television with shows like Home Makeover and The Amazing Race. Nowadays, it’s difficult to find something on television that’s not a reality show—and maybe it’s even gone a little far.
Back in the day, we watched Real World like it was crack. Miss an episode? Not a chance. We practically lived and breathed those characters, and the fact that this whole reality television concept was very new in existence made it all the more conversation-worthy in our daily lives. This was a whole new, delicious take on entertainment, and it was just that—entertaining! This made everyone feel that they could be a star, and it brought Hollywood close to home and within reach.
But what about now? It’s one thing to follow a group of young adults in their endeavors to find themselves through lots of booze, “clubbin’,” a thousand sexual partners, and lots of hair-pulling, but it’s quite another to watch reality TV that glorifies gang life (Gangland) and highlights people’s odd and frequently detrimental compulsions (My Strange Addiction). Here’s the sad part, you know what I’m talking about because we all watch this stuff on a freakishly regular basis.
I personally can’t remember a time when I sat down and had a traditional movie-thon because for me, reality-TV marathons are just way more appealing. I don’t know if it’s that we can relate more or if it’s the fact that reality television is close to the most brainless activity on the planet and is a breath of fresh air after a long day at work, but I think it’s safe to say that we as a society have become clinically obsessed with this movement. Although my common sense says that we should probably be reading the Economist rather than wasting time on Pawn Stars and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, I know that I will more than likely not be the first to pick up a magazine and read about the financial crisis in Europe when my favorite show is on.
Reality TV has replaced teen flicks, soap operas, and trashy romance novels that gained so much popularity in their day, and this is no doubt to be attributed to the pure entertainment value, but also to the fact that this sort of entertainment in a way trivializes the seriousness of life—and we would be lying by denying that this is at least in part true for all of us. With all of the disaster, financial crisis, illness, and other tragedy that many of us are exposed to each day, it is refreshing to delve into a world where the biggest issue is so-and-so didn’t make it into the final round of Cupcake Wars.
Will this trend end? Not likely—and I’m okay with that. I don’t yet have children to worry about following in the ways of Snookie, and I do feel mature enough myself to not be corrupted by the dismal morality that prevails on much of reality TV. While wasting hours in front of the tube watching idiots tumble around may not be the best use of time, it could always be worse, and I for one do not plan on giving up my favorite guilty pleasure. Now, time for a good glass of vino and some Kourtney and Kim Take New York……………..
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