Okay, I’ll admit it. I used to watch a lot of television when I was growing up. My favorite shows were the family sitcoms that all had the same moral to teach: The child makes a mistake, the parents have a talk with the child and the child learns a valuable lesson. End of show. However these days, there aren’t many lessons to be learned in the genre of television programming known as “reality.”
When half hour sitcoms went to “sitcom heaven” in the early ‘90s, there weren’t many television shows for young adults to watch except serial dramas like “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Melrose Place.” Fast forward to 1992 when Bunim-Murray Productions created a show for MTV using a never-before-seen concept: follow real people around doing ordinary, every day activities. A casting call was put out and seven strangers were selected to live together to see what happens “when people stop being polite and start getting real.”
“The Real World” aired to much fanfare. At the beginning, the show dealt with hard-hitting issues like prejudice, substance abuse, abortion and sexuality. It had a core audience and continued to cast a diverse group of seven to eight regular folks and place them to live together in a different city the subsequent year. When roommates had problems with one another, the audience was able to see how they dealt with them. However over time, critics started to question just how authentic the show really was.
With the success of “The Real World,” more reality shows debuted with common themes such as young, aspiring clothing designers in MTV’s “The Hills” and “The City,” a fortunate individual looking for love (among 25 contestants) in ABC’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” and people competing for money in CBS’s “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race.” Oh, and who can ever forget the ill-fated FOX shows “Joe Millionaire” and “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?” All these shows seemed to have the same formula: cast several quirky, untalented (and sometimes sleazy) unknowns to compete against each other for love, money or fame. Unfortunately, all seemed to be lacking one important element: realism.
People will believe what they want to, but reality shows have come under much scrutiny as to what is real and what is staged. Countless stories permeate the media claiming that most of these shows are fake, with contestants being fed lines or creating drama where it never existed. Others claim that these shows are very well edited just for the sake of entertainment value.
Recently, another reality show secret came out when the final episode of “The Hills” aired in July 2010. It showed two “characters” who once dated, embracing each other on a public street because the lead female “character” decided she was moving to Europe to “find herself.” With the Hollywood sign in the background, the ex-girlfriend drives away as her ex-boyfriend waves goodbye to her. The next thing you see is the camera panning out and the Hollywood sign backdrop being dismantled just before the credits begin to roll. The male “character” was standing on a fake Hollywood studio set! The last episode finally addressed the years of rumors about the show’s realism—or shall I say lack of realism.
With countless more reality shows popping up on network and cable television, more people—including once-popular celebrities who are trying to revive their careers—are subjecting themselves to anything from looking for love to losing weight. I often wonder what criteria is used when screening through thousands of applicants who want to have their chance at “15 minutes of fame.” Touting different points of views, a unique background and acting yourself can sometimes go a long way; however, all these qualities combined with produced drama often makes for high ratings.
Are people going to continue to watch reality shows even if they know that they are scripted? Of course they will, and it’s because it provides escapism for people, who more than likely lead less exciting lives than what they see on television. This type of television programming provides a small dose of excitement for those who would rather not have to worry about their problems for a moment.
For someone who once watched a lot of television, but isn’t a fan of unscripted television, I’m ashamed to say that I find myself watching shows like Bravo’s “Flipping Out.” I find it more entertaining and real to watch an obsessive-compulsive, demanding employer and real estate developer, Jeff Lewis, freak out about the smallest mistakes his assistants and maid make than to watch a football player looking for love in VH1’s “Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch”!
