Reality TV to Real Life
Like most working people, I spend a lot of my time at home in front of a television screen. I could be watching TV while having dinner, ironing clothes, or while obsessing over my hobbies like cross-stitching and solving jigsaw puzzles. It’s a comfort to have something droning on in the background especially if you live on your own.
I admit that like most people I watch Reality TV shows. There’s a perverse fascination to watching ordinary people plucked off the street make fools of themselves all for the sake of getting their 15 minutes of fame. Some are a little smarter than others (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Amazing Race). Other shows provide genuine entertainment (American Idol and all the other lesser-known rip-offs). However, sad to say there are a growing number of shows that sink to the lowest depths of stupidity and feature the desperate attempts of people for ANY kind of attention (A Simple Life, Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor/ Bachelorette).
Last night I watched the first episode of The Apprentice. A lot of you have probably seen it already, so you’re probably thinking that I am so behind the times. But there is nothing I can do since I have no cable TV here in Singapore. (YES. There is life without cable.) I already know who won, but I am still planning to catch the rest of the series because it does make for good television viewing. It’s interesting to see how complete strangers attempt to kill each other while trying to finish their business assignments as a team. The editing is very tight so there are no dull moments onscreen. Plus, it’s highly unlikely that we will see any people falling in love with each other. (I’m sorry but I found the Rob-Amber team in Survivor: All Stars pretty distressing.)
Maybe the reason why we watch a lot of Reality TV is that Real Life can be boring, messy and painful. Reality TV can have all of the same things except that it’s not us who are experiencing it. But then, a life without pain, passion, doubt, despair or happiness is not a life at all. I’m getting up from the couch and taking a walk. On second thought, maybe not, I need to find out who will get eliminated this week.
I admit that like most people I watch Reality TV shows. There’s a perverse fascination to watching ordinary people plucked off the street make fools of themselves all for the sake of getting their 15 minutes of fame. Some are a little smarter than others (Survivor, The Apprentice, The Amazing Race). Other shows provide genuine entertainment (American Idol and all the other lesser-known rip-offs). However, sad to say there are a growing number of shows that sink to the lowest depths of stupidity and feature the desperate attempts of people for ANY kind of attention (A Simple Life, Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor/ Bachelorette).
Last night I watched the first episode of The Apprentice. A lot of you have probably seen it already, so you’re probably thinking that I am so behind the times. But there is nothing I can do since I have no cable TV here in Singapore. (YES. There is life without cable.) I already know who won, but I am still planning to catch the rest of the series because it does make for good television viewing. It’s interesting to see how complete strangers attempt to kill each other while trying to finish their business assignments as a team. The editing is very tight so there are no dull moments onscreen. Plus, it’s highly unlikely that we will see any people falling in love with each other. (I’m sorry but I found the Rob-Amber team in Survivor: All Stars pretty distressing.)
Maybe the reason why we watch a lot of Reality TV is that Real Life can be boring, messy and painful. Reality TV can have all of the same things except that it’s not us who are experiencing it. But then, a life without pain, passion, doubt, despair or happiness is not a life at all. I’m getting up from the couch and taking a walk. On second thought, maybe not, I need to find out who will get eliminated this week.
posted by wilgefortis @ 3:08 PM
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