Remember the days when people could turn on the TV and find MTV playing music videos, the History Channel offering history-based programming, and the Discovery Channel airing science-oriented shows?
It seems those days are long gone. Networks have greatly deviated from their original programming in favor of reality shows that pit washed-up celebrities against each other, feature strangers attempting to co-exist in an abandoned setting for an extended period of time, and -- get this -- follow people as they go on dates in the nude.
If you're wondering why these shows have become the rage, there's a simple answer for that: they generate high ratings, which means that advertisers demand that their commercials be sandwiched between them. In other words, it's where the money is at, so networks refuse to cease producing them.
An even bigger question, I think, is why people seem so interested in shows like "Keeping up with the Kardashians," "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," and "The Bachelorette" to begin with.
My take on it is that many people seem utterly intrigued by the lives that celebrities and others in the television and entertainment industry lead. Since many of us feel we could never be in these people's shoes, we're drawn like magnets to shows that give us an inside look at what goes on in their lives.
Oftentimes, the shows document the misadventures of the celebrities (e.g. getting drunk, arrested, or engaging in brawls at nightclubs). But instead of leaving a bad taste in viewers' mouths, they seem to eat this stuff up.
Perhaps we watch them so avidly because although we wish we made as much money as they do, we're glad we're not in the eye of the public, our every little move always being put under a microscope. We'd rather live the celebrity life vicariously through them on these shows.
The reality -- no pun intended -- is that there isn't much "reality" in reality television. As many of you probably know, the vast majority of these shows are largely scripted. Many viewers know this and proceed to watch them. I suppose it serves as an escape from our mundane lives, and something from which we can get a much-needed laugh.
Do you like reality TV? Why do you think it has become so popular?
To read earlier entries, click here: How to Understand People
It seems those days are long gone. Networks have greatly deviated from their original programming in favor of reality shows that pit washed-up celebrities against each other, feature strangers attempting to co-exist in an abandoned setting for an extended period of time, and -- get this -- follow people as they go on dates in the nude.
If you're wondering why these shows have become the rage, there's a simple answer for that: they generate high ratings, which means that advertisers demand that their commercials be sandwiched between them. In other words, it's where the money is at, so networks refuse to cease producing them.
An even bigger question, I think, is why people seem so interested in shows like "Keeping up with the Kardashians," "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," and "The Bachelorette" to begin with.
My take on it is that many people seem utterly intrigued by the lives that celebrities and others in the television and entertainment industry lead. Since many of us feel we could never be in these people's shoes, we're drawn like magnets to shows that give us an inside look at what goes on in their lives.
Oftentimes, the shows document the misadventures of the celebrities (e.g. getting drunk, arrested, or engaging in brawls at nightclubs). But instead of leaving a bad taste in viewers' mouths, they seem to eat this stuff up.
Perhaps we watch them so avidly because although we wish we made as much money as they do, we're glad we're not in the eye of the public, our every little move always being put under a microscope. We'd rather live the celebrity life vicariously through them on these shows.
The reality -- no pun intended -- is that there isn't much "reality" in reality television. As many of you probably know, the vast majority of these shows are largely scripted. Many viewers know this and proceed to watch them. I suppose it serves as an escape from our mundane lives, and something from which we can get a much-needed laugh.
Do you like reality TV? Why do you think it has become so popular?
To read earlier entries, click here: How to Understand People
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