Reality Television

Janet Dodd

ENC 1102

February 5, 2013    

Journal 2 – Reality Television

 

     Reality television is a practical joke that has been played on the country.  Producers have taken the fact that people are unable to look away from drama and the unknown and have turned it into a monster money making business.  Someone dreams up an idea, submits it to a television producer, a deal is carefully and legally agreed upon, cameraman invade the lives of the shows participants for however long it is deemed necessary to get the “meat” of the show, lastly, the editing room takes over and produces a show consisting of what the producer deems television worthy.  Humans have this innate need to know what other people are doing, even though it has nothing whatsoever to do with their own lives.  For example, we have a term for “nosey bodies” that drive past a car accident and just absolutely have to see what is going on or what happened.  These people are called “rubberneckers.”  A charming term awarded due to the fact that these people keep moving forward, however their necks will stretch as far as possible in an attempt to find out the “scoop.”

     There is a reality show about almost anything that you can possibly imagine and some things that you would rather not.  Personally, I don’t watch much television; however I try to stay away from these types of programs.  They are not as real as they are publicized to be.  Hanging out at a friend’s house one afternoon, I had the great pleasure of viewing a marathon of a show called, “Amish Mafia.”  As you can imagine, it is about the Amish community in Pennsylvania and the group of individuals who “protect” the community.  I will admit it, I got hooked!  I got home and just had to find out when the seasonal finale was going to be aired so that I could watch it or record it for later viewing.  Turns out, the editing of the show, convinced the viewer to believe that something very bad would be occurring in every episode, however nothing ever happened.  Yes, there was mutiny in the ranks, infiltration of a competitor from another Amish community in Ohio to take over the business, and a love interest; all the components necessary to grab the viewer’s attention.  When I stopped and analyzed the show, I realized that I felt dumber for watching this show.  I started viewing the channel guide in an attempt to find something worthwhile to watch, but found things like, Moonshiners, Duck Dynasty, Toddlers and Tiaras, and best of all Hoarders.  I wonder if I call a TV producer and offer to allow cameras to film the drama of my family relationships, going to school and working fulltime and being a single mother to an ADHD six year old, if it would be another hit.  I could call it “Life.”