Some people might view reality television as pointless. They might view someone who binge-watches seasons of Love Island, Too Hot to Handle, Temptation Island, and literally whatever’s available on Netflix as someone who has no taste. But I disagree, and here’s why!
My first taste of reality TV wasn’t actually a genuine reality show. It was an animated show inspired by a real reality game show, Survivor. The show was Total Drama Island, and it followed the usual plot points that any reality show would hold. It had characters that were dramatized archetypes of most people you’d find on a reality show. It was easy to follow, contained high stakes, and was weirdly relatable to my 11-year-old self. The characters were easy to pick apart and extremely entertaining at the time.
I realize that the reason anyone gravitates towards reality television is that it’s obviously relatable in some aspect. Yes, most shows are scripted, scenes are spliced together to look more dramatic than they are, and some things are kept hidden. But that’s part of what makes it fun. In real life, you never exactly know what’s going on behind closed doors, and you definitely never know what exactly is being said.
When watching shows like Love Island, sometimes it’s up to the viewer to figure these conflicts out. It’s fun to guess which couples you think will end up together, and it’s intriguing to see how other people connect (and disconnect) with others. These shows even have their own language. Pulling someone for a chat, seeing someone their type on paper, exploring a connection, and someone entering the villa are things you will hear in every single episode.
After seeing Season 6 of Love Island USA, I ventured into watching Love Island Australia, and they absolutely have their own language. On Love Island USA, they usually stick to American contestants, with the occasional British person. On Love Island Australia, it tends to be around three Australians, a handful of people from across Europe, and about four more people from literally anywhere. It’s interesting to see how they discuss possible long-distance, cultural similarities, and just hearing them discuss anything in general. Before that winter of watching that season, I would’ve never thought I would find myself trying to decipher a French person’s accent while speaking to an Australian. Or even better, an Irish accent from a British (Scouse) one.
Love Island has also always been a good watch because every contestant always falls into a similar trope. There’s someone leading a group of friends, there’s always someone wanting to pull someone else for a chat, and then there’s usually a closed-off couple who feel nothing for each other. Watching everyone go through ups and downs in their relationships or even their self-love journey can be pretty relatable. Sometimes, it can make you think about your personal connections and how you can approach situations differently.
However, some shows can be purely for comedic value. I used to have Dance Moms on repeat, mostly to see arguments between the moms of the show and Abby Lee Miller’s insane personality. At the time, I had just quit gymnastics, and I had no idea what to do with myself. I had felt unsupported in my sport. But watching Abby berate her students the way she did was weirdly comforting. My thought process was that if those poor girls could overcome Abby’s teachings, then I could overcome a lot more. But I normally just watched the show for its ridiculousness. Its quotability, intensely scripted fights, and odd feuds were a nice distraction to me.
Basically, reality television can be anything you want it to be. Yes, it can be seen as just mindless entertainment, but as a seasoned viewer, I’ll ask you to look deeper. Look into interpersonal relationships, enjoy the scripted moments, and decipher those accents. Analyze their issues, if you care that deeply. It might not be seen as highbrow or as the most pretentious, most intellectual media out there (unless you really want it to be), but it sure is fun!