Yes, you read the title, and before you call me crazy, hear me out. I know that older reality TV shows were toxic environments to work on and heavily altered by producers. I know the people on these shows have come forward and said that these environments were, at times, even traumatizing. But wow, did those years have some of the best reality TV.
I’ve recently fallen down a Dance Moms rabbit hole, really living on the dance floor, if you will. I cannot fathom or even begin to imagine having this older woman violently screaming in my face as a 9-year-old. But lately I’ve been watching every episode, something about watching the moms screaming at each other over a LITERAL DANCE little kids are doing is crazy, but also strangely satisfying. It makes me realize…it was NEVER that serious.
None of these older reality television shows was ever that serious. Half the time, I don’t even realize what these people are even arguing about. I think about how I would react if I were in an episode of Vanderpump Rules, Dance Moms, or The Jersey Shore. I ask myself, would I be screaming and throwing hands, or would I just walk away from this silly conversation? From an outside perspective, it seems so simple, but obviously, we don’t know what it’s like to have a camera in your face 24/7.
That being said, TV shows nowadays really aren’t doing it for me anymore. Each season of the dating shows like Love Island, The Bachelor Franchise, Love is Blind, etc, is either hit or miss. Every conversation seems like a setup, scripted and heavily edited.
I will say it is conflicting to feel this way. On the one hand, it feels invasive and intrusive to watch people’s stories and relationships. It must be difficult having the whole world comment on your every move. It would probably take me years of therapy to unpack these moments. But this might also be exactly why reality TV was different 15 years ago: the internet wasn’t what it is today. People weren’t reading comments online regarding their actions. As opposed to now, we don’t really know why people go on these shows; they go to watch and read every comment we all leave online.
I do feel like I’ve started to rewatch these older shows for two reasons. One nostalgia, I wasn’t as old as I am now to really understand what was going on. But two, there aren’t a lot of shows today that hook me right away. The ONLY exception to this, that still meets my reality TV criteria, is The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I could go on a tangent about Taylor, Frankie Paul, and the empire she’s created. But these Utah girls really give me the feel of old reality TV shows. They fight hair extensions, but then we see their characters develop, and see true, raw sides to them. UGH I love it, get it on my TV now!!!!!