For some, reality TV may be the most annoying thing ever, but for others, it’s a form of escapism. For 45 minutes to an hour every week, we can get away from everything that surrounds us in our daily lives and dissolve ourselves in the lives of complete strangers that we slightly feel connected to.
As someone who is a huge fan of the dating genre of reality television, I feel almost guilty for saying that I don’t like The Bachelor or any of the shows that fall within that realm, like The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. I do have my reasons but that’s a story for another time. My first true taste of reality tv was sneaking looks at “Keeping Up with Kardashians” (KUWTK) whenever my parents left the living room. I wasn’t a fan of the family, as much as I was the exaggerated drama and glamour they brought on screen.
“Kim, would you stop taking pictures of yourself? Your sister’s going to jail.” An iconic line said by Kardashian ‘momager’, Kris Jenner, forever etched in our brains. While Khloe was on her way to jail for violating probation from a DUI and Kris Jenner was freaking out that one of her daughters was about to do time, Kim thought it a perfect photo-op.
That’s just one of the many unforgettable moments the Kardashians have given us over the course of 19 seasons on the air. When thinking about self-care, your first thought wouldn’t be to turn on an episode of your favourite reality tv show, but if it offers enjoyment and a chance to relax and detach from your reality for a short period of time, then it can be argued that it is.
During a global pandemic, It’s important to hold these seemingly trivial past times close to our hearts to maintain our sanity and personal wellness. Self-care does wonders for our mental health. According to Psychreg, when we take care of ourselves, it affirms our self-worth. Self-care encourages rest and relaxation, which benefits our health and wellbeing, as well as healthy relationships.
While KUWTK is entertaining, my favourite reality show that I tend to re-watch most often is MTV’s “Are You The One?”. In summary, the show centres around a group of young 20-year olds who have been put into a huge house with their “perfect matches” preemptively picked out by matchmakers. They have six weeks to find their match to win a one million dollar prize.
MTV did something unprecedented with the eighth season of “Are You The One?” by making it the first reality show to feature an entirely sexually fluid cast. This means that their “perfect match” could be anyone on the show, making the show less predictable and more exciting because of the twist. The more chaotic the show is, the more enjoyable it becomes to me and because of that, I am unconsciously taking part in self-care.
Love Island UK is also a popular dating show that I have been into for years now. The show brings on 10 attractive “Islanders” who are single and ready for romance as they spend 10 weeks in a villa in Majorca, Spain. People get dumped off the island and there are new arrivals constantly which keeps the viewers and the islanders in a state of intrigue throughout the show.
“Love Island” and “Are You The One?” have the same type of chaotic drama. Over-the-top people and personalities are forced to co-inhabit and compete against each other over a series of weeks that leave other contestants in tears, lust, astonishment and new revelations.
This type of entertainment is enjoyed because it’s frivolous and distracting and watching the storylines play out gives you something to invest yourself in that doesn’t affect you. Brenden Rooney, Assistant Professor with UCD School of Psychology explained that the reason people are so drawn to Reality TV is because we love stories.
“The name reality TV might suggest that it isn’t fiction, but these shows are highly produced, edited and curated to tell a story,” Rooney said. It gives us the chance to live out these embarrassing moments and intense situations through a tv or computer screen. Rooney also believes that at the end of the day, not all reality TV is bad and that some even encourage openness and conversions about relationships and help their viewers come together in social spaces, i.e. The Bachelor viewing parties.
Duaa Rizvi, a third-year journalism student at Ryerson University says her version of self-care is watching bad reality tv while eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Any kind of self-care is valid, whether it’s making yourself your favourite meal or running yourself a bath.
Self-care is completely subjective. It looks different for everyone. For example, my sister’s form of self-care is reading romance books under her bed covers. My form changes every couple of months, it honestly depends on what show/thing I’m obsessed with at the moment. Currently, I’m watching Apple TV’s The Morning Show with Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. It’s letting me live out my rich journalist living in NYC dream from the comfort of my bed.
Alyssa Ortiz, a contestant from the fourth season of “Are You The One?”, gave insight into what it was like to be on reality television and her thoughts on it after so many years.
For someone who was on a reality television show herself, Ortiz isn’t a fan of the genre. She said that she always catches the first episode of “The Bachelorette” with friends, but that’s as far as it goes for her. “I think whatever brings you genuine contentment and happiness can be considered self-care. If one feels pleasure watching reality TV cozied up with a refreshing face mask and glass of wine; then who am I to judge?!” Ortiz said. “It loses its sparkle if you’re watching it and feeling any emotions of jealousy, anger, etc.”
Because she’s privy to what happens behind the scenes in reality tv, Ortiz said that she isn’t as receptive to it anymore. “People want air time, people want to be known a certain way and I know that the producers in the background really push you to be a certain way as well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s entertaining, I just watch it through a different lens now.”
At the end of the day, we should take reality tv as it is. It’s fun. It’s something that is meant to entertain and if that’s how you choose to unwind, that’s okay. It allows us to turn our brains off for 45 minutes and indulge in the drama of someone else’s life, as over-exaggerated as it may be. So yes, watching reality television is a valid form of self-care and that’s something you better not forget.