Are you one of those people who ask yourself, “why do so many people love the Kardashians?”
Or are you the kind of person who will always bring up how CBS’s Survivor isn’t technically “surviving?” After all, they have a medical team to ensure nobody is malnourished or dehydrated.
These questions aside, there is one fact we can all agree upon: people simply love (or love to hate) reality TV. I’m sure that Plato and Socrates would have great philosophical theories as to why we as a culture enjoy these types of shows so much. Unfortunately, neither of them answered the RSVP, so looks like you’re stuck with me!
Reality TV shows can be broken down into three different categories: Game/Competition, Fluff TV, and Life Reality. Each category has its shortcomings, but they don’t outshine that addictive factor that draws in millions of viewers from around the world, week in and week out.
Game/Competition
The Game Show classics are shows such as Jeopardy, The Price is Right, and Wheel of Fortune. These aren’t quite as popular unless you enjoy watching obscure cable networks at 2 in the afternoon, though they did serve as the launching point of the Game/Competition genre of reality TV.
This brings us to shows such as Big Brother and Survivor, your heavy weights in the arm of fierce competitiveness and petty drama. Why these particular shows? Nobody can deny how entertaining they are, but I think that the reason they’ve risen to the top of reality TV ratings is because of the social aspect that comes with being a viewer. You can get together with all of your friends, sit down for an hour or two, and bond over judging game moves, meltdowns, and cheer on your favourite players during competitions.
Oh, and the cash prize makes everybody wish they had the chance to compete for $500,000 as well!
My recommendations: Big Brother, Big Brother Canada, Survivor, Naked and Afraid (HILARIOUS) The Bachelor(ette), Bachelor in Paradise
*I wrestled with which category I would place The Bachelor(ette) in so, I figured I should give an explanation. The Batchelor(ette) is really an institution. So many men and women have passed through and the heartbreak, the drama, and terrible decisions are enthralling! Not only that, but everybody has an opinion on whether or not the show does any good (my friend will tell you they are a mockery of love, my sister will tell you she can’t live without it). Either way, the Bachelor(ette) almost deserves its own category because despite all the criticism, it is still one of the most successful reality shows in history.
Fluff TV
Moving on, you might be wondering what Fluff TV means. Shows that fall in this category are the types that don’t have any real consequence, they don’t necessarily give viewers an insight into the lives of the people they are watching, and nobody is competing for anything. What we do usually get in these types of shows are people who are truly interesting characters. These wacky, over the top people are what make these shows so fun. They provide a chance for people to get out of their own head and into the mind of somebody else for a minute, because that’s really what reality TV is all about: it lets you view somebody else’s reality, their own perspective, and be entertained at the same time.
These shows are perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons, and will usually catch your eye when you’re flipping through channels, desperately looking for SOMETHING to watch – anything to cure the boredom!
My recommendations: Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, Love it or List It, Cake Boss
Life Reality
This is the category that shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians fall into. Life Reality shows give viewers the chance to look into the lives of celebrities and interesting people. Some might say that it’s an odd phenomenon that we are so enthralled by lives that are not our own, that it might be a societal problem, but I don’t necessarily agree with that! These types of shows provide an escape from any hard or stressuful times you might be going through, and during the good times they serve as GREAT entertainment. If you don’t think so then…
Life Reality has also expanded onto the Internet through YouTube. YouTube “vloggers” make good money putting their daily lives on the internet, and if you’ve never seen it before I recommend giving it a try if you’re bored or procrastinating.
My recommendations: Keeping Up With the Kardashians (guilty pleasure), Little People Big World, The Real Housewives, Duck Dynasty, Wahlburgers
So what is it that makes reality TV so addictive? Quite simply, it’s one of the best sources of entertainment around; so don’t let anybody judge you for your reality TV addiction!
Photo Sources:
http://russia-insider.com/sites/insider/files/field/image/reality-check.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cikqfGY.gif
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