From the time I walked out of my childhood bedroom to the sound of Teresa Giudice, Real Housewives of New Jersey star, flipping a dinner table, I have been in love with reality TV. The drama and chaos that is guaranteed to ensue has always hooked me. From watching Love Island with my friends after a long day of working as a camp counselor to ordering takeout and watching the latest episode of Vanderpump Rules with my stepmom, reality television has been with me since before I could remember.Â
Getting sucked into who is cheating on who, and who needs to be bailed out of jail, allows me to escape some of the more mundane issues in my life. The truth is, reality television is not only entertainment, but a comforting, chaotic escape in times of need. I have my whole life to watch Academy Award-winning films; for now, I am going to indulge in 45 hours of clueless strangers on an island in Fiji.Â
I grew up loving Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I’m almost positive I have watched all 20 seasons at least 5 times through (give or take, considering I tend to skip around a little). I remember my Grandma’s scandalized expression when she found out it was one of my favorite shows. I always wondered what bothered people so much about reality TV. Sure, it may not be as insightful as a nature documentary or showcase a wholesome family flipping houses in Texas, but it’s captivating, filled with laughs, and provides me with a sense of comfort and nostalgia after a hard day.Â
One of my proudest accomplishments is converting my mom, a notorious skeptic of the genre, into quite the connoisseur. It all started when I would watch The Kardashians after school, and my mom would come home from work to stand with her things still in hand, watching nearly entire episodes. She came to my same consensus through episodes of diamond earrings missing in the ocean and chaotic family trips. I am of the belief that the fights, betrayals, and silly moments within some of these shows allow me to “turn my brain off” for even just 45 minutes.
Discovering the TLC channel at a young age made cable television both hard to watch and impossible to look away from. Shows like Toddlers & Tiaras and Say Yes to the Dress consumed me. It was to the point where I did an elementary school presentation on the exploitative nature of child beauty pageants. From childhood favorites to my current watches, reality TV has been a pillar throughout my life.
Reality TV tends to get a bad rep. Critics tend to pick apart the vapid cast, lack of authenticity, and the promotion of negative behaviors. While some aspects of these critiques are true, the unscripted world can also be an unexpectedly fascinating window into lives that may be different from your own. Sure, it can be silly, but it still studies personalities, conflicts, relationships, insecurities, and aspirations of its subjects. Believe me, no one is fooled by the production teams whispering into the ears of the cast; however, these shows are generally unscripted, leading to real and raw accounts of life. The drama mixed with the social psychology makes for the perfect recipe for entertainment. Love Island exposes attachment styles in real time, and KUWTK depicts complicated familial relationships that many can relate to. All of these and more are examples of the ways in which unscripted storytelling can provide insights into those around us.Â
Mindlessness is a feature, not a downfall. I take watching these shows as a mental palette cleanser between classes, finals, and serious everyday stresses that come with life as a college student. Lying on the couch with one of these shows brings predictability, low stakes, and zero emotional labor: exactly what is needed during times of stress when it feels like the only thing that will help is a comfort show.
Finally, watching reality TV makes the sociologist in me jump out. These series offer a real (real-ish) glimpse into people’s lives. The exposure of cultural norms in areas such as dating, work, conflict, and status is different from any other form of media. It can be messy and edited, but it’s also humans being human, and at times, weirdly profound.Â
I have, and always will, love reality TV unapologetically. I know the drama can be manufactured, the confessional scenes scripted, the cast fighting for screen time, but there’s nothing like a raw look into the human psyche. If watching it lets me escape my own chaos for even an hour, hand me the remote.