REALITY TV SHOWS

#SMED 11

For those who have access to DSTV have you noticed the proliferation of Reality TV shows one can tune into? To name but a few, they range from:

• Food
• Dancing
• Singing
• Romance
• Survival
• Weddings
• Rock stars
• Weight loss
• Hair dressing
• Family life
• Makeovers
• Property market

Not forgetting, albeit with much guilt, my current favourite (when time allows) Big Brother Amplified. I must admit that I too have enjoyed some Reality TV shows, but others have raised eyebrows and many questions, i.e:

When is enough enough?. Are viewers such suckers for juicy stories that we keep the viewership and shows alive by yearning for more?

Many years ago the Osbourne Family provided for great entertainment and the show was a major success. I think times have changed since then as today anyone and everyone can just hop onto the Reality show bandwagon fir their drawn-out 15 minutes of fame. Today every family wants to have their own reality show - I call them the good, the bad and the ugly! One often gets the impression that discussions are staged and pre-practiced. Must also mention that family participants can sometimes come across as fake and unnatural -botox, boob implants, facelifts, etc are high on the priority list!

Seems as if Reality TV shows can serve as an excellent launch pad for either career opportunities and/or other spin-off shows, to use the Kardashians as a prime example.

I guess reality shows are here to stay and will continue to grow in stature as long as viewers lap them up. I am not a psychologist, but I believe the success of Reality TV shows has much to do with human behaviour – giving viewers a glimpse into the lives (often dysfunctional) of others. We enjoy watching the flaws in others being played out on global channels. It makes us realise that our own flaws and mistakes are ok. We too are human –‘and not as bad as them’. Same principal applies as to why ‘Die Son’ and ‘The Voice’ are extremely popular newspapers.

On the flip side, there are quite a few lessons to be learnt by watching reality shows, to give but a few examples:
- What not to wear
- Best diets to follow
- Planning best wedding
- How to raise one’s family (hopefully get the best out of them)

In conclusion, It's Monday and I’m looking forward to my weekly dose of Big Brother elimination nomination timeslot. I too, like thousands, will be stationed in front of the TV and shamelessly viewing the goings-on of a dysfunctional Tails House.