Christine Crump
The Signal Staff
Reality shows have become such a phenomenon that it seems like most shows on television today are reality shows. On CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX, there are a combined total of 28 reality shows airing on television this year. That doesn’t even include the 800 plus cable channels where some of the most popular reality shows are housed, such as “Project Runway” and “The Next Food Network Star.”
Reality shows began in the late 1980s and early 1990s when network television needed unscripted programming during the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike. “COPS” and “The Real World” are two of the reality shows that started during that time and are still on the air 20 seasons later.
Reality TV began to take off in the 2000s because of, yet again, another writer’s strike in 2001. “Survivor” and “American Idol” became the top-rated series on television. Reality shows have become such a part of our culture, that in 2008 they made a category for the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host for a Reality Show or Reality Competition.
And yet, no one openly owns up to following this fairly new genre because of the stigma attached questioning the intelligence level of its followers. If no one admits to watching reality TV, why is it reality shows keep multiplying like rabbits? I will openly admit that yes… I do love the reality shows!
[polldaddy poll=2094963]I think the reason why people watch reality shows, even though they may not admit to it, is because they tap into the human psyche in ways that we don’t like to admit. You have to admit that the tryouts for “American Idol” are the best part of the entire show. It’s like watching a train wreck; you can’t look away. There is just something about watching dozens of people humiliate themselves on national television that compels us.
Contestants think they have a good voice when, in actuality, they sound worse than a cat throwing up a hairball. Human nature can’t help it. There is something about seeing people humiliate themselves, that makes us feel better about ourselves.
We can’t help but feel superior when we watch trashy shows such as “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” and “Rock of Love.” The tacky contestants drink so much during the duration of the show that we love to see how idiotic they act. Watching these contestants acting a fool makes us feel a cut above.
There is also a competitive nature in all of us. So watching competition reality shows intrigue us because we want our favorite person to win, even if they are not the best. Take Taylor Hicks, for example, the winner of “American Idol” season five. He was not the best singer on the show, but people liked him so he got the most votes to win. What’s he doing today? On the other hand, Jennifer Hudson on season three of “American Idol” placed sixth out of the final 12. Since being voted off “American Idol,” she has won an Academy Award for “Dreamgirls” and a Grammy award for best R&B album.
There is a part of us that likes to be voyeuristic. We love to see how people act behind closed doors. If we stood on the street corner with binoculars looking in someone’s window, we would be arrested. Reality shows helps us legitimize voyeurism. Shows such as “Big Brother” and “The Real World” let us be “Peeping Toms” without seeming creepy or getting arrested.
We also have a fascination with celebrities, so we love to watch shows such as “Celebrity Rehab,” “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!” and “Dancing With The Stars.” We love to see celebrities taken out of their “perfect” world and thrown into the “normal” world.
The reality is, even though we may not admit it, reality shows are a part of our culture. In 2004, more people voted for the winner of American Idol than voted for President.
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