It's a dark part of my growing up that I am ashamed to even bring up...Alright here is goes...
I LOVE REALITY SHOWS.
Above is the bastard that started it all!
From 16 and Pregnant to Wife Swap and Big Brother. I like pretty much all of them.
Yeah yeah point and tease! I don't care. I'm gonna keep on watching them anyways!
Seriously though. What is the appeal of these reality shows? What makes civilized American citizens like me watch Wife Swap rather than a movie or TV show with a well written script. Here I will try and deduce why reality shows are appealing to so many people.
1.It Was Original
The concept of reality shows were original for their time. Before the advent of Survivor, the first popular reality show, the common game show was only 30 minutes to an hour long with different contestants each day. So the notion of having a group of the same people you would follow each week was unheard of. Because you see these people week to week the audience grows a deeper connection with the show and its contestants. A lot of times people watch just to see their favorite person play.
2.Interactivity
Alot of these shows are very interactive. Where your vote can effect the lives of the players or situation of the game. Why is this so important? Simple, people LOVE to be involved. It's a part of the social condition. Thus,the popularity of Facebook and how it's nearly taken over the world.
The mere fact that you can either help the person you grew so attached to adds to the appeal. Look at American Idol, the first show to really involve interactivity by voting for your favorite singer. You saw how that turned out back in the golden years of Idol when people gave a crap about it. (No, I no longer watch Idol. I watch good quality reality shows like " Own Your Own Show" with Oprah Winfrey. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.)
3. The Drama
Let's face it, we all say we hate drama and this and that....but without drama what would life be. At the stem of every plot, at the basis of all good story telling is
some type of problem. Without a problem it's all smelling flowers and daisies. As much as we like to deny it we humans crave drama and a bad situation. That's why we remember more of the bad times than good in our lives. And that there is a part of the appeal.
Well folks those are just three best appeals of the many I tried to think of.
Maybe you can relate? Maybe not?
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