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Obsessed with Reality

What is this recent obsession on reality TV shows these days all about?

From the surviving in a deserted island, to singing or dancing live in front of an audience, to racing or travelling to places, even down to cooking, modeling or eating gross things, people seem to be infatuated with the shows main theme. There would be a bunch of people from all walks of life trying to win the title of being number one and of course the proverbial cash price, all the while being watched by millions across international borders. Sometimes we vote, sometimes we just watch as the judges both humiliate and admire the participants. This is now the main factor behind most successful competition anchored in multimedia gateways like TV, the internet and mobile gadgets.
The original formula of these types of shows seems to have worked up a storm that until now has not receded. We are still caught up in it.

Do we really enjoy watching people bare their personality out regardless if it is ugly or appealing (actually, thinking about it: the uglier the personality, the more people would want to see)?
Do we really enjoy watching how different characters bend or break in front of the camera?
Do we really love seeing participants get brutally judged and criticized in front of an international audience?

Well, the answers maybe more diverse than the already multitude of shows that follow the same theme. Maybe it’s just an addition to our previously limited choices in TV that is only showing either things that are too fictional or too real (the news). It’s something in the middle it is definitely not fiction as the personalities are real people and their situation often happens in real time. It’s also not quite ‘real’ as the news since they are often in a controlled environment following a target audience or concept of the show. The discovery of this possibility in our multimedia enhanced by the capabilities of interaction that we can do now has fuelled this change in how we react and interact with what we see or read.

And, maybe that’s another point why we patronize them a lot: people’s interaction. We get to see how reality TV’s participants interact with each other and how they act against situations that are brought to them along the course of the show. Sometimes we can relate on a particular personality, probably having similar traits as we have. Sometimes, what we see is completely alien to us and daunting. These are the things that make it so interesting and such a learning experience.

After any show that we’re following, everyone has their say. Everyone has to have their say! It is as if we want to be part of the judges or the commentary to the show. The producers and networks cash in on this through feedbacks or voting process that allow us to ‘react’ and in turn give us the chance to be judges ourselves. It is obviously a very good business strategy aptly labeled ‘interactivity’ but at the same time a good indicator of how open and responsive we can be given the opportunity and the ‘convenient’ venues. It is as easy as dialing a few numbers or clicking a virtual button.


With this much success and influence this kind of multimedia trend has had, it’s exciting to wonder about what the next storm is being brewed at the horizon. No need to hold your breath. It’s probably here already, just waiting for that tipping point to finally burst it out in an explosion of both creativity and change. 


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2010-12-06
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