Land of the Free

Cody Flores, staff writer

I can’t turn on the televisions without coming across one of these “reality TV shows.”

They are everywhere, and they aren’t showing signs of stopping. Ever since the CBS breakthrough “Survivor” hit the air, this new craze has been sweeping the nation. Everywhere I turn I am bombarded with reality TV. But, is this really a good thing? Is it good for us to be watching us?           

The only thing reality television is good for is the further dumbing down of the nation. The types of shows that people are watching these days include people living together in a big house, trying to “survive” on an island, and eating strange bugs for money. The types of shows seem to get weirder as the years go by. But just when I think they are running out of ideas, a new show will come up about chefs cooking food in a restaurant. This is ridiculous.      

It is bad when people who can’t run their own lives successfully start to worship and admire others who have it worse than they do. America doesn’t need to be reminded of the bad things in life. We shouldn’t be condoning humiliation for the entertainment of others.  Since grade school, people all around have been told that they aren’t good enough, they aren’t pretty enough, and their singing is bad. So why are we displaying the things that we never want our kids to go through on television?

Simon Cowell from “American Idol” has been made famous for criticizing the talents of singers and crushing their dreams. People are voted off these shows and stabbed in the back by others who they trust every week in shows such as “Big Brother” and “Survivor.” On other shows such as “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?,” people are marrying others solely because they have money. Is this good for young kids to be watching? Is this good for America to be watching?” Should we be condoning this type of behavior?

It is sad that Americans have succumbed to viewing others living their lives rather than running our own. We are entering and age when instead of doing for ourselves, we are forced to watch others do for themselves. It may be easier to live through others on the television, but it is not better. It is bad for us. It is bad for this country.

Finally, it’s not really reality. It is a fantasy land construed by these television corporations. Just because the people on the shows are not celebrities doesn’t make it reality. I love television just as much as the next guy, and I’m not one of those who gets mad when people spend most of their time watching TV. But time spent on these reality shows is time wasted.