Reality TV: When enough is enough

by Laura Norris, news editor

Everybody has a guilty pleasure.

My guilty pleasure is reality television. Yes, I know, it’s shameful. But I know I’m not the only one addicted to this form of television programming. Even though I love to watch this distorted, exaggerated, and sometimes even fictitious, television, now is the time to say “Enough!”.

Some people are attached to their video games; some are joined at the hip to their computers. But for me, it’s the television, specifically all the new drama and game-show-related reality shows. 

Even as I am writing this, I am watching some sort of reality show I randomly found when channel surfing.

What is it about these shows that have us shirking our other responsibilities, such as school, work and family? One answer -we are addicted to the drama it shows (as if we don’t already have enough of that in our day-to-day lives).

Reality TV has been around for a while, but I believe it all really started around the premiere of “Survivor:  Borneo” in 2000. They are now on their 13th season and still going…pretty strong. I think they are eventually going to run out of different dangerous countries to send the contestants.  

With each new season, they come up with something new and unheard of, along with something that causes a great deal of controversy, because that’s what the public likes, right? And from that show, dozens of other shows started. Now, reality and game show TV is all the rage.

The networks are known to have the majority of the new reality shows, but Bravo is catching up. Personally, it’s one of the channels that I believe has overdone the whole reality show thing. Bravo is now airing show after show such as “Top Chef”, “Top Design”, “Top Designer”, “Top Comic”,  “Project Greenlight” (Top Producer), “Workout” (Top Physical Trainer), and “Million Dollar Listing” (Top Real Estate Agent.) When does it end?

What’s next, which woman is the best at conning men out of their money by marrying them? Oh yeah, they thought of that one too: “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” All this show consists of is watching the women spend money on pointless plastic surgery procedures and saying how they “crave more money.” Who watches this? Well, I guess somebody does, because this is the second season of this particular show.

Not only are the so-called regular channels infested with reality TV, but so are MTV and VH1. However, they do claim to be music and video hit channels. But more than 50 percent of their programming consists of reality series.

Another season of “American Idol” has started, and the ratings are still breaking the records. However, in this particular season, it’s more obvious than before that some of the auditions are definitely staged. But who cares, with a host as cute as Ryan Seacrest?

There are so many reality shows out there that it’s hard to mention every single one of them, but I have to say something about the newest game show, “Deal or No Deal.”  This is the most exaggerated, popular game show in a while. But what’s so special about it? The excitement of watching people take their chances opening cases with different amounts of money in them?

All it really is is a game of probability. What’s really getting the ratings so high? I’ll tell you, it’s the beautiful women standing there holding the briefcases. This show is all about eye candy.

Who doesn’t love game shows? But I think this is just crossing the line. Whatever makes the easy money is what the television networks will air, because why would they do another expensive drama series when they can start a relatively non-expensive game show that’s sure to catch the attention of the general public?

Reality is not only a new genre. It’s something that’s wearing out its welcome in the homes of many Americans.  Some say it’s no longer a “trend” in television, but a new “form” of television that we will continue to see throughout the next several decades. 

If reality and game show television continue to escalate during the next several years at the current pace, I may find a different guilty pleasure in order to waste my time.