Thursday, September 22, 2011

Reality Overload!

Reality television has been around for a looong time now. I remember my first introduction to reality TV. It was 1992 and I saw the Real World. Being a kid, I was so fascinated that cameras were going to follow the lives of seven strangers who were put into a house together. I really liked it!

It was something that most Americans had never seen before and, as a result, garnered much success. It was a hit!

And now, the Real World season 20 will air later this month. The show seemed genuine when it first aired almost 20 years ago, but now it doesn't seem so "real." o.O

Don't get me wrong, I continue to watch reality television till this very day, but the genre has become too saturated. And most of the shows are just laughable to me. JMHO.

Producers, executives, et cetera, ad nauseum are approving almost any and every reality show they can think of in the hopes that the American public will watch them, no matter how ridiculous they are.

Personally, I am very tired of reality shows at this point. I am burnt out. Wonderful television shows have been cut due to reality TV overload, or for other reasons, but I blame reality shows. :-D Shows that have been cancelled are: No Ordinary Family, Hawthorne, Ugly Betty, Heroes, etc. I would rather see shows that are well-written, original works of fiction rather than see "supposed" reality shows. Most folks participating in those shows now are only out to become famous rather than actually participate in what the show is supposed to be about. *Le sigh.*

So, now I have a message for Hollywood.

Dear Hollywood,


No more reality television!!! 

9 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I never watched any reality TV until I watched the Joe Schmoe show, which was pretty good.. Later I watched some cooking shows with Gordon Ramsey. Other than that, not.

raine said...

I've watched two or three, first seasons only, & I was pretty well done. For the most part they're pretty vapid & vague, & I'm afraid I don't give a crap about Bethany's Bad Girl Housewives of the OC 90210.

Tiffany S. Jones said...

*high five* for the "Mommy Dearest" pic!

There's a formula to reality TV now. There has to be at least two minorities, preferably three. One is ambiguous. There's a gay person, a bumpkin, an asshole, the sweet one, the quiet one and one with a problem (drugs, alcohol, sex, broken home, hang nail).

They keep producing these shows because they're cheap to make and because society eats them up. Our lives have become voyeuristic, I blame the first season of The Real World and social media. We feel like we need to look in on these people's lives and sometimes, live vicariously through them.

Honestly, I don't think there's an end in sight. Too bad. I miss good reality TV and scripted shows.

Good post!

Marcia Colette said...

LOL! The only reality show I watch these days is Ice Road Truckers. They can't afford to have too much drama like Big Brother and other crap like that. Otherwise, they'll find themselves in a ditch along side the road.

But like you, I'm sick of them, too. I'd give anything to have good fiction that seems realistic than the likes of Snookie who drum up drama at every turn.

Robin said...

I had never watched a reality show before, and then I was at the gym with a friend, with no one else there, and my friend turned on her favorite show - The Kardashians. I seriously couldn't believe it. The people were so dumb, inane, and vacuous. Their concerns were so narcistic and trivial. (My husband keeps getting into bar fights. Naked pictures of my boobs were leaked to the press.) I was blown away. I couldn't believe a person would be okay with seeing themselves portrayed as such morons. I rag on my friend for liking that show to this day.

Tyhitia Green said...

Charles,

I have watched Gordon Ramsey as well. There are some reality shows that I watch, but I'm burnt out at this point. There are just too many as far as I'm concerned.

Raine,

I love it! You covered so many! LOL.

Smarty,

High five right back at ya!

Yes, the formula always comes into play. Definitely.

Society appears to love the problems and shallowness of others.

And I miss really good scripted tv too. :-/

Marcia,

I miss the good old days when we had real actors instead of spoiled, whiny people. :-/

Robin,

LOL. I have had my fair show of viewing awful shows, just to see what was so great about them. It's getting out of hand, with so many terrible ones.

And then look at all the movie remakes coming out. What is wrong in Hollywood? **sigh**

Kev D. said...

I like the cooking ones.

Anything where it's just filming people in their shitty lives makes me want to puke.

Tyhitia Green said...

Kev,

I tolerated some at first, but now I'm burnt out. I still watch a couple, but I don't know how much longer. :-/

Don said...

Hahahahahaha. Agreed.

I loved the original Real World cast and series of shows. It was very cutting edge, but now it's just a formula that is continuously tweaked and scripted, in a sense.

I can't tell you the last time I've watched MTV RealmWorld. I watch La La's reality show and that's about it. Before then, Bobby & Whitney.

There is an overload of court TV shows as well.