Really Real, You Know?

Ashley and James used to fight about which was better: Friends or Survivor. Since I was his girlfriend and not hers, I would spend my evenings glued to the television watching the antics of Colby and Tina instead of Ross and Rachel.


Aside from those four months in 2001, I have never been dedicated to watching a reality television show. I’ve never watched The Real World, Dancing With the Stars, or Jersey Shore. I heard about Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but since I didn’t watch it, it was a while before I realized that it wasn’t some kind of quirky Star Trek spin-off.


I’ve heard it said that reality television is what’s wrong with the world today. In some ways, I agree.


One of the reasons that I don’t watch reality television is that I’m afraid I would like it. It is entertaining because of the tension between the participants, the drama, the backstabbing, and the hilarious moments when someone is acting like a fool. But that’s also the reason that it is so sad, and the precise reason why I prefer my television fictional.


A fictional character’s dysfunctions are fake. A fictional character’s behavior, while it may be a reflection of the behavior of the current society, is not real. And most often, things turn out okay at the end of an episode on a television program that has a script.


The feelings that a reality star has are usually real. The problems they have with their co-stars are normally really there, even if the fights are staged. And when one of them stomps off in a rage, they really are acting like a fool.


That’s the saddest thing about reality television: it’s real. With fictional television, you can console yourself with the thought that the crazy serial killer isn’t really like that in real life, but with reality TV, the idiot tasering himself is actually doing so.


Maybe reality television is what’s wrong with the world today. Or maybe what’s wrong is that people watch it and enjoy it. Maybe what’s wrong is that we glorify and pay attention to these fools, thinking that if they can be famous this way, there might be a day when we are famous too.


Now that I look back on it, I’m thinking I should have been on Ashley’s side.