As I sit in front of the tube scrolling through the guide, it’s the iconic voice of Chandler from “Friends” that goes ringing through my head, asking “could there BE anymore reality TV?”
It’s pretty crazy how much that show has influenced my sense of humor and how much TV and movies have changed the way I think. That influence the entertainment world has on our personal lives is what I will be exploring this quarter. Why are we obsessed with superheroes and the seemingly superhuman actors that play them? Or how come it sometimes feels like our favorite TV characters have become a part of our family?
On that note, let’s talk about the phenomenon of “reality.” Every summer, I am subject to the taunts of reality TV, and every summer it seems to get more ridiculous. One of the reasons I look forward to the start of fall quarter is that it means the network TV season is back.
A particular gem this summer was “The Week the Women Went.” When my sister explained the premise of the show to me, I was confused. From what I understand (I refused to watch even one episode, and that’s saying a lot coming from the person who watches every show on Bravo), it’s about a town where all the women were removed and the community was filmed to observe how it functioned in the absence of said women.
At first, I had one question: Who in their right mind came up with this? If my mom wasn’t home for a week, I’d be on a diet of soup and soggy pasta. Yeah, no thanks. But upon further consideration, I realized maybe this was a means to build greater appreciation for the mothers, sisters and daughters that were taken away. Maybe their family and friends would now understand just how important these women are.
Though I understand its purpose, the most bothersome and off-putting aspect of the show was that it intentionally created situations that caused unnecessary difficulties for the townspeople (like scheduling a beauty pageant for the week the women were gone), essentially dramatizing the event and distorting the idea that this was supposed to be a “regular” week (sans women).
On the other hand, I am unable to see any value in “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” another summer wonder from the creative minds at TLC. I’ll admit, though I was reluctant to watch this show, it’s hilarious. Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo, the beauty pageant contestant the show focuses on, is a real life Disney Channel character with sass and sarcasm a 6-year-old child shouldn’t possess. She might be an entertaining kid with an equally entertaining family, but if that’s a reason to have your own TV show, then we should be tuning in to see most of the children at my local elementary school every week.
The biggest problem I have is not with the show itself, it’s with TLC. I recently discovered that TLC stands for “The Learning Channel.” Erm, what exactly am I supposed to be learning? I guess I might learn how to plan a wedding (Please note extensive programming in this area i.e. “Say Yes to the Dress,” “Four Weddings,” “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding”). I guess my summer was more productive than I thought.
The thing that irks me most about reality programming is the fact that the majority of the time, it is the most unreal thing on TV. Scripting and planned drama make me wonder why the producers of these shows are putting so much effort into giving us the illusion of real life when instead they could be spending their time developing quality entertainment. To me, it’s like putting on makeup to look natural; why put in the time and effort only to look like you haven’t done anything and essentially fail in the process?
That said, I can appreciate a good reality TV show. “Project Runway” is one of my all time favorites, and the reason why I respect it so much is that it showcases talent.
Creativity (and the masterful Tim Gunn) runs rampant in this show, and I don’t feel my mind slowly withering away as I watch.
I think this is why shows like “Project Runway” or “Top Chef” or even the multitude of singing competition programs have been successful: They don’t try to shove drama and intrigue into the show (for the most part). Sure, they may cut a scene or play music in a way to build intensity, but you don’t feel like you’re being cheated. There is honesty in what is shown on screen, and the focus isn’t on background backstabbing but on bringing talent to the forefront in order to educate and provoke our desires to develop our own abilities.
Watching something on screen that is entertaining appeals to an inner desire of ours to create a life similar to what we see, which is an incredibly inspirational force when it comes to programming with substance like “Project Runway.” These types of shows challenge our imagination by portraying talent that is both real and untampered.
Reality programming thatfocuses purely on dramatizing everyday situations, on the other hand, is neither challenging nor informative.
What’s important, though, when it comes to shows of the mindless variety is being able to keep what we see separate from what we do, which isn’t what usually happens. The advent of reality TV has increased the hunger for fame simply for fame’s sake and, unfortunately, this causes the deterioration of personal goals of exploring true talent and ability.
So the real question becomes whether we are willing to sacrifice intellectual programming for pure entertainment value. Personally, I don’t think I should be putting myself at risk for losing anymore brain cells now that the quarter has begun.
Email Boodaghians at lboodhaghians@media.ucla.edu if you also have a complicated relationship with the entertainment world.