Reality TV!

Reality TV is anything but real. Every show is being manipulated behind the scenes in order to get the highest ratings. If, after a season, viewers start to slack off, then they tweak the show here and there to give the viewers what they want. I admit I have a few reality shows I enjoy watching, but even those are not as “real” as they would like us to believe.

American Idol is one of my favorites and seems to be the least manipulated show. However, I find that the judges, in their comments, try to sway viewer votes for one contestant and against another. Hell’s Kitchen is another of my favorites that promises the winner a head chef position at an elite restaurant. Turns out they just get the title, not the position. Ramsey, himself, said he would be crazy to let any of the winners actually run one of his restaurants.

I used to enjoy Big Brother when it first started. They had a set of rules where 10 or 12 complete strangers were brought in to live together. But, the show got too boring so they began to revamp it every year after that, with new twists and turns. Instead of all strangers, they would throw in a few who were related or who knew each other outside the house. It strayed so much from the original premise of the show that I lost interest. Jon & Kate Plus 8 was popular with viewers, but I only caught glimpses of it when my girls were watching it. That show is nothing but scripted and edited pieces that they want viewers to see. Who has 8 kids and always has some kind of outing planned? Kate’s own brother says they have to tape hours of the family in order to edit out all the arguing between Jon & Kate and have enough video to air! Now Kate wants to be a “star!” Who the hell is watching her 8 kids while she is “dancing” on DWTS? I refuse to watch Jersey Shore! A bunch of illiterate, uneducated, mindless twits getting paid way too much money to be themselves. Do you know how much the main characters get paid per episode? $30,000!!!  If this isn’t the biggest waste of money, I don’t know what is. And, does anyone really think those Nannies can fix all those children’s bad behaviors in a week? Would anyone agree to a Wife Swap for a week if they didn’t get something significant out of it in the end? And I happen to know they do not switch for a week, maybe a total of 4 days. My daughter worked on that show so that’s how I know.  And did you catch the show “Kid Nation” that was on for one summer? They claimed the kids were on their own, no adults!  Ok then, who was shooting the film? No medical staff present in case of illness or injury?  No psychologist available in case a kid has a meltdown? I think there were plenty of adults there, just not in the camera’s eye.

It seems like the majority of shows are “reality” now. They are cheaper to produce and people are watching. I don’t know about you, but I watch TV to escape reality, not watch more of it.