Reality TV

In the world we live in reality shows are a dime a dozen.  It seems there is a show about anything and everything imaginable these days. Look no further than TLC for a slew of strange options like “Honey Boo Boo” or “My Strange Addiction”. Given the massive success of “Honey Boo Boo” maybe it’s true that anyone can be on TV and the more outrageous the content, the more likely people are to continue watching.  Given the fact that Bravo recently ordered a whopping eighteen new reality shows into production, we will soon have a slew of new housewives and equally outrageous wealthy people to get our entertainment from.

At what cost does this entertainment come at? Some people seem willing to do almost anything to get a few minutes of fame on television. Whether a contestant is being thrown around and smacked by moving objects in “Wiped Out” or trying to outdo each other on the high dive in “Splash” how far are ordinary people or forgotten celebrities willing to go to be back in the spotlight? Just this week another contestant was injured on the diving show “Splash” and was hospitalized. Why do we continue to watch these kinds of programs? Is it because we cannot believe that other people live such drastically different lives than our own? I know that on occasion I enjoy reality TV and feel a lot more normal after an hour or two and am grateful that my life does not involve nearly that much drama.

The death of “Buckwild” star Shane Gandee in an accident while “mudding” something that was often portrayed in the popular first season of the show that followed teens in the backwoods of West Virginia brought about the subsequent cancellation of the show, even though they were already into production on the second season.  After this accident I saw a gallery on The Hollywood Reporter that showed twenty–five former reality stars that have died following their stints on various shows. I was unaware that there has been such a dark history in reality television. This definitely makes me rethink how important all of these shows have become to our culture. Do these programs add much value to our entertainment, and if so at what cost? Are they exploitative of their stars, because the more outlandish the activity the higher the ratings? How many arrests had to happen on a season of “Jersey Shore” for the audience to be satisfied. Something to think about, as the summer will bring premieres of several new reality programs.

Here is the link to The Hollywood Reporter Gallery that initially brought my attention to the dark side of reality TV stardom http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/dark-side-reality-tv-25-432060