Where would we be if we could not hear one of Simon Cowell’s witty and insulting comments? Would our lives ever be complete if we do not know what Ozzie Osborne had for breakfast? If reality TV is reality, than reality, as we know it, must not exist.
People flock to their TVs every week for exactly these very reasons. After all, life would end if you did not hear Simon say to at least one American Idol contestant, “Good news is you’re attractive, the bad news is it didn’t work.” There is also the enjoyment of watching Ozzy Osbourne being attacked by little dogs and screaming “Sharon!”
These are just two examples of a swarm of reality TV shows that are sweeping over the airwaves. If it is called “Reality T.V.,” it is sure to be a hit.
Most shows look for people who are going to create conflict onscreen. They want to keep these people on the air to boost ratings. The truth is that reality TV does bring in high ratings and people are actually drawn to them thinking it is “reality.”
Some shows feature people stranded in the wilderness and given feats of physical strength to win a can of beans. Also, there are famous rich celebrities that stick their hands up a rear end of a cow while their dog looks on, saying, “That is hot.” Some have 50 beautiful women fight over one man. This example come closest to being real, but exists only in the imagination of most men.
If it sounds far from the average person’s everyday life, it’s because it really is. There is nothing real about reality TV. Media networks dive into this so-called reality TV because it boosts up ratings. As you get home from class after failing a test, you can turn on the TV and say, ‘wouldn’t it be great to be Paris Hilton? An over privileged spoiled twenty-something with no talent.’?
The only things that are real on reality TV are the insults and complaining. If you are not getting enough of that in your every day life, just start listening to what people are saying at NEIU. Also, do not forget to listen to yourself as well. You will find that your own reality is a little more important and real than what you see on TV.
Why not be more concerned about the proposed tuition increase, or that NEIU was shorted $390,297 for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) for 2006, or countless other things affecting your life? Finally, instead of stopping your entire life to watch the season finale of American Idol, why not remember this: who the next American Idol is going to be is not as important as who the next solider killed in Iraq is.