When we got given this task, I though yippie, this will be fun. We get to pick something we dislike, be mean about it and tell everyone why we should be mean about it. So here goes...
I'm afraid what i've chosen isn't new and well they're mentioned a lot because they're like marmite you either love them or you hate them but for me my pet hate is reality TV shows. Even after being bombarded with them solidly for like the last 10 years, they still seem to pop up every now and again and well they bother me, ALOT! I can honestly say I've never liked them or sat down and watched them for even one series, I think I actually inwardly rejoiced and threw a little party when I heard the news that this year's BIg Brother would be the last ever and they weren't lying to us.
Even though I believe them to be pointless and just another waste of time, money and people's efforts I realise that many people love them and no matter how hard they try and convince themselves otherwise will actually miss BB and the what seems like an endlessly pregnant Davina. So this leads me to consider the reasons why people are fascinated by these animal like observations of humans as that's what they remind me of, people staring at animals in the zoo and getting amused when they start on each other because animals don't like to be caged, and secretly or not so secretly humans don't either....
I guess in some ways it's morbid curiosity, we want to know what'll happen if they feel threatened or others push them, how they'll react and at the centre of it many of us are willing something to kick off and for the situation to become a messy one because after all it makes it more entertaining, right?
So, even though people don't want to admit to it, I guess that's really why these reality programmes are so popular because I really doubt it's because of their content. As sad as it sounds there's truth in the fact that we as human beings like chaos, we just love it when things go wrong, particularly when it's not happening to us. It doesn't make us bad people, it's just in our nature.
Reality TV is something that's accessible to everyone and appeals to our culture, particularly as many of them are around ordinary people often but in extraordinary situations, they're humanised more than celebrities and we can relate to them in some ways. I think it's a bad part of modern culture and I don't really agree with it and even though it's dying down I think it'll still be around for some time to come.
So, I've not really been that Leavis like about this analysis but in a Leavis style nutshell, I think Reality TV is the epitome of bad culture and well it reflects areas of today's society that don't necessarily need highlighting. I also think it brings out the worst in people and shows that some will do anything for their 15 minutes of fame.
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