Reality TV

Reality TV has taken America by storm. Every channel we tune in when we switch on our television a Reality TV show is on. It does not matter if it’s the show Keeping Up with the Kardashans or one of the “Housewives” show, you name it and its there. There are always reruns or a marathon which makes me wonder, do people really watch this?  

I cannot really say I like Reality TV or not. I sure can say it is keeping me entertained but not for long. I usually switch the channel when I get bored, sick or a commercial comes on. It makes me ask a question though: Why do these people (the reality stars), let their viewers see how dysfunctional and messed up they are? Are they so hungry for popularity that they let us come in see what is going on in their lives at whatever the cost? Recently one of the Housewives’ husband committed suicide. In the show Toddlers and Tiaras, one of the moms injects Botox to her daughter’s face. I watched Love in the Wild and thirteen couple who just met sleep in one bedroom and share the same bed. How awful isn’t it?

I honestly think that the shows do more harm than good in the community. The show 16 and pregnant, glorifies girls who gets pregnant by actually putting them in the show. It gives teenage girls the wrong impression that it is okay to be pregnant at sixteen because a lot of girls do it, they even have a show. Jersey shore has “promiscuous” written all over the cast faces. Their vile attitudes and ridiculous stupidity is not something we want our kids to watch. It makes me sick that America watches this.

My kids and I enjoy watching Reality TV that depicts healthy competition and teaches good traits and moral character. We enjoyed watching the show Expedition Impossible wherein a group consists of three people battle against each other to win a prize. We like it because it teaches unit cohesion and solidarity.

The fact that I cannot prevent my kids from watching Reality TV makes me shiver. I take comfort in knowing that they get entertained and fascinated by it, in the same time get disgusted. I just hope that watching the shows will only be for pure entertainment. It is not something I want my kids to emulate. Reality TV shows that contain profanity and foul language has no place for show business. In fact Reality TV shows that has, should be shown only on late nights or contain a warning stating the show contain materials that are not suitable for young audiences. But even if there is some parental supervision involve, who is there to say that these shows will not cause our children’s opinions to be distorted of what is right or wrong? America has made these reality TV stars so rich that our children may say “Hey I want to be like him/her”. Let us just hope that very kid in America doesn’t say that and find vulgar reality TV shows only entertaining.