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Reality TV Addicts: Are we in touch with reality?

More recently than ever before, we are becoming more and more obsessed with reality TV.

Our TV guides are almost being block filled with them, with a bit of new and a soap or two, just for good measure. My question is simply, why?

Why can’t we get enough of watching our favourite ‘celebrities’ making fools of themselves, or watch talentless nobodies trying to jump on the fame train?

Firstly, recently it was reported that Simon Cowell was less than happy when X Factor producers only aired 8 minutes of singers with actual talent, whilst the majority of the show was judge’s banter and tone deaf wanabees!

Yet despite this so far this series of X Factor viewing figures are reaching approximately 6.6million per episode. So why do we bother watching a so called ‘talent show’ containing virtually no talent? Has the standard of television dropped so low that we fill it with anyone off the street?

Television seemed to be much better quality viewing back in the pre-millennium days. When I ask my mum what she watched when she was a teenager her answers were shows such as Beverly Hills90210 and Dallas.

If I asked myself the same question my answer, surprisingly would be exactly the same! Our networks are finding it harder to broadcast original shows bringing in huge viewing figures.

So what do they do? They air remakes of older shows. Are they clinging onto using the retro vibe to get people to watch, or is there just nothing better to put on our screens.

My seemingly critical view is not without hypocrisy however. I’ll admit, I myself am a droid of society when it comes to reality TV and will watch almost anything! My big guilty pleasure is The Only Way is Essex.

Whilst watching I often find myself wondering ‘why am I even watching this?’ The sensible half of my brain screams ‘watch the news, not this drivel!’ whereas the 17 year old half tells the other ‘Shut up! (In an Essex accent no less)

I must know the most intimate details of these people’s lives to fulfill my own! Yet I don’t understand why I bother, but I still watch despite knowing at the end of the day, whether or not Tom and Lydia will move in together, it will not affect my life in any way. And I still watch. Why?

I blame today’s celebrity obsessed culture for brainwashing a generation, my generation, into thinking to be successful you need hair extensions, a spray tan and a vajazzle!

I can’t complain too much however because these trashy, barely watchable shows keep me entertained with a good cuppa in the evenings. However there is a limit as to how much reality TV we can take before we lose touch with reality ourselves.

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Posted by on Sep 29 2012. Filed under Entertainment, Lifestyle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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