I simply detest so-called "reality television". What the viewer gets to see merely is a distorted and highly manipulated version of "reality". The whole purpose behind such shows is to score ratings points which will lead to higher profit and so reality is skewed to drive up revenue.
Most people will say, "Why get into such a lather about it? If you don't like reality TV, don't watch it!" Well, I don't watch it, but I worry about the overall impact this pervasive mentality is having and will continue to have on our society.
Like it or not, the themes that permeate certain institutions trickle down to play out in everyday life. Over the past decade, we've seen a precipitous rise in the number of school and workplace-related shootings. People have gotten it in their heads that killing others will somehow make them feel better about themselves and/or is a viable vehicle for payback and retribution for real or perceived wrongs.
I blame a lot of this carnage on our overall gun mentality and, even more so, on this nation's foreign and domestic policy initiatives. Our national, state and local governments have embraced the mantra "shoot first, ask questions later". We see this perspective at work in terms of preemptive war and police actions in which officers shoot or use a taser on unarmed suspects.
Citizens hear/read about such incidents routinely in the news. After awhile, this news no longer shocks us and it becomes part of our collective consciousness.
Returning to the issue of reality TV, what makes this programming so worrisome is that, in order to stand out and be noticed, participants are encouraged to engage in outlandish and outrageous behavior. Lying, backstabbing, conniving, plotting and egocentric behavior are rewarded with the participant's 15 minutes of fame. The underlying message is abundantly clear -- act out and you will get noticed!
Because reality TV has become so ubiquitous, this message is being hammered home to people all over the world several times per day. And, I fear, the day is coming when the chickens will come home to roost. More and more people will take this message to heart and it will begin -- if it hasn't already -- to permeate every level of society.
Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu must be turning over in their graves!!
Most people will say, "Why get into such a lather about it? If you don't like reality TV, don't watch it!" Well, I don't watch it, but I worry about the overall impact this pervasive mentality is having and will continue to have on our society.
Like it or not, the themes that permeate certain institutions trickle down to play out in everyday life. Over the past decade, we've seen a precipitous rise in the number of school and workplace-related shootings. People have gotten it in their heads that killing others will somehow make them feel better about themselves and/or is a viable vehicle for payback and retribution for real or perceived wrongs.
I blame a lot of this carnage on our overall gun mentality and, even more so, on this nation's foreign and domestic policy initiatives. Our national, state and local governments have embraced the mantra "shoot first, ask questions later". We see this perspective at work in terms of preemptive war and police actions in which officers shoot or use a taser on unarmed suspects.
Citizens hear/read about such incidents routinely in the news. After awhile, this news no longer shocks us and it becomes part of our collective consciousness.
Returning to the issue of reality TV, what makes this programming so worrisome is that, in order to stand out and be noticed, participants are encouraged to engage in outlandish and outrageous behavior. Lying, backstabbing, conniving, plotting and egocentric behavior are rewarded with the participant's 15 minutes of fame. The underlying message is abundantly clear -- act out and you will get noticed!
Because reality TV has become so ubiquitous, this message is being hammered home to people all over the world several times per day. And, I fear, the day is coming when the chickens will come home to roost. More and more people will take this message to heart and it will begin -- if it hasn't already -- to permeate every level of society.
Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu must be turning over in their graves!!
I am so with you on this one!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you as well Trey, it looks like you've hit the bullseye here!
ReplyDeleteThis is where Karma comes in, the mental habits we form when we do things condition our future behaviour, but our actions and words also condition the future behaviour of others.
The chickens are coming home to roost already, it makes me wonder if we can hope to turn this round?
The pendulum within society swings back and forth. After awhile, we'll get tired of all this outrageous behavior and then the puritans (yuk!) will come back into vogue. Personally, I'd like a balance between the two extremes.
ReplyDeleteeh, i like watching "survivor". it's a bit like watching a dog eat poop, though, you wonder "WHAT is he thinking? WHY is she doing that?" while watching, fascinated. yes, i do believe that the shows are set up to encourage detrimental behavior, but it's even more shocking some of the lies and backstabbing that goes on without prompting! it truly is the pinacle of a self centered society.
ReplyDelete