Every time I hear about reality TV, the first thing that comes to mind is Jersey Shore. I know that there are a hand full of other shows like The Real World, Road Rules and The Bachelor, but for some reason, it’s just Jersey Shore on my mind. Maybe it’s because I can’t force myself to watch these shows anymore, but every once in a blue moon, I will still turn on Jersey Shore for the sake of getting a few chuckles. I consistently followed this show for its first two seasons, but then I had to stop because each new episode was just a repeat of the last. Ronnie and Sam fought the whole time, everyone went out to Karma, GTLed and repeat week after week. Reality TV is entertaining but does not offer much of anything else besides that.
Another thing that I wonder about reality TV is why people treat these characters like celebrities? I’ve heard this semester that there is some Mr. MTV guy from The Real World that attends KU. Alright, cool. Just another guy coming to KU. What is the big deal? A few times so far this semester I’ve been at Shorty’s or the Pub and I hear people saying,“Look! There’s the guy from The Real World. Take a picture!” I just sit back and wonder what is the big whoop? I didn’t recognize this guy from Joe Shmo, and I wondered why everyone was treating this guy like he was such a big shot. Is it really just because he was on a reality TV show? I understand KU is a small town and all and this is most likely the reason for people’s reactions, but I do not consider reality TV show characters to be celebrities. If a camera crew were to follow me around 24/7, it would be pretty entertaining, too. Heck, if an MTV camera crew followed any college student around, it would be entertaining. I find reality TV to be very similar to college; you throw a diverse group of people in one secluded area and watch all of their different personalities collide. Of course there are going to be fights, relationships and tons of drama; it’s human nature.
Unfortunately, I just do not see a purpose for these shows. Yes, they are entertaining, but at the end of an episode, I feel like I’ve wasted an hour of my life that I will never get back, just watching other people live their lives. We should all cut down on watching these shows, people. Let’s save some brain cells.
By John DiFrancesco