Back in the age of flip phones and juicy couture, our TVs were full of popular shows such as the O.C. and Gilmore Girls that a lot of us still go back to watch today. Before this time, the culture of reality TV hadn’t really hit the very big screen. Since then, reality TV has taken over our social media feeds and streaming networks. The impact that reality TV has had on our societal culture has been substantial, and many stars have been born from shows such as Jersey Shore and the Kardashians.
There is usually one huge opinion that people come to when speaking about reality networks. This opinion is that reality TV is nothing but scripted garbage that is edited for views. This opinion is well voiced throughout society with many people refusing to even watch it just because of the unnecessary scripted drama and over-the-top situations. This opinion can be well voiced by Susan Dzubak. Susan, who has said that she hasn’t really even bothered to watch reality TV, says that the “garbage” that is constantly being put up on our television has for years polluted our streaming networks with scripted scenes and “fake people” who assume an over the top character in order to gain recognition in the media.
This opinion can also be partially voiced by YHS librarian Mrs. Sudol. Even though she admits that she dabbles in a bit of casual viewing she does say that there is a considerable amount of “staged situations” that the producers have brought on to gain public interest in the show. However, she does admit that the drama is interesting and intrigues her to watch more.
This love for a guilty pleasure can also be admitted by both YHS students Ella Perusse and Corinne Negrelli. Ella who shyly admitted that she has watched reality shows such as Dance Moms said that the shows such as this contain “interesting characters and character depth.” However, when asked if she believes that there is some reality in shows such as Dance Moms she responded with “Absolutely not.” She further explains that in Dance Moms the fights between the mothers were “obviously” fake and written for the cameras. Sophomore Corrine Negrelli also voiced a similar opinion saying that the “characters and drama” within reality TV shows is what intrigues her to continue watching. She also states that many reality shows today use frequent cliffhangers to further pique her interest in the show that she is watching.
Many stars have been born throughout the years on popular reality shows such as The Kardashians and Jersey Shore, but what has made these people so impactful on our society? When turning on the Jersey Shore you are instantly transported into the world of young 20-something year-olds who have not a care in the world for both them and their future. Many people saw this show as an escape and as explained by YHS student Ella Peruse “gave people a false idea of what life is really like.” Stars that gave us this false perception can be figures such as Snooki and Mike the Situation who pretty much got instantly known for their larger-than-life personalities. People such as Snooki have become what many people see as a pop culture icon who is constantly referenced and quoted but her life was constantly amped up for the cameras and she was many times humiliated on the show just for the watcher’s entertainment. Similar themes can be seen with pop culture figures such as the Kardashians who lived and continue to live a lavish lifestyle, which only we regular people can dream about, giving us a false perception of how “perfect” their lives really were. So, these pop culture figures were made famous and incredibly known throughout society because they assumed a character and a life that they were most likely not living in true reality.
As a society, we have let reality networks not only infiltrate but pollute our lives with false ideas and perceptions of people and the lives that they were supposedly living.
