Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Reality TV Detox

There is nothing like a fashion magazine or some mindless television to soothe and put me at ease at the end of the day. I couldn’t care less about what takes place in the lives of celebrities, but I leave Entertainment Tonight on while I am making dinner as background noise. The news is too heavy and I’ve lost interest in most sitcoms, so I leave a lot of junk TV running (Entertainment news and reality shows) while I am doing chores.

The danger with me and reality TV is when there is a marathon running on one of these shows. Once I get sucked into the drama, I become curious about what will happen on the next episode, and the next. Then I find myself tuning in for the following seasons.

There was a Jersey Shore marathon running as I was putting up my Christmas decorations two years ago and I got caught up in a Kardashian marathon as I was taking them down. I’ve since become involved with all of the Wives; the Housewives, the Mob Wives and the Basketball Wives.

Even if you miss an episode or many episodes, the television networks will make sure that you are caught up by running and re-running old episodes.

I watch these shows so that I can relax and unwind, but the petty drama between these people is beginning to have the opposite effect on me.

I find myself getting way too involved and have become the voice of reason (yes, I talk to the television) in brawls between family and friends. I don’t even know these damn people! I don’t know if it is the fact that these people don’t have anything better to do with themselves that they find such petty, immature reasons to argue with one another.

Between all of the gossip, backstabbing, physical fighting and two-facedness it amazes me that these people actually call each other friends! It also amazes me that most of the people on those shows are grownups and parents.

Maybe it’s because they lack a history of genuine relationships with people that they can be so vicious towards each other. Or because they like to keep up appearances and their issues with each other stem from one person not being on the same social standing as the other person; making one person think they are socially superior to the other. Or they really are so close as friends that it is natural to them to be in boxing mode one minute and in the next, expressing love to the person whose eyes they just clawed out.

The fact that I am wasting my time analyzing this is proof that I need a reality TV detox, but the conclusion to my analysis is simple. These people are being paid big bucks to sell their dignity to a television network. The crazier they behave the better the ratings. And the better the ratings, the bigger the bucks.

In any case, I don’t know people who behave like this towards each other and if I did, I would be friendless. When someone behaves theatrical because they thrive off drama, I remove myself from the equation. It’s exhausting. Friendship shouldn’t be that way to begin with and neither should television.

So, if I don’t keep people in my life who like drama, why am I inviting these dramatic strangers into my life? It is not relaxing in the least, but I have to admit that I watch them because I am fascinated by their outrageousness.

Regardless of why I watch reality TV, it’s definitely time for a detox. Instead of being entertained, I’ve become overwhelmed. My mom always says, ‘You are what you fill your head with so be careful what you put in there.’ And she’s right. Filling my head with dramatical nonsense isn’t having a good influence on me. And I’m a little disgusted with myself for watching these shows and the effect it is having on my mind.

I love television, so cutting TV out of my life is just not going to happen, but I miss having a good show to watch. Whatever happened to the quality TV? Maybe quality and television shouldn’t go in the same sentence, but I LOVED Hero’s. Hero’s is a show that I would rush home and shut myself off from everyone for. But they left me high and dry without an ending. I like House, but we’ll see if I still feel the same way about House when the fall season starts. I like Law & Order SVU but I always forget when it’s on. I liked Undercovers, but it got canceled. I liked Fringe when it began, and even though it’s still interesting, they’ve lost me a little. Maybe Fringe is like sequential math class, where you’re lost if you miss a day. Anyway, it just seems like there’s nothing original anymore and the new shows try so hard to be interesting, that I lose interest.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the fall line-up, but with the way reality TV has taken over, I doubt that the regular shows stand a chance.

Here’s to hoping that quality TV makes a comeback… or I that find a more substantial way to unwind.

~Louise C.
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1 comment:

  1. I know what you mean... I use to be obsessed with the NYC Housewives and I just can't even stomach to watch them anymore. It's like you get so caught up it's not even your drama!

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