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Don't Judge My Love For Reality TV

I'm from America, aren't I?

Rachel Emma

Nov 19, 2018

Syracuse University

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I am in a Netflix rut. Why can't I find a show I like? I have tried watching all of my friends' suggestions. My mom is adamant that I try Shameless. I still haven't seen the highly acclaimed binge-worthy classics, Breaking Bad or Mad Men, or the end of Scandal. But I can't. I physically can't.

I have trouble getting engaged and I become easily distracted. I try following a plot line while checking my phone or scrolling Instagram, watching slime or cooking videos. Sometimes, I get bored or end up falling asleep. I end up unfulfilled by a show that's supposed to excite me.

Maybe this says something about our non-stop culture, a society created by social media where we are constantly being bombarded by notifications, alerts, or texts? I'm not sure what it is, but there is an exception.

Reality TV has been the only genre of TV I can watch. Maybe I shouldn't admit it, but I am an avid Kardashians watcher. There is something so enticing about watching a life that is different than my own. Although the reality of the show is sometimes debatable, there are moments when real issues are at stake.

For example, one of the latest episodes featured Khloe finding out her baby daddy cheated on her. Unless Kris Jenner worked some extreme magic and fabricated a whole lie, this was and is real life.

I also can't get enough of Bachelor Nation. Some people hate these shows, but c'mon, they are wildly entertaining. Not only is the drama real, but even after the show ends, I follow the contestant's lives via Instagram and Twitter. Watching reality TV gives me the chance to fall in love with people, not characters, so the story never ends.

Don't get me started about game shows! Dancing With The Stars, Are You The One, and America's Got Talent are a few that I follow. How can you get bored while watching B-list celebrities dance the cha cha? Or watching a dog sing the alphabet? Or seeing a couple find out they are a perfect match? As a viewer of reality game shows, I feel personally invested. Just like all reality TV, it's unpredictable. Maybe that's the reason I love these shows. Anything can happen, which makes it that much more exciting.

According to the professor of my Media and Culture class, reality TV falls under the low culture category, basically meaning that it's trashy and unsophisticated. I mean, I get it. I wouldn't expect it to be considered among the ranks of Oscar-worthy films. However, I can't deny that I live for the drama, unpredictably, and excitement it provides.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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