After watching a preview for “Toddlers and Tiaras,” I decided I could no longer hold my tongue. It was time to examine the scourge of modern entertainment- the dreaded reality TV show.
After viewing the preview for the aforementioned show, one would be hard pressed to argue against the truth that this genre will stop at nothing to gain an audience. But the actual reality is that these shows are destined to garner attention. The foundation of this show is built on an undeniable principle that has captivated humans from the dawn of time: the awe factor. Let’s face it, we are all drawn to the amazement allure or what I like to call “the curiosity gene.” Consider our ancient ancestors: the hunter gathers. Curiosity drove them to make new discoveries that helped them sustain life. This evolutionary drive to discover is deeply embedded in our genes, and to this day we still strive to see things that deviate from the normalcy of our lives - the 15 car pileup, the man who walks a tight wire across skyscrapers, the billionaire playboy with five jets, the significant others diary, etc.
Reality TV has taken this universal truth and turned it into a low-grade art form. “He’s not really going to do that?” and “she cannot be serious” are common exclamations that ring out in front TV’s across the country when shows like “Fear Factor” and Real Housewives of (insert city name here) are aired. Surely, I am not the first to question how these shows came to be, but the sad truth is that their existence is an inevitable progression in modern entertainment.
What paved the way for this low-quality genre? The answer is the surrounding climate. This ability to police obscene content was effectively ended with the advent of cable TV. And if cable TV is the father of entertainment obscenity, the Internet is the unstoppable and more powerful offspring. With two clicks of a mouse, any person with internet access can be directed to the most conceivably obscene site on the web. Consider that in 2006, 13 percent of website visits in America were pornographic in nature, according to Hitwise, a market-research firm (LINK).
With this seemingly endless supply of shock/taboo content, network TV (the birthplace of reality TV) faced a crossroads. They were in between the rock of internet freedom (and growing accessibility) and the hard place of unregulated cable TV. How could they compete with the gratuitous violence of HBO or the explicit sexual content of internet porn? They needed to regain the awe factor. They needed something that would drive people back to watching the commercials that funded these networks. And thus, reality TV was born.
Working within the confines of the FCC’s obscenity regulations, the networks devised a concept that would have people gossiping for hours at the water cooler. A show, with "real" people, that fulfills the insatiable curiosity gene. Show five people on a remote island participating in unusual tasks, so they can gain food, so they won’t starve, so they can stay on the island, so they can ultimately win a cash prize. Makes sense, right? Repeat this ritual for 12 weeks and you’ve got a ratings winner.
Do all of these shows succeed? No, there is definitely a formula for success. You can’t stray too far away from the anchor of believability and the theme of the show must have lasting appeal and dynamic developments. But beyond this, the world is reality TV’s oyster. Low production costs, non-paid contestants, and quick and easy filming fueled the demand for these programs. At one point, it seemed like there was a new reality show every week on some esoteric topic.
Like our ancestors who gathered to watch public hangings, Americans gather around our modern day town square and cringe as people consume pig testicles. The scary truth? This is not a fad. It is here to stay. The sad truth? The profit driven networks will stop at nothing to put on a show that will get everyone talking. These shows have sucked up the air for the great, artistic TV shows of past that took on thoughtful, moral, contemporary issues that we all face. Toddlers and Tiaras is not the nadir of this genre; sadly, I don’t know what it will be. Could we push the limits so far that we actually watch people endure great pain or even watch people die? Could we be arriving full circle back to the gladiator days that enthralled ancient Rome? I know the blatant child exploitation in Toddlers and Tiaras rubs me the wrong way, and, as this genre continues to emerge, I hope we can draw a clear line between entertainment and public abuse/suffering/humiliation…I hope.
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