Reality TV

I am apparently one of those poor lost souls who totally miss the appeal of the tidal wave of “reality” shows that have swept through television programming during the past few years. I put that in quotations because I have difficulty understanding how it is “reality” that the concept of being a survivor is based on how popular one is within a group. Being “voted off” a show is complete hogwash to my evidently unenlightened mind.
There is a danger that I perceive exists in just sitting in front of a TV set and surfing the channels without any purpose to what I am watching. The fear is that some day I’m going to look at the times when I did this and regret the time I wasted when I could have been engaged in more meaningful activities. That’s a fear of mine, but the idea that sitting for hours on end watching asinine “reality” shows (whose titles don’t even deserve passing mention) is a complete waste is a complete certainty!
Having spewed out my venom regarding this atrocious plague of bad programming on my television set, I would like to raise a caveat regarding reality TV. If enjoying this stuff helps other people to cope on some level with their lives, then that’s good. Showing people screwing up in something, whether it’s real or scripted, and then showing them recovering from their failure and getting on with their lives is a very valuable lesson in what life must be about. Some people are prone to extremely harsh self-judgment and think that it’s the end of the world for them if they fail or are humiliated in something. And one thing for sure is that reality TV is full of programs showing people failing in just about any way conceivable! To the extent that people portrayed on these shows assess their mistakes, adjust their behavior to avoid repeating them, and then act boldly to get it “right” the next time, then it is a worthwhile viewing experience that can give some in our society the hope that they, too, are bigger than their failings. There, I did it. I said something good about reality TV. Now back to the surfing!