Reality TV........

I've always wondered througout the last few years of reality-TV popularity why it is so popular.

My major lines of thought have gone:

1. People enjoy watching and criticizing others when there is virtually zero possibility of their criticizm coming back to them. I'm sure if it wouldn't alienate co-workers/employers/friends these same people would slag off most other people. This may be a slightly (ahem) negative view on general kindness and intelligence.

2. Theres this idea which you might have come across if you've studied social sciences at university called 'cultural virus theory'. The example always given is that academics are library's way of reproducing themselves. Whilst a library has no intentionality - no evident desire to produce other libraries - it does produce more academics who in turn support the production of more libraries. Reality TV might be a similar kettle of fish. The combination of 'reality TV produces reality TV viewers which creates ratings and more reality TV' with the fact that people like to belong to a group (even if it is a group of people who watch reality TV) with peoples' voyeuristic/cruel sides means that Reality TV shows have, through no conscious act whatsoever, successfully reproduced themselves.

Thems some of my ideas as to why.

Personally I think that reality is far too interesting to waste time watching TV, especially shows that consist of degenerate losers publically degrading themselves to gain the status of Z list celebrity. People watch it and discuss it (and here's the cruel bit) because people delude themselves that in some way Reality TV represents a good, cool, or appropriate way to behave. All it does is produce more and less original relaity TV shows and more people who are willing to sacrifice their creative judgement in watching them. TURN OFF THE TV AND ENGAGE WITH THE REAL WORLD!

Millions of people watch the soaps weekly & there are just basically peoples lives but with actors, reality TV is the same but with mainly unknown people, I don't bother to watching soaps or reality TV, soaps are depressing, that never make you laugh. Reality TV is mainly people who you would not want to know, that fill time on the TV. If you spend your free time, sitting in your house, watching people on TV sitting in a house, then try anything else other than that!