Human beings are innately curious and inquisitive. That’s the reason toddlers always manage to get into the bathroom drawers and pour an entire bottle of lotion on themselves. Due to advances in technology, communicating, even with those on the other side of the world, is fast and easy. The human race is more interconnected and aware of each other than ever before. Humans like knowing what’s going on with other people and enjoy being able to see others’ lives unfolding right in front of their eyes. I believe that is why reality shows have been such a hit. People don’t want to a watch a scripted show with actors, when they can watch a show featuring “real” people. Think about it, celebrities aren’t just famous for their work anymore, they’re more known for their personal lives. Hence, our fascination with all those trashy gossip magazines and shows like E! News or Access Hollywood. Shoot, even the local news feels the need to report on the lives of reality show stars like those of MTV’s super hit, Teen Mom. We just love “being a fly on the wall”!
To my chagrin, I cannot say that I too am not a fan of reality television. My favorite would be any of the shows from the Real Housewives franchise. There are currently seven different versions of the series which follow “the lives of relatively affluent, bourgeois housewives and professional women in the suburban or urban areas of several American cities, and the suffix portion of the title takes on the name of that city or suburban region” (“The Real Housewives of…”). There are currently Real Housewives shows in Orange County, New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey, Beverly Hills and Miami. The Real Housewives of D.C. aired in 2010 but was discontinued due to low ratings. Although many say that Beverly Hills is the best of the seven because of their obvious wealth and high social status, I definitely like Orange County the best; they’ve got spunk! I think the reason so many people tune in every week is because they like to see how lifestyles change according to location. You can immediately see how they differ from one another, yet are the same in many ways. The similarities they share with one another are also things that real housewives of the United States can relate to. Such as motherhood, their jobs, divorce, etc. And of course, Americans love the drama!
The Real Housewives shows manage to bring in millions of watchers and have consistently opened or closed seasons with high ratings. There’s even an aftershow which airs after every new episode hosted by the creator of the series, Andy Cohen. It’s called Watch What Happens: Live and they have a new guest every week. The housewives themselves are sometimes the guests or celebrities that watch the series come on to discuss what they thought of the night’s episode. The series has been a huge hit so far, and Bravo is striking while the iron’s hot and is in the process of filming three international installments in Athens, Israel, and Toronto. One of the housewives from New York City, Bethenny Frankel, even got her own spin-off show, Bethenny Ever After. I don’t personally believe that Americans have had quite enough yet of the women and there’s no sign of Bravo slowing down with production.
“The Real Housewives Of…”. Wikipedia. 28 Apr.2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Housewives>.
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ReplyDeleteThe Real house wives series is the one where they have rich chicks in like the OC? The Real House wives show or any other reality show has the ability to bring a sense of reality to people. Lets face it people are more addicted to drama than they are drugs or alcohol. I think that people who tune into shows like that have to no lives or sense of reality because as human beings we shouldn't be so active to find out about others lives its just dirty. Americans are addicted to housewife dramas because they can see the success of other s and dream about how it would be like to live like that. This is contrary to reality in which in America you can be who you want to be and do what you want to do it' people that set limits on them selves not situations. Another reason for watching shows like this gives people an escape from reality. People mostly work 9 to 5 every day and its very grueling to do so much every day and not want to have something stupid take their mind of off the problems in their lives, which is why the people watch this garbage.
ReplyDeleteI think I was thinking about a different show when I first read you blog. Are these actual real life housewives or are they acting? None the less, I don’t entirely understand why Reality TV is so much liked. Why are people so drawn up into other people’s lives? I can understand such shows like American Idol, The Amazing Race, Top Dance Crew, and other type of competitions because you like seeing talented people, and you would like to see who wins, not only that they win but if they won fairly, or if they cheated, or played dirty. My point is though, when it comes to shows like Teen Moms or Jersey Shore where you are watching other people’s lives as they go, why people are so focused on them instead of living their own lives. It is probably due to that thinking that I could care less about those types of shows. I guess they can be entertaining. I don’t know I prefer comedy over reality shows. My shows are Big Bang Theory, Mad Love, Rules of Engagement, Two and a Half Men (before it got cancelled), and How I Met Your Mother. Those are my shows. They make me laugh a great deal. Anyways though, you blog Alexis was a good read like usual.
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