Entertainment or Exploitation: Controversy Around Reality T.V.
Photo by A&E
Whether you’re sprawled on your roommate’s bed watching the latest episode of Euphoria or camped out in a mountain of blankets re-watching your favorite comfort show, you’ve likely watched television on some sort of streaming platform within the past week. Media is all around us, and virtual entertainment is one of the largest industries worldwide. Producers are always looking for the next great idea to get their production headlining on every front page to hold an audience captive for hours on end. This competition has pushed people in the television industry to create plots and storylines that are eye-widening, intense, and pretty controversial. Though no matter how taboo a show might be, there will always be an audience eagerly waiting to eat it up.
The majority of us watch T.V. as a form of relaxation and self-care. Each episode is a time frame that allows us to turn our brains off and enter mode. Stress island responsibility is pushed to the back of our minds, and we focus on the narrative playing on our screens. We watch comedies when we’re sad to laugh, watch horror movies to get an adrenaline rush, and watch reality T.V. to compare our lives with the people we see to make ourselves feel better about our problems. Here’s where the issue arises.
Within the past few years, television has had a considerable spike in reality television that displays individuals and the out-of-the-ordinary lives and problems they live that many would find shocking. Shows like Hoarders, My Strange Addiction, and My 600 Pound Life showcase individuals struggling with physical and mental issues accompanied by a “savior” who manages to solve their problems, all mushed into a forty-five-minute episode. Viewers are fully submerged into these people’s daily lives, family relationships, and trauma. In this television category, nothing is too explicit about broadcasting to millions of people across the globe for their entertainment. And the producers who find these people make a profit off of their pain and healing journey. America has monetized trauma.
That being said, there are several sides to this debate on whether or not it is morally right or wrong to condone and participate in this monetization. This piece is only a single opinion on the broad spectrum of two cents. I stress that anyone-regardless of their stance on the matter-remain respectful when discussing the matter, and I will do my best to do the same. I will be discussing real people with the same conscious emotions as you and I.
Whether or not the people on these T.V. shows condone having their lives recorded, edited, and screened, it is still not appropriate for an audience to get enjoyment from viewing their pain. It boils down to one broad point: “I’m glad that isn’t me. My life may be hard right now, but at least it isn’t that hard.” Comparing our lives to people we only see on television is wrong and inaccurate. No matter how much you think they show, you’ll never know that individual’s full story. Sure, writers will make sure to put the triggering and nitty-gritty up close and personal with the audience because shock and sympathy create higher traffic, which makes more money to the company that owns the rights to that program. However, when the episode is wrapped, and you turn off your screen after finishing an episode, that person does not disappear.
More than likely, their qualities labeled as problems are not 100% reformed, and they will continue to live with them on top of their newly acquired fame. But wouldn’t being famous be amazing? Having everyone know your name and seeing your face on the big screen would be awesome? Consider this: Something you do that you may or may not be proud of is now blasted all over social media. This thing you do does not follow the societal norm, and the response from the public is loud and unkind. Everyone chimed in with their opinions and advice, even though you never asked anyone what they thought.
“But didn’t those people ask for their secrets to be spread?” Yes, but consider the other factors involved. They are responsible for the permission they gave for that episode to air, but viewers are responsible for any reactions they give to that media. Projecting your opinions on social media or marking obscure remarks while you watch doesn’t add anything helpful to the matter. Additionally, the U.S. is a competitive, capitalist economy with a job field that is constantly fluctuating. If these people are already living these lives, and someone offered them a check to showcase it to the world in addition to the possibility of receiving assistance or treatment, why would they say no?
And to what extent do they agree to be displayed like an exhibit? Unlike Cassie being exposed for sleeping with Maddy’s boyfriend or Rue battling an addiction to drugs who are actresses playing a part and reading a script, the people on those shows may be reading from a script, but their stories are advertised as accurate. They aren’t imaginary characters that disappear after the final episode. So instead of criticizing the individual, ask yourself why you get such a hefty kick out of viewing this media? Not only are these shows hurtful to the people on screen, but it also hurts those on the outside as well.
The controversy surrounding the truth behind the stories told in these shows is heavily debated, and there isn’t a concrete answer. The people who are not featured on the show who struggle with some of the issues portrayed now have an unrealistic standard of how they should cope and deal with this problem. No two people are the same, and everyone has different methods to live their best life. Though each reality show has varying storylines, the chain of events is nearly the same. Individuals shares their stories, family and friends share their side of the story, traumas and deep emotions are shared, and expertise comes in. By the end of the episode, the individual is either healed or on their way to full recovery. Realistically, that isn’t how it works. Though I am not a licensed doctor or psychiatrist and cannot give empirical statements, I know that these things take time to happen. Producers cannot possibly accurately depict the process in a single episode. Or if and when similar people should follow in their footsteps. But through this type of television consumption, people not affected by these issues now have an incorrect bias, and individuals who share these experiences are invalidated and feel isolated.
I’ll stress that the point here is not to blame the individual but the corporations in charge of these decisions. You are not a terrible person for consuming this type of reality television, but it is a good idea to stop and think about the nuts and bolts that create this program. Does feeding off others’ problems and difficulties make you feel better about your situation? And if so, why?