Why is so much of "Reality" TV about emotional blackmail?

[MrScorpio]

With very few exceptions, like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, reality shows are populated by petty tyrants who think it's their obligation to make the lives of the people around them a living Hell while the cameras are rolling.

This is entertainment?

When did we turn into a bunch of sick puppies?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. That's our society, full of sociopaths who hurt others.

Shows are all about humiliating contestants and dominating them.

Like all the bosses who encourage backstabbing and cut-throat competition.

[elleng]

3. Right, that's life,

including mine at the moment. married one of those b'tards, doing as much as he can to alienate our daughters from me, and keep my $.:mad:

[RandomThoughts]

5. And that is not our society.

I have spent years out in many places with many people.

They do not hurt each other, or be mean for personal gain. They are kind to each other, they share and offer words of encouragement. And even when the bill comes around, and money is involved, they find a way to try and be fair or generous, if they can afford it.

The people on those shows picked, then given a way to act, a set of rules of what it is suppose to be when on a reality show, to present a point of view wanted by many in that industry.

And yes, watching those train wrecks is seductive, its easy to fall into that way of thinking and even cheer along, the path to the darkside is that, seductive and easy.


The people without money or fame or some other desire are being paid to fight with other people without money or fame or some other desire, by people with money.

Thats a far better outcome for people with money. Then if people joined a labor union or progressive movement to solve distribution inequalities. They direct people to fight among each other, for the persumed privilege of the banker in the shadowy both to offer money.

[Juche]

2. They also breed discontentment

Many are based on the idea that people aren't good enough the way they are and need to dramatically change how they look or live.

[Tom Kitten]

4. when we started watching it

For example: I gotta admit I watched Gordon Ramsey's trainwreck shows for awhile...because I've been in the restaurant business and it's tough and there are a lot of assholes and even though Ramsey is an asshole he is a self righteous successful asshole who takes the lesser assholes he meets to task. Although I agree, all these shows seem to cater to showing assholes and thus possibly setting an example for all of us would be assholes waiting for our 15 minutes of fame...