Why Do We Love Reality T.V.?

Hi all - I'm Ayla.  I don't watch a lot of T.V. but if I am watching I invariably watch a reality show.  I started out with “The Real World” on MTV years ago, then “Road Rules” and they are still my favorites - although I often wonder WHY? 

Re: Why Do We Love Reality T.V.?

I have done some work for reality shows, but have been so repulsed by them that I rather collect unemployment than be part of their base ethics.

Reality TV has nothing to do with reality.  Participants are put into highly controlled environments.  Their actions are manipulated to provoke dramatic and emotional responses.  Through careful editing these intrigues are designed to build-up to peaks just before commercial breaks in order to hold over viewers through the advertising.  Generally the end of the show is designed to get viewers to tune in for the next episode.

The best ways to hook a viewer is to us danger, sex, or promises of wealth.  Its all about appealing to what Buddhist teachers refer to as “The Monkey Brain”.  One producer I work with calls it the “Brain Stem Response”.

Ayla, you would be much better off fearing the manipulation and fantasy of Reality shows than fearing actual events in the world.
s.