Reality shows have become extremely common on TV shows in different countries, in almost every place where they started they had great success that faded over time, until a new show, with the same format, took its place.
On many occasions, reality shows have been classified as empty shows and even “garbage,” especially when they show, in the rawest way, the worst of humans.
- However.
- That didn’t make the audience fall.
- Thousands of people are completely fascinated by these kinds of programs and enjoy them as a kind of “guilty pleasure.
- “.
Realities began to appear in the 1990s, but their true climax occurred in the 21st century, with the pre-eminence of virtual reality and the total focus on so-called “post-truth. “
The question is: what should these programs be able to attract so many audiences and capture the attention of so many generations at the same time?
“Television is the mirror that reflects the defeat of our entire cultural system. ” – Federico Fellini-
The goal of reality shows is to “broadcast live life”, or at least that’s what they want the audience to create, so they need, on the one hand, people who have no problem exposing their privacy. in front of the screen, they need viewers interested in knowing the details of these private cases.
Every time applications are opened for one of these programs, thousands of people apply. The lines occupy several streets. Those responsible for selection processes say that these people have a common goal: to take a radical turn in their lives and believe that being on television is the perfect opportunity to do so.
Although, apparently, anyone can participate in a reality show, that’s not entirely true, when recruiters choose who will participate, they take into account certain desirable traits.
The most important thing is that the participant has a characteristic, whether physical, psychological or cultural, oversized. This type of program doesn’t need “common” people.
Some experts point out that viewers or fans of reality shows are essentially of two types, both of which have a common feature: they are mirons.
That is, they like to look unseen, especially the intimate aspects of other people’s lives, however this voyerism has not at all the same motivation, so there are two groups.
The first group is the staunch headphones. They want to see others exposed in their utmost cruelty, because it gives them a certain sense of power. That’s why they sit in front of the TV and behave like judges of human behavior. They’re there to tell you how everyone should behave.
The second group is the one who wants to compare themselves to the participants of reality, seeks to identify with some of them and is deeply committed to their defeats and victories.
In the end, they want to fulfill their own fantasies in an extraterrestrial body. What works in this case is a projection mechanism; are considered part of the adventure.
A study published in Psicology Today found that viewers are so interested in such programs that end up creating links with them that resemble those of an addiction, as with drugs, realities cause large discharges of endorphins and therefore generate a dependency that can be classified as chemical.
In addition, realities often create in the audience the fantasy that they are also part of the plot. Often, the public can vote to eliminate or save a participant, creating an illusion of control.
However, viewers never cease to be spectators, witnessing the lives of others, while no longer living their own.
A reality show can hardly offer more than a little entertainment or escape reality. In general, are they written? Or, at best, edited.
This means that they do not have the spontaneity they promise: they distort what happens to appeal to the most basic motivations of the public, in short, they are not a good alternative to spend quality free time.