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‘Idol’ worship
Viewers might have initially found the entire idea of reality television appealing because it offered something different from the run-of-the-mill fare. However, now it seems that every TV channel has realized its money spinning potential
Soap operas, dramas, sitcoms and talk shows have become so 1990’s as a new breed of TV shows is now taking our TV screens by storm. Reality television is where fact and fiction collide with each other, where illusion and reality strive to become a solo constant. As reality TV steadily climbs successive rungs on the ladder of popularity, it seems that the entire phenomenon is one that has to be reckoned with at any cost.
The swift pace and the exhilarating climax of the grand finale of a particular show make reality television a ‘real’ extravaganza. Many countries now have their indigenous adaptations of famous reality shows. Only recently, Malaysian Idol and Indian Idol have popped up as well that are an extension of the famed Pop Idol show.
Reality TV’s claim to fame rests on it swank that the audience gets to watch ordinary people like themselves on television. Viewers might have initially found the entire idea of Reality Television appealing because it offered something different from the run-of-the-mill. However, now it seems that every TV channel has realized its money spinning potential. As more and more networks embark on the bandwagon of reality television, the obvious result is an unabating explosion of reality television across our screens and no doubt a drastic dip in the quality of the presentation and content.
One type of reality TV is where contestants are picked after exhaustive auditions, paraded before a jury that gives its verdict on their respective performances; then the viewers give their verdict based on the verdict of the judges and viola, we have a winner! The other kind is that where willing participants are put in different situations (sometimes pretty risky) to gauge their reactions, instincts, skills, etc, and of course, the winner takes all. Still, another kind of reality television features celebrities in their normal ‘real’ lives. There usually isn’t a meticulously rehearsed script and there is allowance for some degree of spontaneity on reality television, or so they say. But reality television raises serious questions about ethics and morality.
To some, it is nothing short of parading human beings in the name of entertainment. People are exploited on the air in front of millions of people. Nasty judges on the Idol show have acerbic remarks as an essential part of their job descriptions. In particular, American Idol judge Simon Cowell hardly has ever had anything constructive to say to any of the contestants. Producers of such shows might be of the view that such judges will inculcate confidence in contestants. But is it really as helpful as they think it is?
It has also brought huge monetary returns to the networks. Since these shows are based on an interactive format; the winners are usually picked through a voting system that is based on sending them an SMS. And since there are charges for sending SMS, the networks stand to make huge profits in tandem with cell phone companies. For example, more than 65 million votes were cast for the finale of one of the seasons of American Idol. Contestants are voted out one by one and the show then finally zeroes in on a winner. But at the same time, the modus operandi of selecting a winner raises concerns that the outcome of such shows could be rigged and may deliberately be manoeuvred to suit the interests of a particular party.
That has been the case in the last two seasons of American Idol where contestants who weren’t the best of the lot, ended up taking home the crown.
How Clean is Your House, For Love or Money, The Apprentice, The Swan, Temptation Island, Amish in the City, The Osbournes, Survivor, Trading Spouses, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Joe Millionaire, Fear Factor, Race to the Altar — the list is virtually endless. At this rate, the only titles left would be Who Can Butter Their Toast Best or Who Has The Most Mesh For Brain.
Among all these reality shows, the theme that has been recycled endlessly is the love theme. People play with the feelings of their fellow contestants on many shows “strictly” for entertainment purposes. This is usually followed by heartbreaks, heartaches, tears, engagements, matrimony, etc. It’s actually an indication of how desperate people are to find their right life partners, but doesn’t reality television cloud their judgment in some unconscious way? And is one season of reality television enough to help you choose someone you intend to spend the rest of your life with? Not really.
A big paradox of reality television is that it claims to show real people, yet the same people end up being celebrities by the time the show completes its run. Is everyone ready for the super celebrity status that comes with winning the contest? Can the losers return to their ‘real’ lives without being discontent and disgruntled to some relative degree? Secondly, in which part of the world do ordinary people with ordinary jobs, ordinary families and ordinary salaries have perfect, chiselled bodies.
The mushroom growth of such shows is simply a barometer of what the world is coming to. The society is being entangled in a cut-throat sense of competition and conceit where Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest is a rule rather than the exception — a cosmos where cashing in and making money seems to be the only objective, where winning is everything and where being on television is synonymous to Greek glory. Reality television is consequently engendering avariciousness and a false sense of accomplishment among people.
So, the next time you tune in to one of these reality shows; be mindful that you must not believe everything you see. If you’re talented, you don’t need reality television to prove it.
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