What is the allure to reality TV?

In the beginning, these reality tv shows were so appealing to me. Big Brother for example. There was something entertaining about 12 strangers stuck in a house surrounded by cameras. It was fun seeing who liked who, who hated who and who, after a gruelling and desperate audition process, completely hated the whole experience. But after a couple of series it became too predictable. People would get together for the sake of publicity and break up for the same. Even the losers make more money than the winner who is never heard of after leaving the house. I come to realise that watching these people confined in this house is not 'reality tv'. In fact it couldn't be further away from reality. We do not see this peoples in their every day lives doing what they would do on any ordinary day, that would not pull in the viewers of course. Instead but put them in an alien situation with other strangers, where they have to complete tasks to get a luxury shopping list, and watch there experince through a tv screen with the psyhcologists in the back room rubbing his hands at his 'gunieapigs'

I hate these shows and refuse to watch them. They are geared to a 12 yera olds mentality. Give the viewing public a little more credit. They should have more ER type shows, dramas and even some comedy shows ( but some of those are also dumbed down) are better than those shows.

I like to see what people will do in strange circumstances. I especially like the Amazing Race because that is a show that I could see myself going on (if I were more physically fit) and doing well on.

Hahaha! If you get a good answer to that question, please let me know! I don't understand them, either. Yep, life is dramatic enough. We don't need this stuff. When I watch TV, I watch it to get AWAY from reality for awhile. (Good ol' Gilligan's Island!) Maybe the allure is that some people's lives are boring, or they feel they are boring, and they need the excitement they get from watching these shows. Personally, I can't imagine a life that boring! I'm also a bit of a skeptic and think that there just might be less 'real' in these reality shows than they want us to believe. I really couldn't say, since I've never watched any of them more than a couple of minutes. Wait, I take that back. I did watch an episode of "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" and thought it looked too phony to be 'reality'. Give me a good show about astronomy, science or ancient history any time!

I dont think there is anything alluring about this type of television. Its largely just cheap tacky voyeurism where exhibitionists get their 15minutes of fame watched by people who have very little grip on true reality! (Do you get the impression I'm not keen on them ???) I suppose its another form of escapism for some... and if it makes them feel better about their own lives maybe it has benefits...

I have noticed a lot of reality television programming over the past so many years. It has become prevalent these days hasn't it? I take them with a grain of salt sometimes. Do you really believe these people are real? Maybe I should ask this question in a different text. For one thing I really don't watch a lot of these programs but when I do, I can't help but wonder if it is staged or rehearsed in some fashion. Are these people really being caught off guard and it is captured on camera as it is portrayed to be? I often wonder.

I have no use for this pseudo-reality TV garbage. There's no way people can still act 100% natural after cameras are set up in their houses. The "stars" of these shows are either hamming it up for the cameras or are prodded by the producers to argue/fight with each other. If the shows were based on true reality, they would be boring (those parts are usually cut out of the other shows.) Give me a well-written fictional show any day, promote it and don't keep moving it all over the schedule. You can't build ratings for a show if it's on Tuesday one week and Saturday the next week.

I know exactly what you mean. I keep hoping they won't do another Big Brother, I mean how boring, lots of generally bland people stuck together with nothing to do. YAWN! Also all these be a popstar/west end star/ god knows what else I just can't abide. I don't get how the license payer pays for the auditions for maria and then they replace her with the under study appearing in hollyoaks???? I keep hearing adverts for celebair, as you say how is this any form of reality? Yes it's filmed in real-time with lots of clever editing, but hardly reality. I'm at a loss to explain the appeal. Here's hoping for enlightenment

I think people like to see other people make a complete *ss of themselves in front of the camera. I think it is also a kind of voyerism. I don't see the attraction. What reality is there in shows like "Real Life", "I Love NY", "Flavor of Love" and those type of reality shows. Under what circumstances would those scenarios actually occur in real life. But somebody found a niche and is making lots of money off of the concept. I'll stick to the History Channel and National Geographic until TV programming improves.

i think we like to see other people under pressure and reacting crazy like so that we feel that maybe our emotions and reactions arent as horrible and embarrassing as you think they were.. kind of like when britney spears lost her freaking mind and it came out that she was bipolar.. i am bipolar and some people have said i am crazy but i can look at brit and be like IM NOT THAT CRAZY!!! lol.. not to mention its just an escape from our lives and we feel better because since we are looking in on them we can have and make better decisions than them which makes us feel superior

hi friend, i think now a days tv is very important for human beings. any is not live without tv. because tv is used to show the status of world and some else. iam not imagine my life without television.take care.

i do think should portray reality more .we need less hype .i do like drama which explain the society

I think reality tv is a misnomer. We all know that when we're trying to date someone, there aren't 19 other women in the picture, and we don't get to go on all-expense-paid private dates (yes, I'm referring to the Bachelor). Nor do we get to focus only on the man, without the obstruction of work, friends, family, and life. But I think that's why so few of these relationships succeed. Once the couple is truly in reality, the relationship can't always handle it. I think some reality shows are a complete waste of time, money, and airspace (think Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, Real World, etc). I don't even find them mildly entertaining. Then there are some shows with merit (Biggest Loser, Survivor); I think the competition makes the show more intriguing (though the only reality about it is that most of the people are not paid actors). In the end, I think that people are so sick of watching shows where the actors are getting paid a million per episode (and still complaining that they don't make enough) that they like the thought of watching normal, non-paid (or very low paid) people make idiots of themselves. If nothing else, there can be amusement of making fun of the people on the show; and you never have to deal with the consequences of talking/making fun of someone behind his back since you'll never have to deal with that person (most likely).