Popular culture, reality television, and other oxymorons
There are certain types of reality TV I can stand and types to which I am more or less allergic. I've noticed a pattern to this. The types of reality shows I can stand to watch are those that have documentary ambitions -- that is, they tell true stories from real life. The kinds I can't stand have "ordinary people" placed in an artificially contrived situation.
Cops and a significant amount of the programming on TruTV fall into the first category; Survivor, Big Brother, Fear Factor, and The Real World -- the mother of all contrived-situation series -- fall into the second. And in my opinion, calling the second type "reality TV" has poisoned and ruined the term. Taking what is essentially an overcomplicated glorified game show and calling it "reality" is little short of ludicrous. (Whoever came up with that "Not reality -- actuality" slogan for TruTV would, I imagine, agree with that sentiment.)
Reality has nothing to do with trying to win a massive cash prize by eating insects or by being stuck in a house with a bunch of people you don't like.
Cops and a significant amount of the programming on TruTV fall into the first category; Survivor, Big Brother, Fear Factor, and The Real World -- the mother of all contrived-situation series -- fall into the second. And in my opinion, calling the second type "reality TV" has poisoned and ruined the term. Taking what is essentially an overcomplicated glorified game show and calling it "reality" is little short of ludicrous. (Whoever came up with that "Not reality -- actuality" slogan for TruTV would, I imagine, agree with that sentiment.)
Reality has nothing to do with trying to win a massive cash prize by eating insects or by being stuck in a house with a bunch of people you don't like.