Reality TV

Am I the only person in the US who has never watched a reality TV show? (That was actually a rhetorical question. I do have more faith in people than that.) Why would someone watch a bunch of exhibitionists hamming for camera attention and shock value? That I have to see the endless stream of commercials hawking them between news, travel and food programs is quite enough, thank you. From even those distasteful previews I know that the contests are formulaic; the celebrity shows are just promotional and ’Court TV’ is plain embarrassing. Daytime ‘shock-schlock’ shows like Jerry Springer must even be several rungs lower.

And yes, I am once again reminded of a book, written some 50 years ago, before Reality TV. Ray Bradbury, in “Fahrenheit 451,” wrote about a society so focused on making sure people were comfortable, content and satisfied (and hence decidedly un-revolutionary) that they were also, of necessity, unimaginative and mundane. In that fantasy world they burned books. In our world, they promote Reality TV. Either way, they burn all the ideas and challenges. They dull the intellect.

“Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs… Don’t give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.”
-- Fire Captain Beatty, in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.