Voyeurism or the appeal of reality TV shows
Given the chance to peek into the windows of your neighbor’s house, would you do it? If you said no, you’re probably lying. If voyeurism was not appealing to the masses, why else would reality TV shows exist?
Voyeurism or the Appeal of Reality TV Shows
We all love drama.
One of the most watched reality TV shows in the Philippines is the series or franchise Pinoy Big Brother. An Orwellian concept that was supposedly an element of gothic dystopian narratives made “humorous” by mainstream media.
Pinoy Big Brother is one of the most celebrated TV shows in the country. But the question is, why are we so addicted to it in the first place? People love drama. Shakespeare and his collection of tragedies can prove that.
But, there is nothing that people love more than “authentic” drama. A group of people with strong personalities asked to live in a closed space for a certain period of time cannot be more dramatic than that.
How real is reality TV?
Not that much. Most people ignore the fact that reality TV shows still follow a certain script and still have a director making it indirectly scripted by nature. With their hyperawareness of the camera following them around, how can “characters” in these TV shows reveal their authenticity?
One of the most watched shows The Bachelor is proof of this. Most enter into the show because they want to pursue a career in acting. This is because that is what they are asked to do on reality TV. Act.
A Glimpse in the cracks of showbusiness
Maybe, we do not want reality TV shows to be that close to reality. Perhaps what we actually want is a glimpse of the life that we cannot have. The reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” follows the life of the glamorous Kardashian family as they navigate their way through Hollywood.
The success of this show was actually surprising for me because with their high heels and designer shoes, the Kardashians cannot be any more unrelatable. However, they still have large followings.
In my analysis, this may be because we want to have a taste of the glamour that they are living in. It is possible that our projected desires for the finer things in life, we get from by living life “through” their eyes.
