Reality TV- Just how real should television get?

Reality TV. Everyone's aware of the term now, right from the octogenarian with the walker to a three year old in kindergarten. I mean, who hasn't heard of American Idol (or any of the other miscellaneous nations Idols), So You Think You an Dance, Project Runway, Top Design, America's Next Top Model (and its other spin offs), yada yada yada..?

Everyone has, that's the answer. And while some shows are authentic and entertaining to watch, some are just plain ridiculous. Big Brother is one show that I just cannot seem to understand. What is the point in the whole thing? Sure, publicity for the contestants, but what do the people who watch it get? Utter Stupidity. Occasionally, some swearing and petty politics too.

That's what entertainment has come down to. Big Drama queens crying about how people are racists, while throwing some lovely racist jibes herself.

For some people, its a great platform, and I can respect that. For all the dancers, singers, actors, models, cooks and inventors out there, its a great opportunity. It gives them a platform to exhibit their talents, and maybe even get a chance of making it big in their chosen career. But even these shows are injected with doses of high drama which are absolutely unnecessary.

For some other shows, however, like the Biggest Loser series, or Big Brother, well..there is no point to it at all! people spend an hour of their lives, every week or every day, watching utter drivel when they could actually be watching something else that could make some sense.

Plus, these shows influence people so much that its sickening to watch. I've seen people act like the people they see on TV, and opinions and idea are shaped by it too. people stop thinking themselves, and start thinking like reality TV stars. Yes, it can be argued that regular TV and movies also have the same effect on people, but Reality TVs influence seems to be greater.

Lately, there's this show called Rakhi ka Swayamvar. A very controversial item girl, glorified actress, is choosing her groom through a reality TV show. People are actually competing in the farce, and even worse, people are watching it. Just today, I read that it had the highest ratings for on the network it ran in. And it beat some of the other programs in the other networks too. A woman, who's choosing her future husband from a bunch of petty games...on national television. It just cannot get any more pathetic that that, it simply can't.

Kids these days don;t know what documentaries are, unless they are forced to watch them at school. No one watches stuff like the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet anymore. Watching people bicker and fight is apparently way more interesting than learning about something constructive. Almost educative.

Not that I'm saying that's all you should watch, being a Movie junkie myself. Plus, watching Bold and the Beautiful is pretty dumb too. Life isn't ever as boring, or as complicated as that. And the acting often sucks.

Its basically seeing yourself. reality TV is based on people from real life. Its based on you. Its basically watching yourself doing things that you would normally do, or seeing the way you would react, but only on National Television. And, if there is a difference, we tend to take that trait and incorporate it into ourselves until we become a reality TV star's mental clone. Really.

When you have yourself, why turn to others? Its just not worth it at all.

But seriously, people, get some taste. Please look, really look, at what you watch. Is it stupid? Or is it genuinely worth your time? I mean, why do you want to under mime yourself by watching something that is totally not worth your time? Or the neurons?

Next time you watch reality TV, think about what you're watching. Dumbing yourself down for an hour to watch something stupid is absolutely not worth it.

Nothing is worth that.