| On May 31, 2000, a show by the name of | | | | term "every day" is the farthest thing from |
| Survivor hit the TV screen. It's been on for | | | | what these shows are. If anything, most |
| 6 years. On June 11, 2002, another show by | | | | reality TV is more bizarre than your typical |
| the name of American Idol debuted. It seems | | | | TV sitcom. And maybe that is part of the |
| to get bigger and bigger every year. Add to | | | | allure. Seeing real people in totally unreal |
| these two shows like Fear Factor, Extreme | | | | situations and watching them turn into TV |
| Makeover Home Edition, Who Wants To Be A | | | | stars. And if you think none of them do turn |
| Millionaire and a ton of others and you have | | | | into stars, do the names Richard Hatch and |
| the biggest TV craze since Dallas and the | | | | Clay Aiken mean anything to you?But maybe the |
| string of night time soaps. The question is, | | | | biggest allure of reality TV is to see just |
| why all the fuss? What is it about reality | | | | how far these shows will go. Because they |
| TV that makes more people tune into some | | | | are depending on real people for their |
| shows than vote in presidential elections? | | | | entertainment, they have to come up with some |
| We may not have the reasons but we're going | | | | pretty far out scenarios and concepts to keep |
| to examine some of the possibilities.To | | | | our attention. Let's face it, for every |
| understand the fuss with reality TV you first | | | | Richard Hatch there are a hundred nobodies |
| have to understand what it is. Supposedly, | | | | who's names you'll never remember, let alone |
| it's TV that features real people instead of | | | | their performances, if you can call them |
| actors. In other words, your every day John | | | | that. Many a fan skips the first few weeks |
| and Jane Doe. It's hard not to root for your | | | | of American Idol just to get past all the |
| next door neighbor unless he's blasting the | | | | horrible singers that they'd normally have to |
| stereo at 2 AM and you're trying to get some | | | | endure. If it weren't for Simon, the show |
| sleep. So yes, it's easy to understand that | | | | would be unwatchable at times.And maybe the |
| you're pulling for the little guy here. | | | | reason reality TV is so big is because we |
| Somebody who under normal circumstances would | | | | simply have nothing better to do with our |
| be working at a Burger King somewhere and not | | | | time and we look for any excuse to sit in |
| on national TV during prime time. But there | | | | front of the tube and watch whatever is on. |
| has to be more than just that. After all, | | | | Sure, some reality television is pretty good, |
| most people are pretty dull to watch, | | | | but there is quite a bit of it that leaves a |
| especially doing every day things.Well, | | | | lot to be desired as far as entertainment |
| reality TV is far from every day. When you | | | | value. Yet, we keep coming back week after |
| have shows like Fear Factor where people eat | | | | week.There must be something to it. One day |
| bugs or shows like Survivor where people are | | | | we just might figure out what it is. |
| stranded on islands for weeks on end, the | | | | |