watching reality tv doesn’t make you a bad person

some might say it makes you a better one

Let’s face it, reality television has a pretty bad reputation.

Admitting you indulge in watching humans compete for fame while going at their castmates’ throats or tongue-snogging on camera can find you on the receiving end of some seriously bombastic side eyes.

Confessing this to the wrong crowd may even see them privately knock your intellectual status down a couple pegs. ‘It’s trash!’ they’ll scoff, disgusted that you’ve even dared to raise the subject.

Discussions around reality TV can be extremely divisive, because it’s a love-it-or-hate-it genre of entertainment. I’m fully aware, because I’ve been both people in this scenario.

Going back to my family home, where lovers of reality TV reside, I used to hate bearing witness to the opulent and somehow always-fighting women in The Real Housewives.

I couldn’t stand to watch 90 Day Fiancé because even the newest episodes have the look of being filmed in 2005. Vanderpump Rules? Well, I didn’t even care to know what that was about.

Across various visits though, I found myself sprawled out on the couch, peering over the top of my smartphone whenever moments of drama or fighting erupted on the larger screen behind it.

‘Did she just say what I think she said?’, I’d ask, eyes wide.

‘Yep, she’s always been so rude!’, my sister would reply with smirk.

Maybe I’m a simple woman, but that’s really all it takes for me to start getting invested.

While I agree that highbrow entertainment is both enjoyable and valuable for society, engaging with it arguably demands our full and undivided attention.

Personally, I’m not going to stick on Moonlight or Normal People after a long, tiring day. That’s the kind of material I want to make time to immerse myself in. I want to know the characters and their relationships inside out, so when the plot peaks I feel it viscerally. I want to feel my little heart break in two, too.

Reality TV, on the other hand, doesn’t ask you to invest – or feel – anything tangible. You can scroll on your phone, tidy your room, and fold laundry as it drones on in the background. Missed a crucial scene because you had to pee? No problem. A flashback or recap will fill you in before you can question what’s going on.

Reality television is ‘casual watching’ defined. And while it doesn’t demand your full attention, reality TV somehow earns it.

To watch reality TV is to be a fly on the wall during people’s most vulnerable, embarrassing, tense, and silly moments. The best part? You don’t have to participate. Your stakes are literally zero.

This is starkly different to everyday life, where we’re constantly required to make moment-by-moment judgements and decisions, then act accordingly in an appropriate manner.

As a spectator of reality TV, you’re free to analyse human behaviours alone or with family and friends without having to deal with the fallout of the drama you’re bearing witness to. What a relief!

For this reason and many others, the genre has gained credibility in the eyes of sociologists. Experts have begun analysing the breadth of themes that appear in long-running reality TV programs to better understand the evolution of society over time.

Danielle J. Lindemann, a sociology professor at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, recently stated that we should ‘start taking reality television more seriously’ because it’s effectively turning the mirror back on us. Its rise to popularity since the turn of the millennia has become a form of documentary for humanity as it changes – and stays exactly the same.

Granted, reality TV stars are not always the best representation of human beings. Producers are famous for taking the very worst examples of humanity and thrusting them right into the spotlight, meaning examples of sexism, racism, misogyny, classism, and materialism are not hard to come by, whether you’re watching Bravo, TLC, ITV, or E!.

But at its best, reality television can be a vehicle for eradicating discriminatory views. These programs present audiences with a broader perspective of their fellow Earth-mates, grant them an inside look into the experiences of others, and offer viewers a more comprehensive world view.

Take The Real Housewives of New York, for example, which recently refreshed its cast.

Striving to be more representative of the multicultural American city, the show’s producers retired its original, extremely homogenous group of wealthy white women. The series’ cast is now comprised of women who are white, Jewish, Somalian, Latinx, Indian, or mixed ethnic heritage. Now that’s a real slice of New York City, baby!

Some have even gone as far as calling the franchise a strong work of feminism because it places ambitious, no-shit-taking women in centre stage. With cast members between the ages of 30-70, subjects like ageing, health issues, career goals, family matters, legal and financial troubles, love, and loss are often key premises of each season.

Perhaps you feel the shady, catty fighting that takes place in each episode has taken feminism and ‘womanhood’ 10 steps backward, but it’s hard to deny that placing the lived experiences of women at the forefront of a globally broadcasted show does have some inherent value.  

Meanwhile, 90 Day Fiancé has brought awareness to just how many cultural differences exist within global society by documenting Americans’ attempts at forming life-long partnerships with people from all corners of the world.

Viewers get an inside look at how well (or badly or hilariously) individuals navigate contrasting and conflicting values with their potential spouses. These include perspectives on physical intimacy before marriage, religious or cultural traditions and customs, and more.

Whether it’s a Korean criticising processed food and obesity in America, a Colombian complaining about the weather in Michigan, or a white man from Michigan trying to scrounge up money to pay his Kenyan fiancé’s dowry (a practice he feels uncomfortable with but eventually agrees to), you can watch it all unfold for better or worse from the comfort of your sofa.  

Meanwhile, shows such as Queer Eye and Ru Paul's Drag Race have brought the LGBTQIA+ community into our homes, showcasing their individual creativity and personalities in a way that offers pure entertainment value.

For those who have never interacted with the community for whatever reason, these series can demystify and debunk audiences’ misconceptions, presenting a much-needed opportunity to learn about our individual differences.  

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but even Love Island has sparked awareness about women’s desires and sexual freedom, while sparking conversations around other social issues such as self-esteem and body image, the worrying rise of plastic surgery in young people, and mental health.

Finally, reality TV is becoming an incredible time capsule for the human race.

Click back to an early episode of Geordie Shore or Vanderpump Rules and you’ll be shocked (and maybe a little embarrassed) to see the fashion and beauty trends they were rocking confidently at the time.

Scenes from any of the Housewives franchises will depict which architectural and interior design trends were most desirable between 2000-2010s.

Not to mention, virtually any reality TV show will depict the rapid evolution of technology, as cast members reach for devices that have now become obsolete.

All in all, I’m not trying to convince anybody that watching reality TV will make them better person. But it very well could make you a more well-rounded and informed one.

Oh, and your clapback game will be drastically improved.

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