Gen Y’s Guilty Pleasure

Whether or not we care to admit it, our generation is utterly obsessed with reality television. Ever since MTV hooked us to the Real World, we’ve been transfixed by the industry and have grown up watching the phenomenon flourish.

It goes way beyond simply watching TV; the reality culture is ingrained in our daily lives.

Lingo from Jersey Shore becomes a part of everyday conversation (admit it, how many times have you referenced “the situation”?), buzz about the latest Survivor episode pervades our Facebook and Twitter feeds, and our attire is often influenced by designs seen on Project Runway.

Possibly even more telling is how famous and truly relevant reality stars are today.  How many magazines have a stylish photo of Lauren Conrad splayed on the cover?  Even reality stars of a smaller scale are accredited with glamour and fame.  Take my editor’s friend, Emilee, who was a cast member of ‘Real World Cancun’ gets paid simply for showing up at clubs.

“Nowadays, our televisions are saturated with numerous reality shows, but I am honored to be on the one show that basically started the landmark for all of reality, Real World. I made genuine friendships and learned more about myself than I knew was possible. Real World was a great experience, but if you don’t do it for the experience, you will find yourself dwindling into every other ‘reality misconception.” ~ Emilee Fitzpatrick, Real World Cancun.

At this point it’s safe to say we’ve established the integral role reality television plays within our culture.  Why then do we refer to reality shows as “guilty pleasures”? What about them makes us feel guilty? If watching an episode of the Real World really lends us this unbearably guilty conscience, why do we continue to watch? I posed the latter question to a few friends, and received somewhat expected answers:

1. It is mindless. After a long day of work, it is such a relief to just relax and watch something lighthearted and stress-free.  There is nothing worse after a hard day than turning to the local news channel and listening to a serious and depressing report.
2. It makes us feel better about ourselves. Though its fun to live vicariously through characters that have exciting and glamorous lives, at the end of the day we are glad it’s just a temporary escape from reality.  When comparing ourselves to the cast members, we feel much happier, drama-free, honest, intelligent, and more “normal” than them.
3. There is nothing else on. TV is literally saturated with reality shows and it is nearly impossible to flip through channels without glancing over a few of them.

But do any of these reasons result in guilt?  They do seem to be excuses for watching, rather than endorsements of the genre.  Sure, everybody polled watches reality TV, but they are hesitant to actually admit they enjoy the shows.  My simple and unscientific poll seems to support this notion of the overall shame and guilt viewers experience when discussing reality TV with others.

Perhaps this guilt is a result of how reality TV is viewed in our society.  Reality TV is very often equated with trashy smut by those people in society that want to believe it is too lowbrow for their superior artistic palates.  This sentiment has trickled through our culture and literally forces the suppression of one’s true feelings towards Real Housewives or Celebrity Rehab.  Thus, the shame and guilt a viewer feels, and why my friends give me excuses for watching.

I guess using television as an escape from our own reality has always been, to some extent, a reason to watch every night.  Perhaps, more so than watching traditional forms of television like sit-coms and dramas, reality TV truly connects us with the people on the screen.  We rejoice at the abundant weight loss of those on the Biggest Loser, and we feel betrayed when a possible Bachelorette suitor turns out to be a jerk. Everybody likes to say they watch reality TV because it makes them feel superior to the hapless idiots willing to parade onscreen and air their dirty laundry to the nation.

In actuality, I think people genuinely relate to them because these people are their actual peers.  They are not untouchable Hollywood stars or starlets, but authentic people with very real personal issues.  Whether those issues are obesity, loneliness, or addiction, we can sympathize with these very human struggles and cheer as voyeurs from a safe distance.

Photo Credit: watchwithkristin

Author: Julie Jaenike – I am a Southernish (Kentucky) transplant who has been surviving New England for 7 years. Playing the piano, making jewelry, and hiking are a few of my favorite distractions. And, as an avid animal lover, tofu and spending time at local shelters are of similar importance. I am a TV buyer at Mullen, and am currently learning how to buy video across all media platforms. This is my first attempt at entering the blogosphere.