I'm a pretty compassionate person. If I had magical powers I would eliminate all pain, disease, violence, corruption and hatred from the world. We'd all walk around with smiles on our faces and bouquets in our arms; but that's never going to happen because, well, we're human. Life is tough and we have to navigate it.
But reality TV has taken all the misery and struggle that life has to offer, making it into a marketing tool to manipulate its audiences into tuning in. Banking, and banking large, on "there by the grace of (fill in your deity or magical being of choice) go I" adage, they have filled my entertainment with endless sob stories, complete with the accompanying soundtracks.
I sit down to enjoy The Voice, or X Factor, or So You Think You Can Dance, or even Master Chef, to name a few, and I'm bombarded by hard luck story segments about the competitors. Endless tales of human suffering, loss and disappointment drown me just before I see them stumble through the quick step, murder another Adele song or cook a licorice quiche. What does losing one's puppy have to do with how well you can sing or dance or cook? Is the public supposed to vote on the talent/ability or their hard luck? Are we just watching various renditions of My Life Sucks?
Why do I have to watch TV with a box of tissues handy at all times?
Everyone loves a good story of redemption and triumph over difficulty, but it's now become so trite that we're becoming desensitized to it. Contestants put their lives out there to be picked apart by the cynical viewership for a one-in-whatever chance of winning the money and the title. Some of these stories seem to be stretched to the absolute limit to milk "tragedy" from a broken toe. Meanwhile, the talent falls by the wayside. What happened to enjoying talent for talent's sake?
So people are voting for what again? Their personalities, their stories or their actual talents? This manipulation of editing can cripple someone's chances of achieving their dream because the person with the better story will be voted in and the other out. It's not about the issues or the talent or the abilities. It's about what story the producers have decided to sell.
This opens up a whole new kettle of fish, namely, public voting in general. It's not about being informed and understanding what each competitor has to offer anymore. It's about whose sympathy card has the most funds deposited. It's about who get the best camera time and edit.
This is why I love my PVR. It not only frees me from the endless stream of consumerism, it frees me from the endless stream of pop-tragedy. After all, isn't that what the "news" is about?
Stay tuned! :)
