Back to Entertainment Mon 27 Jul
(The Apprentice)
All things ‘reality’ have quite literally taken the world by storm! TV programmes such as ‘Big Brother’, ‘Love Island’, ‘TOWIE’, ‘Made in Chelsea’ {MIC}, ‘I’m a Celebrity’, ‘The Apprentice’, ‘Judge Judy’, ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and many more dominate the media / entertainment industries. With Instagram, Snap Chat and other such social media apps on the rise too, it seems more than most have become overly interested in who has shared the best selfie online, or the latest shenanigans in the lives of Vas J Morgan {TOWIE}, or Lucy Watson {MIC} than key headlines about important issues such as the case of Sandra Bland! What is the appeal of the ‘reality’ culture? Will the ‘reality’ hype end up having a negative impact around the world? Will there be regrettable long-term implications from the wave of ‘reality’ projects currently on trend? Or, is the culture of ‘reality’ TV and branding a good thing?
(Sandra Bland)
What we know for sure is that ‘reality’ TV is a huge moneymaker however, its popularity remains a mystery! Far from educational, programmes such as ‘TOWIE’ and ‘Made in Chelsea’ seek to entertain by exploiting the insecurities and vulnerability of the cast none of whom seem remotely bothered by that… I wonder though, are we raising a generation of tech dependent, Google searching, procrastinating, ‘reality’ TV addicts who will make for a very unhealthy future by replacing informative, thought-provoking programmes and documentaries with scripted ‘real’ life drama that has no real likeness to our own?
(TOWIE)
Love it or loathe it, the likes of ‘Seven Days With’ and ‘Geordieshore’ attract audiences worldwide and any products released {sold to an audience who are apparently broke} rake in thousands! Our TVs are saturated with this new-age content; even I tune in on the basis that such programmes are actually the best on at the time I may sit down to watch TV. My main concern is: What affect will it all have on the younger generation who are being raised in this watery culture of anything {mostly without any substance} goes?
(Luther)
A balance is needed. Bring back BBC Luther, programmes exploring the work that goes into producing a magazine, documentaries on the focus of how to start your own business etc… Let’s get back to being a nation; a world where formal education is the main purpose. After all, knowledge not being up to date with the latest trend, is power!
Words by Charley Jai
