Revealing Reality: Why Do We Love Trashy TV?
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, binge watching new reality television shows became a steady habit for many. While entertained by Tiger King and Love Is Blind, people’s responses included titillation, judgment, curiosity, and humiliation for watching such salacious reality television. Often, there is a sort of shame associated with admitting to watching this type of entertainment, and many people pretend to be above it. However, the existence of a variety of reality shows and their trending status proves that people are drawn to such media, despite their “trashy” reputation.
The rise of trashy reality television is a contemporary phenomenon. In the 1990s, the popularization of TV shows like Survivor marked the beginning of the modern era of reality programming. In the early 2000s, shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the Real Housewives continued this ongoing interest with their sensationalist stories and shocking antics. The unscripted drama and salacious tales of reality TV draw us in, and our mirror neuron system (which allows us to quickly perceive and relate to the thoughts and emotions of others) entices us to express an adaptive interest in the lives and stories of others.
As a result of this interest in others, humans have been able to create complex cultures and languages. The background of the sensationalism that drives reality television can be traced back to the same roots as those of oral history. The human interest in forms of sensational storytelling, like gossip, has existed for centuries. In the 16th and 17th century, salacious tales were used to teach moral lessons, as well as to function as a source of entertainment. Fast forward to the 19th century, where sensational popular novels on a wide range of relatable subjects took the world by storm when they were published in the London magazine Belgravia.
Humans have enjoyed this kind of attention-grasping entertainment for centuries. This has been, in part, because of our aforementioned mirror neuron system—which makes us empathetic and responsive to the lives of others. The dramatized editing and overly-intense background music that tie together the fighting, crying, and drama of trashy TV shows make the act of watching the lives of other people exciting and fun. As viewers get attached to certain real-life characters in the reality television program (as most humans do), they are lulled into a false sense that they really know the people on screen. Almost growing to see these characters as close acquaintances over time, viewers gain the capacity to delight in these characters’ successes, but can also be bystanders to their televised failures from the safety of their comfortable couches.
While most reality television is nicknamed “trashy TV,” it is a guilty pleasure that offers both comfort and excitement. As you devote time to watching your favorite reality shows, remember to not only put your time and energy into watching the stories of others unfold, but cultivating your own. Reality television is uniquely positioned for us to not only learn from the lives of others, but also enjoy the human nature that brings us together.
