How About Some REAL Reality?

Reality Shows Taught Me to be More Thankful for My Own Reality

Reality shows. They've become so big that the Emmy Awards have a couple of categories dedicated to the shows themselves and to their hosts. I confess, I've fallen under the spell that is 'reality.' It all started when I was a child, and watched 'The Price Is Right' whenever I was too sick to go to school. Game shows are, after all, the original 'reality show.'

NASHVILLE, TN - These days I still enjoy tuning in to see Drew Carey on the new version of TPIR, but "The Amazing Race" is my absolute favorite. Each Friday night I tune in and dream of the day when my husband, Jim, and I can be the team that all of America cheers to the finish line. I want to show America that husbands and wives can work together to accomplish a common goal, and do so without bickering, name calling or losing their moral ground to get ahead.

I also enjoy shows like, "Project Runway," "Design Star," and "Top Chef." There's entirely too much "bleeping" in these shows, and it makes me wonder why people cannot hold a conversation without throwing curse words around every three seconds, but I enjoy the competition.

Then there are 'reality' shows that make me just plain sad. I wonder sometimes if show creators are forced to cop a squat on incredibly uncomfortable furniture until they come up with shows like, 'The Real Housewives of (pick a city),' or the I'll-date-20-guys-and-make-out-with-half-of-them-on-national-TV-to-score-money-and-fame shows. I'm guessing that's the only way some of these television programs make it on the air.

Writing, even editorializing, takes a degree of knowledge. I couldn't write about 'reality' shows unless I did my homework and watched a few. I'll make another confession. I turned on Bravo the other day and tried to watch just one full episode of 'The Real Housewives' programs (it was a marathon, evidently). I couldn't do it.

The name cracks me up. There might be housewives out there who live in 15,000 square-foot houses and have a large staff to take care of said house (and children), but it cannot be "reality" for too many people. And I can understand wanting to escape your own reality for an hour and watch how the rich and infamous live. This woman's home was beyond stunning, and I'm all for looking at beautiful estates, but the people were just.they make me sad.

If the American people watch programs like this and aspire to this lifestyle, then I'm not sure of the direction in which we as human beings are headed. Really? People live to serve their own desires, which is sad enough. They date married men and are proud of it. They belittle the working man and woman and think it's funny. They call each other "heifers" and then go out for a $50 lunch. They all have careers in the music or fashion industry (from what I was able to gather in about 15 minutes) and money is the center of their collective universe.

I hate to think how their children will grow up, expecting to get whatever they want, whenever they want it. What is even sadder is the fact that these women have some narcissistic need to display their behavior to the world. But perhaps the saddest thing of all is that 'The Real Housewives' started in Los Angeles, and has grown to include New York, New Jersey, Miami, Beverly Hills and Atlanta. Evidently there's a demand for this twisted version of 'reality.'

So, I failed in the homework assignment. I couldn't get past the second commercial break. I took a break from cleaning the kitchen (how's that for reality?) and whispered a prayer to God.

'Thank you, Father,' I said. 'Thank you for my reality. For my imperfect life, for my family, for my friends (none of whom I refer to as 'heifers' by the way.we have nicknames like 'Lovey'), for my middle class home, and for the reality of knowing that without You, I am nothing.'

And when I changed the channel, there was Drew Carey, ready and waiting to brighten my morning with 'Plinko!' 

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online