Today's MOZEN: The Reality of Reality TV.

Words and photo by F LoBuono

There are times when I simply cannot stand it. Lately, that seems to be MOST of the time. If the current state of television programming is any indication of what we can expect from the future, we are quite simply fucked. Vain, vapid, vulgar, violent, venal, and vacuous, the standard TV fair offers little in the way of education or edification. In fact, it gets so bad that I whenever I watch The Box I feel like my friggin' eyes are bleeding.

As a young man entering a career in television broadcasting, I dreamt of creating programming that would not only entertain but educate and inform, as well. I worked hard for many years to make that dream come true. I had little experience in the medium but I sure had plenty of ideas and an abundance of passion. When given the opportunity, I used that drive and commitment to assemble a group of other young professionals to create programming for the nascent cable television industry. As the head of local programming for TKR Cable, we innovated a line-up of original shows designed to give voice to our community.

We were young, raw and made plenty of mistakes. But, we were also talented and dedicated. The results, I believe, were rewarding to our audience and ourselves. We created programs that we could be proud of. And, I like to believe that my crew and I made a difference. We were a positive influence. It still gives me great pleasure when, after so many years, people still approach me to say how much they enjoyed the programs we created for them.

Now, a plethora of inane so-called Reality Shows dominate the TV line-up. You've seen them. They seem to be ubiquitous - bearded rednecks made fabulously wealthy selling duck lures, ultra-Christian couples who have never heard of birth control, wealthy, spoiled, arrogant housewives from just about anywhere telling us how much better their lives are than ours, ice road truckers, deep sea crab fishermen, pan handlers, junk finders, hoarders, lumberjacks, survivors, thrill seekers, naked daters, and one family famous simply for being famous can be had by simply turning on your TV set.

WHY????

Well, first, from a production standpoint, they are cheap and easy to produce. There is no need to pay actors. There is no need to build sets. There is no need for writers. In a sense, the shows produce themselves. Second, they have an appeal because they are simple, i.e. they don't challenge us to think or FEEL too deeply. In a sense, they are titillating. Also, people often live vicariously through these programs. They allow others to see what it may be like to live in a way completely contrary to their own lives.

And, they work. If it were not a successful formula they would disappear instead of continuing to proliferate.

Many would argue, what's the harm? And, I would answer PLENTY! Television has, for better or worse, an enormous effect on our society. It is, perhaps, the most important communication tool in the history of mankind. It has the ability to influence in so many and in so many ways. It can make us angry or happy. It can make us laugh or cry. Television can be a tool to bring us to places we previously could only imagine in our dreams. We can witness history through its lenses, tubes, and wires. It can inform, influence, as well as entertain . For many, it is even a companion. So, this makes television VERY important - too important to be allowed to degenerate to the cesspool it is becoming.

We can see the effects of this malaise in almost every aspect of our culture. We worship celebrity and prize style over substance. We've become a society of voyeurs instead of achievers. We reward loud, boorish behavior and eschew class. We ENJOY starring at train wrecks. So-called rubber necking has become a spectator sport. And, it's a two-way street: television reflects what society wants as much as it shapes the very thought process of what is being reflected!

Perhaps, the most glaring evidence of this decay is the success of the campaign of current GOP front runner, Donald J. Trump. His bombastic, take-no-prisoners approach to campaigning is taken directly from the Reality Show playbook. It's almost as if the more he is loud, bombastic, bellicose,  mean, and nasty, the more his followers love him! Trump is a STAR. For too many, that's all that matters. He has effectively turned the race for his party's nomination for President of the United States into his own personal reality show. And, since he is already a veteran of his own reality show (The Apprentice), perhaps its a natural progression. He is, like virtually ALL reality shows, all sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Well, I detest reality shows. I always have and always will. I'm too busy living my own life to worry about WATCHING someone else's! And, if I might be so bold, I suggest that you do the same.