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Dr. Blume's Article of the MonthWhat's The Scoop With “Real TV” What is our national fascination with "reality TV"? You can't help noticing the explosion of TV shows devoted to putting Mr. "Joe Public" on the silver screen. As a psychologist, I'm frequently asked why our country is obsessed with this new genre of TV entertainment. This article is devoted to exploring what is happening in society as TV shows like "Survivor" and "Big Brother" gain increasing popularity. What motivates us, the viewers, to be obsessed with watching programs that feature the guy or gal next door? The issue of why people choose to participate and air their personal laundry in such public places is a topic for a future article. Natural Curiosity Is there really a new trend developing with the emergence of TV shows focused on displaying a glimpse into the lives of the average person? Since cave days, it has been part of human nature to be curious and observant of other people. Stealing a sneak peak into the private lives of others creates a certain voyeuristic thrill. However, how this natural curiosity and "need to know the inside story" is satisfied or satiated continues to change as time marches forward. Our current techno-savy culture simply offers some innovative approaches to quenching our voyeuristic nature. Think back to the days when people sat on their front porch for hours, watching passers by. The observer never knew what s/he might see next. With the introduction of radio, talk shows were initially broadcast live. On the heels of “real time” radio, came black and white television. These early shows offered a high degree of spontaneity, since things could go wrong while the viewer watched, and indeed, did. No mater what the topic, we saw people being portrayed without a “re-take.” What people said and did was what you got and the more outrageous, the higher the network ratings. Search for Spontaneity As with all innovations, the novelty of the medium, TV per se, eventually wore off, yet our inherent quest for surprise and the need for voyeuristic satisfaction remained. As television networks became more sophisticated in the use of technology, more and more shows were pre-recorded and edited. As a result, the element of "what will happen next" slowly evaporated. To re-create TV excitement, we eventually saw the emergence and proliferation of “live” talk and game shows where the script was essentially missing and contestants were given free reign to respond and react. Again, one never knows what the guests on Ricki Lake, Oprah, Jerry Springer, or Hollywood Squares will say or do next. Today, because we possess the technological know-how to broadcast from anywhere in the world, shows like Survivor have become the fashionable way to feed our human hunger for watching others " au natural." Survivor and Big Brother are like “mini human experiments” that the viewer can watch, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We can capture the subject whenever we choose, whether they know we’re observing or not. More reality; less script. Beyond satisfying our inherent curiosity, why do we watch these everyday folks? I've asked this question of many people I meet and the answers I've heard are fairly consistent. Some people describe feeling isolated in today's world (working in virtual offices, living and working in cubicles, etc.) and feel the urge to seek connections via vicarious experiences. For instance, when they watch the people on Big Brother, they easily identify with these “non-stars,” allowing them to feel connected and included in their lives. Loneliness has become a major source of distress in society and it is being coped with, in part, through voyeuristic and vicarious activities. Computer technology has also introduced the live "chat room," where people can have instant conversations or simply eavesdrop while others converse. When carried to extremes (i.e. internet addiction), these hands-off relationships are replacing face-to-face contact. At the same time, the anonymity of the medium allows people to be more forthright and a sense of intimacy can develop fairly rapidly. Many people have mentioned a desire to understand "how people tick" as
a major motivating force for tuning into "reality TV." In short, people
are searching for answers to age-old questions like, "What is the purpose
and meaning of life? Why do people behave the way they do? Am I normal,
and so forth." While people have always been attracted to watching others
(whether on the porch, in the mall, on the internet, TV, or at a bar), the
opportunities for watching have mushroomed dramatically. There are more
avenues for observing others than ever before. The eternal quest The key
to what has changed in our culture is not the urge to see or know, but the
mechanisms by which we go about satisfying that urge and where we search
for answers. I see a trend in our society for people to search for
instant, external answers to deeply personal questions. We are spending
less and less time with ourselves, getting to know ourselves and our
relationship to a higher power. People are spending more and more time
searching in external places for internal answers. Perhaps, as access to
the larger world and universe continues to expand, we will be drawn to
turn our attention outward to all that we can possibly see, hear, and
experience. Since history does repeat itself, there will eventually be a
slow pendulum swing, sending us back across time in search of our own
internal world. Until then, enjoy the show, but please, don't mistake it
for "the real thing." |
