The all-too-familiar unscripted melodramas, life makeover programs, talent extravaganzas, and frenzied competitions hold a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers. Season after season, one begins to wonder: if reality is TV, is it quite possible that TV is reality? Moreover, should the proportions of reality dictate the level of entertainment?

Reality television, pertaining to the genre of real life happenings and situations, has evolved dynamically through decades.  Although it is difficult to pinpoint a beginning, it is widely accepted that An American Family (1973) and The Real World (1992) embody reality TV heritage. Both programs attempt to underscore average social interactions and struggles with a societal backdrop. In the year 2000, the genre underwent monumental shifts in plot when Survivor and Big Brother aired. Survivor, capturing over 11.5 billion viewers, serves as the contemporary model for reality and game show hybrids. Similarly, Big Brother contestants compete for $500,000 as they face the everyday challenges of living in an isolated house with strangers.

After the “boom” of reality TV in the 2000s, the genre escalated in unprecedented ways for years to follow. The rebellious and brazen nature of millennial pop culture influences music, fashion, and reality TV alike. Recent shows such as The Real Housewives of Orange County, The Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and countless other productions continue to garner criticism as well as worldwide admiration.

Despite their diverse natures, all reality television programs colligate in the fact that viewers desperately attempt to find commonalities from the characters portrayed on screen. We seek any guidance on how to carry out our lives or any subtle hope that we are not alone in what we face every day.

The Social Comparison Theory reconciles these unconscious desires, explaining how the paradoxical and fictitious nature of reality TV yields false satisfaction. This theory, occasionally touted by the media, states that people feel the need to measure their own self-worth against the success of others.

Derrick Ro ‘19 reflects, “The genre holds unrealistic expectations and pressures average people, such as high school students, to mirror those on camera.” Oftentimes, the routines of daily life prove eventless and call for extra flavoring.

As an immediate result, teenagers turn to false representations of life priorities, relationships, body images, and behavior. The characters of The Real Housewives of Orange County and The Jersey Shore, for instance, undergo plastic surgery, manipulate housemates, and provoke fights for better ratings.

The presence of a camera also elicits behaviors from these contestants that would not otherwise align with their personal morals. Hence, not only are the viewers absorbing toxic waves of stupidity, but the actors also experience internal struggles. This concept holds especially true for the pregnant teenage girls exploited in Teen Mom, who become the subject of cruel jokes to the world. Even recognizable and wealthy families, such as in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, receive the same disrespect.

Referring to previously mentioned programs, Emily Fears ‘18 admits, “Whether others realize it or not, we inevitably enjoy watching famous people that are larger than life.” In accordance to the Social Comparison Theory, the viewer will attempt to reconcile self-worth with the materialistic motives of the celebrities he or she watches.

Fears should keep in mind that it is near impossible to override the configuration of human nature. We are naturally inclined to develop varying degrees of guilty pleasure because of these shows. Every year brings new names to learn, new trends to set, and the new must-see reality TV shows. Ultimately, the remote lies in your hand, and you decide whether to submit to the tight grip of reality TV or freely transcend its authority.