Reality or Reelity

My recent laptop crisis had me switch loyalties to television for a short while. This as well as the wee hours of the day 0.00 hrs to 1.00 hrs had me do prolonged channel surfing. Have realised that Reality shows have possibly become the saas bahu soap equivalent for the Indian youth and may be even families. Be it MTM with Roadies, Splitsvilla, [V] with its Launch pad, the Hindi channels with their dance shows, singing shows, or even the regional channels with their own versions of the same, and even I think some tam channel that had one for selecting CSK cheerleaders!
Most reality shows fall into the buckets of Makeovers, Celebrity based formats, Adventure based Games based, Talent Hunts, Job Hunts, and Dating shows. Normally do not watch any of these on a consistent basis. Hate dance shows, and can just about tolerate the rest or enjoy a rare episode once i a blue moon. Managed to catch the ones on MTV over the last two weekends over not so sleepy saturday nights and realised some truths about the ones on MTV atleast:

1. Reality shows are about bitching big time
2. They are about showing the politics, and emphasize the dark side, & scheming nature/dumbness of the participants
3. Its about good looking people being lunatic and immature at best and calling others the same while proclaiming how blunt/straight/truthful they really are
   
4. Tears, tempers and bad words flow easily
   
5. Cameras are just placed at the oportune time & place to capture it all
   
6. The women on the programme are potrayed as helpless, dumb or wicked

Have been wondering why people would participate in these shows and came up with these:

1. nothing better to do
2. good chance to become a vj/anchor or a celebrity or a model
   
3. goodies from the show sponsors
   
4. can be themselves or at least pretend to childish, loud, rash and immature for maximum impact and get paid for it if they win
5. different lifestyle for sometime
6. wear good clothes and be chic on tv..
   

So why watch it ? hmmmn.. its better than the saas bahu soaps for sure - atleast better costumes and looks :P.. its mindless, the foul words could come handy & ya it makes a good conversation piece as a college kid possibly...

For me seeing the programmes is about mindless diversion & an ego a boost - well my life seems less purposeless than theirs :P ... Atleast I am thinking about mine , they are way off from even realising it possibly.. :P

Anyways resolved for now to ensure no consistent watching - its way too mad for digestion :P. Gonna limit it to getting over saturday late-night's boredom till I find a better way...