Reality TV has become a staple of the network lineup. These shows are cheaper to produce, thus maximizing profit for the studios. But is there a hidden cost that we need to address?
It appears that the parents of the so-called “Balloon Boy” are now being suspected of staging an elaborate hoax to catapult them onto their own reality show. But are they all that unique? There is the Duggar family whose claim to fame is 18 kids and counting. And there is the Gosslins with their brood and their disintegrating marriage. There are other families whose situation is outside the norm, whether due to size or physical challenges. They’ve managed to parlay their situation into a financial bonanza. Is it surprising that the so-called “Octo-mom” figured that a reality show would alleviate the financial burden of raising 14 children? Or that the Heenes looked at a reality show as a way to improve their economic future?
I wonder about the effect of these shows on the children involved. It would appear that, for example, the Gosslins’ original motivation was to provide for their unexpectedly large family. But such a decision can have unexpected ramifications. Whether the perks include tummy tucks, hair transplants, fancy vacations or big, beautiful homes, at what point do the potential for those to increase viewership result in exploitation of the family and especially of the kids? It would be very difficult to turn down some of these perks, even if the family has that degree of control over “creative content.”
And what culpability do the rest of us bear in all this? Viewership determines ad rates, and whether we like it or not, that’s the raison d’etre for TV — to make money for the corporate owners. Programming is simply the hook to get us to watch the commercials. If people stopped watching these shows, they would cease to exist. But some of us seem to enjoy watching train wrecks… So it’s unlikely that reality shows will go away completely. But I can hope.
Some one once said, that in the future, every one will be famous for fifteen minutes. I am not sure that Mr. Warhall had personal reality shows (or blogs for that matter) in mind, however, it does seem to fit the mold. That being said, as a fan of some reality shows, there are distinct differences between them. The Gosslins and the Duggers started out the same. And in my own opinion had the Gosslins not decided at some point to make being “Jon and Kate plus 8″ their jobs, it would have gone down a similar road as the Duggers.
The Duggers have continued to be an other wise ordinary family raising kids in extrordinary circumstances. The Gosslins (leaving Jon’s commitment issues aside for the moment) seem to have made the choice that being “Jon and Kate” was a better gig than her being a nurse that was staying home to be the primary care giver to the kids, while Jon went to work as an IT analyst. Now I have no doubt that being “Jon and Kate” is a far more profitable gig than being an IT guy for the Commonwealth of PA but like with most things there is a cost as well.
I understand that your over all point was a comment on society rather than the quality of either of the shows. However, I suspect that you haven’t seen either of these shows. I agree that the lure of a potential financial windfall is a temptation for some parents. All one has to do is look at the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears, Gary Coleman etc., to see that parents can and will use their children to improve their own lot in life.
Bad parents will continue to exist despite the existence of television and movies. To blame the fraud that seems to have been committed by “ballon boy” and his family on the existance of a specific genre of television program is short sighted.
@ OTEC: Perhaps I didn’t express myself as clearly as I should have, but you missed the point of the post. Our culture has placed an excessive value on material acquisition. And the promise of high compensation via a reality show can be very seductive. It’s not surprising that participants in these shows as well as people who seek easy money can be seduced. Sure, there are other examples of what you call bad parents. But let’s look at the single common thread among them — the desire for the material benefits that media attention can bring. Perhaps a solution is to have a serious discussion about the merits of pimping one’s kids and placing a higher value on material things than on one’s contribution to improving society.