The other night Ms. L. and I were talking about reality television. You know the usual, what train wrecks are worth watching and what is just simply too much drama even for us. We both talked about how we are not really ‘Reality TV show watchers’ even though there were some that had managed to reel us in over a period of time. I’ll give Ms. L. credit in the fact that she hasn’t been as reeled in as I have.
There was a time that if the caption about the TV show said reality I would instantly turn away and wouldn’t even give it a second look. But then I realized something that I think some people still have not caught onto yet. Reality TV is not truly Reality. I mean think about it, they have writers on Reality TV shows (why if the show is in fact unscripted as they try to convince us). Not only that but there is a whole lot of editing film to make the show’s end result look just real enough to not look like most other television shows and yet still fake enough to know that this much drama could not possibly happen this often to this person.
But the reality shows that I truly love the most are the one’s with a purpose at the end of it. You know, the competition one’s like America’s Next Top Model, Hell’s Kitchen, Master Chef, HGTV Design Star, Food Network Star, those types of shows. However, I have been thinking a lot lately about what a Reality TV show can do for a person who might be trying to make a name for themselves and isn’t having much luck at getting their name out there. If you think about it, these people (you know, the one’s who are at the center of all the drama) are actually smarter then we give them credit for.
Let’s take Snookie from Jersey Shore for example. If she ever decides to stop boozing it up and grows up (hopefully before her child gets here) and she decided that she wanted to start a new business, she doesn’t have to worry about getting her name out there, it already is. Everyone and anyone knows who she is and like her or hate her, she has made probably millions off of the drama that she is the center of. She could literally forge any type of career she wants all because of her stints on reality TV.
It just makes you wonder, just how easy could it be for any one of us to make the name for ourselves that we want. I’m in no way, shape, or form, interested in ever being a part of a reality show (not that I think anyway) but that is largely in part because I care way too much about what people think of me. But if I had the nerve, I can’t say that it wouldn’t be a consideration. Hell these days with the new phenomenon of web series on YouTube you could really start your own. I mean personally I think that there are way more talented people out here then the Snookies and Kardasians of the world that could stand to make a name for themselves. Reality could be the next new way that people can market and brand themselves and become the household name that they want to be. Would you ever consider starting or being a part of a reality show so everyone can know your name?
Jimmetta Carpenter
Writer/Editor
The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)
Writing as “Jaycee Durant”
http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/
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Snooki’s name sells, she has become a business woman and has her name on clothes, slippers, drinks, books, etc.
That is precisely my point. If no talented people such as her can make name for herself and create her own money making brand by acting like an immature fool on reality TV, then perhaps people who actually have talent and a brain in their head could use the strategy of reality TV to make a name for themselves as well. It can’t just be the no talented people in the world that get all of the breaks…