Ever wondered why we watch reality-tv so much (as a percentage of population)?
I mean, how could/did that voyeur behaviour (or voyeur interest) be of useful value in man`s evolution?
Is it just linked to the hunter instinct, in some way? You just stand there and get ready to pounce on your target. Fine for hunting settings.
But in modern-day social settings…ugh? Could be a perverse spin-off of it?
Like gossip (of people far away, outside of our ability to influence) and reality tv (we all know its staged in some ways to maximize ratings), why do we find fascination in others lives, fascination that has absolutely nothing but entertainment (no survival) value ? Aren`t our lives supposed to be challenging enough to not bother about people we will never know?
And why is that instinct so strong and widespread, if we taking tv ratings as true?
Surely, like sex, it must be driven by some past good for survival efficiency. Or it`s just a twist of our need for imagination / projection / whatever?
I watched Survivor at first because I’m a pretty decent woodsman and I thought it would really be about survival. Once I saw it was a bunch of lame city folks that didn’t have a clue and most of it was about forming cliques, etc. I lost interest.
I honestly don’t see the appeal of any of them, except Dog Eat Dog. That seems like a combination of athletic ability and brainpower…and no eating pig’s assholes.
It’s just the same reason people are interested in the lives of celebs. My fiancee is always talking about some dumb, unnecessary shit happening in Hollywood. Who the fuck cares.
Reality shows are interesting for the same reason sports are, except there is a little more of a story. Ok, that might annoy some people? but what the hell.
Personally I really dislike this vote another person off thing that is so popular. I would prefer some sort of competition where the winner actually earns it.
Then there is Extreme Makeover. Ok, I watch this show. The whole idea of people being happy when the show comes to them and tells them, “You are the ugliest person we could find.”
I like them because I like to see other people do stupid things. Drunks in fights, sluts sleeping around, whatever. It makes me feel better about myself.
The chick on Dog eat dog is hotter than hell, other than that they seem pretty worthless.
The “gross out” stunts on Fear Factor can be funny, it’s amazing what some people will subject themselves to or put in their mouth for a chance to win 25 grand.
Like Steelyeyes, I checked the first Survivor because I thought it would really be about survivalism. That was enough for me.
I had to laugh at one radio broadcaster’s remarks about so called “reality” TV – How much “reality” is edited, choreographed and set to music?
I do occasionally catch Dog Eat Dog or Fear Factor, mainly because it’s more like a game show than anything close to reality. Voyeurism? Hardly. And I REALLY don’t care for the shows like Big Brother. Enticing conflict just serves no purpose in my book.
