Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Has reality TV gone too far?

It is no surprise that reality TV has become the new genre for entertainment television but has reality TV gone too far? Many would say that reality TV is a poor representation of people but especially women and more specifically black women. I do not disagree with this analogy. A lot of reality TV shows have begun to display acts of violence and use of inappropriate language. Maybe this is for ratings because it does seem to draw people in and have them coming back each week for more and more. What does this say about our society and the next generation? Do we love to see other people acting poorly? Are we obsessed with drama? Have we become numb to violence and are willing to accept it in certain scenarios? Do we no longer care about the images our children see on television? Although, I feel like there is truth in each of those questions, I also feel that some of us watch these shows with a grain of salt and take them for what they are meant to be - Entertainment. I heard K-Michelle of Love N Hip HOP Atlanta on the radio the other day and she made a very valid point. She was asked if she felt she was a role model for young girls and she said that these shows should not be raising our children. I agree. I think that some people are too critical of the people in these shows as far as expecting them to be role models for our children. I personally feel like it is up to each individual to control what their children can watch on TV and when. I am the mother of a young, impressionable girl. I love reality TV but I don't allow my daughter to watch certain shows and that's not just reality TV. Although, I love my reality TV there is a limit of what I will watch as well. There are certain shows that are extremely violent and I won't watch these. When Evelyn Lozada from Basketball wives became extremely violent by throwing a bottle at a lady, I declared that I would not watch the show anymore because that crossed the line and I felt that she may have needed some therapy. I am an old school girl and I still prefer sitcoms and primetime television. I will continue to watch certain reality TV shows because I enjoy the entertainment of them. Give me your feedback!!!