How Reality TV has changed our interpersonal relationships (husband, male, member)
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This is a topic about Non-Romantic Relationships, not TV. Please don't move it.
I'm noticing more and more how so much "reality" TV has influenced a lot of change in the "normal" lives of most of us, even if we don't normally watch reality-TV. I'm thinking of roughly that last 16 years, so maybe 2000-present. Things that are prevalent on reality TV are becoming more and more "normal" in real life.
Examples:
1. Public fights (verbal with an audience or online with an audience) including "cutting" people out of one's life. Sure this happened in the past, but I think there was more of a sense of "not airing your dirty laundry in public" in the past. Now, since loud dramatic arguments are seen on TV a lot, people have decided it's something to add to their everyday "menu" of behavior. Also, in the past, people did become estranged and "cut others off" more or less permanently, but today, it seems to be broadcast much more publicly. It used to be something that, if you did cut someone out of your life, you'd be more private about. It was kind of a big deal to cut a relative out of your life, and not a situation you'd necessarily be proud of. Nowadays, people seem to brag openly about how they've cut this or that person off for good.
2. Big production going into a marriage proposal. It seems like anyone I hear about getting engaged today has some big story about all the "production" the guy put into surprising the woman and proposing marriage. Secret planning with the woman's friends and family. Secret planting of a band or musician to spontaneously start playing music. Even some over-the-top "romantic" date like going to the top of some building, to get on your knee and propose. I think back in my day, guys just popped the question, and maybe the biggest "production" would be going to a nice restaurant or getting on his knee. Now it's all public and lots of over-the-top spectacle. I totally blame reality TV shows for this trend. I see it's even trickled down to asking someone to the prom in high school. No longer is it just asking someone to the prom, but a big production-number and prom-posal.
4. Baby Gender Reveal Parties. Seriously, No one ever had such a stupid party before reality TV shows invented this. In the old days, expectant couples would just announce to family "It's a ___!" You'd say "Oh that's great, congrats" and move on. Now, you have to rent out a big catering hall or invite 100 people to your big open-floor-plan house and have a huge gender reveal party. It has to involve some trick like releasing pink or blue balloons, or cutting into a cake that is pink or blue inside. Seems to me to be just another excuse to solicit gifts or to draw attention to oneself.
5. Talking on your cell phone on speaker. Yes, we all see people out in public talking on their cellphones all the time. I get it. But now I am noticing more and more people talking on their cell phones, in public, with the phone out in front of them, horizontally, and on speaker. I'm sure this is what reality TV people do so that the audience can get both sides of their phone conversation. But real people, in real life, have no good reason to be talking on the phone this way out in public. I might put my phone in my office on speaker when I have colleagues in my office and we have to conference with someone else. I might put a personal call on speaker when I'm at home doing something with both my hands and I can't hold the phone. But that's because I'm home and no one around me can hear the conversation or be disturbed by the conversation.
6. Yelling and "hooting" when happy about something. I know there have always been loud people and people like me who are not so loud. But it seems to me in the recent decade or so, it's more "normal" to yell and "whhhooooooohh" when you're happy about even the smallest thing. I don't think I really ever saw this with any regularity prior to this century. Maybe at a sporting event you'd yell "yyyeeeaaahhh!" or "whhhhooooo-hooooo." Or on the rare occasion where there'd be male strippers, women would yell like that (and yes, I was annoyed by that even 20 years ago). But now people (mostly women for whatever reason) seem to do this out in public for reasons as small as ordering a second drink, the food arriving at their table, or seeing a good looking guy, or finding out something is on sale when as the cash register. I even notice people I knew for years, who never were so loud or apt to draw attention to themselves in the past, now doing this yelling/hooting thing. I even saw professional women at a professional conference doing this when a speaker said something they agreed with. I really think seeing it on TV so much has put this onto the "menu" of people who in the past never would have considered doing it.
What other ways have you noticed reality TV affecting our normal lives and interpersonal relationships?
Last edited by Tracysherm; 10-17-2016 at 02:43 PM..
I won't deny I've seen a little of what you are writing about, but I have never thought reality TV was the cause behind most of it. Maybe because I don't watch that genre of tv?
I think it's a stretch to blame tv for much of it though. Maybe it would help if you listed the shows you think the behavior originated with.
I don't think things like open floor plans and granite counter tops would be so popular if they didn't work out well for families.Fighting in public, hooting when happy, and using a phone on speaker are things that just aren't commonplace in my world.
But if reality tv is where gender reveal parties first occurred, I share your disdain.
Kardashians are behind it! They are just trash. Next thing they'll have North dressing in see-through outfits like her mom. But yes, in general I think you have something there!
I won't deny I've seen a little of what you are writing about, but I have never thought reality TV was the cause behind most of it. Maybe because I don't watch that genre of tv?
I think it's a stretch to blame tv for much of it though. Maybe it would help if you listed the shows you think the behavior originated with.
I don't think things like open floor plans and granite counter tops would be so popular if they didn't work out well for families.Fighting in public, hooting when happy, and using a phone on speaker are things that just aren't commonplace in my world.
But if reality tv is where gender reveal parties first occurred, I share your disdain.
I don't watch the "interpersonal drama" type reality shows, like the Kardassians, Big Brother, Real housewives, etc. But even just flicking through channels, if one of those shows is on, I see people talking on their cell phones, with phone horizontal and on speaker. I watch the "educational" type reality shows like American Pickers, and they also talk that way on their cell phones.
I do watch some reality shows that are more tame family oriented shows, like The Little Couple, Little People Big World, Bringing Up Bates, and Counting On, and there was a recent show on TLC about the lives of unusually tall women. Those shows are where they ALWAYS seem to be having baby gender reveal parties, over-the-top marriage proposals, and (I forgot to mention above) big ceremonies for renewing of marriage vows.
Every time I see any clip of one of the trashy reality shows, including the competition type reality shows, there is also was screaming, hooting, and yelling. Think of the audience from 1970s Price is Right but acting that way in everyday life. I certainly don't behave that way, but I see people even in my circles (educated, suburban, middle class) acting this way more and more (and it's quite annoying). I think back to TV audiences on shows in the 80s, like talk shows, and the audience would clap at times, laugh at times, and remain silent most of the time. But ever since maybe Oprah, TV audiences now seem to have to hoot and whoooo-hooo, and scream whenever something mildly positive is stated. I really think that had bled into people's everyday lives. So maybe it's not just the reality TV genre and all its subgenres, but also shows with studio audiences.
I agree with you and is one of the reasons I am watching Bewitched at this very moment . Adult, sophisticated humor with NO mention of politics or religion . Nothing hate stirring .
I watch the old movie channels and the TV shows from the 50's through EARLY 70's .
People are dressed and moving forward and are not drunk beating the h*ll out of each other naked for whatever prize .
My husband says this is popular because it is cheap to make . I TRIED to watch the Gypsy sisters after seeing a few of the gypsy wedding shows , but could not take the screaming and fighting .
LOL the strange thing is that I am not straight AT ALL and our family leads a very alternative life but nope ,, I'd take Andy Griffith over any reality show . I need a break from the world .
Just yesterday in the grocery store I was walking along quietly and a woman with a pink metal 'necklace' walked past me talking her head off - and I looked to see who she was talking to .. no one .. except maybe that pink thing around her neck which might have been a phone I guess (though it didn't look like one .. more likely some kind of Bluetooth device . but she had no purse and was wearing skin tight jeans with no pockets so where she was hiding the phone I have no idea. Nor do I have any idea if she was doing that because of a 'reality tv show' but I would not be surprised if there was not some influence there, direct or indirect). I do mumble to myself occasionally as I try to remember what else I needed to get at the store but this was a whole new ballgame - past even using speaker phone maybe.
Weddings .. those I do believe were influenced by 'reality tv' to a great extent. The expectations way too many brides now have are far beyond what they dreamt of when there were just bridal magazines .. they are astounding and very expensive - and having that kind of pressure to not just put on a regular old fashioned wedding reception at the local church hall or your own backyard, can turn a bride to be into a bridezilla (who must get her gown from THE best designer .. as seen on reality tv .. have her cake made by only the best and most expensive renowned bakers .. Hello, reality tv .. and forget the daisies in old jam jars .. here come the florists whose arrangements for exotic flowers flown in from around the world cost more than a new house (and p.s. what DO they do with all those flowers in 10 hours when the Ritz ballroom is again empty?)). If one doesn't succumb, at the very least a young lady may be so darned disappointed when her parents cannot finance such extravaganzas that she has been lead by the internet and tv to believe are her 'right' that she feels less than a pauper/the Joneses and can't even enjoy her own wedding preparations/celebration as she should.
Whatever the reasons for the 'reality tv' craze I am SURE it influences how people act in everyday life.. just like when people began using 'L33tsp33k' online etc. I noticed that they swore that language would not creep into everyday life and certainly not into business emails, etc. but it has.
Cant take any of this type of show. Cant see the attraction although I know they are popular...Cheap to produce too.
I DVRed a 'reality' show about restoring classic MOPARS. I had to FF through all the made up drama just to get a few short minutes of an expert MOPAR restorer...
I've got some acquaintances and friends who watch and are invested into much of the reality TV. I know of a few that are almost depressed because their life isn't like what's in reality TV.
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