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THE REALITY OF REALITY TV
By Erin Day
It is no mystery that reality TV is turning into a craze within our society. Lately, these shows have been playing the role of matchmaker, changing the way we look at relationships.
Networks like ABC, MTV, and Fox are known for filling their line up of shows with young and attractive love hopefuls. A reality series is known for drawing on fairy-tale notions with a twist, usually having to do with a large sum of money. These shows are obviously planned and scripted at times, but somehow we always seem to get hooked.
It is still surprising to some people that a series like Joe Millionaire or The Bachelor can result in a huge hit. Especially since most of these organized romances never last. Sure, it is a quick, easy buck, but once a network finds a show that gets a mass audience, they build on it. No matter how extreme a series may be at times, it works.
Just when you thought reality TV reached its limits, along came Married by America. Last weekend Fox aired this new series, and it is already showing signs of promise. It features five couples who are paired up for the sole purpose of allowing the American people to watch and vote on which couple should be married. The lucky pair that is chosen will win one million dollars if they can stay married for 180 days.
Executive producer of the series, Tim Haimes explained to Newsday how he got the idea for Married by America.
“Last spring , I read an article that said 60 percent of marriages in the world today are arranged, and it said that those people in those arranged marriages were happy. I was actually struck by two thoughts. It provoked the question, can you learn to love someone? And, what a great idea for a reality show!”
Not everyone shares the same excitement as Haimes. Many groups like the Catholic League have spoke out against the series, calling marriage “a sacred ritual, not a crude form of entertainment.” Todd Brady, minister of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee is concerned about the values of a society that finds a show like this acceptable.
“The seriousness of marriage should not be trivialized as a tool of entertainment for the masses. Nor should it be used as a way of making money. Marriage is an end itself, and not a means to another end.”Love is very much a reality, but sometimes a truth that human beings struggle with. The public is drawn into these romantic fantasies provided by reality TV, and people will tend to live out their own dreams through complete strangers. In the end, it doesn’t matter what happens to these people, it’s the journey that counts the most.