Reality TV Does Not Make Good Television Argumentative Essay Example

The Kardashians, American Idol, and Real Housewives - All shows with a distinct personality, but what do they offer in terms of quality television? Reality tv shows have been gripping the world’s attention for a very long time. They may look pretty, offer drama, and even create celebrities, but are they actually good shows? Reality tv simply does not make good television, because It lacks story, is not sustainable, and lacks actual realism.

One of the primary reasons why reality tv does not make good television is because it lacks story. Life is not always entertaining, and it’s not supposed to be. What happens when the show has nothing to base an episode around? The result is a boring filler episode. With reality tv, that’s bound to happen several times a season.  Not only can life not be entertaining, but it can also be repetitive. When the lives of the “characters” get repetitive, the show does as well. Why would viewers keep watching a boring show? Not only does reality tv lack story, it also cannot be sustainable.

Reality tv is not at all sustainable, because the lives of individuals can only be so interesting. There is rarely a greater moral or lesson the audience can take away from the show. What is the moral of “Judge Judy”, and of “90-day fiance”? They might have an entertaining concept, but that’s not a reliable way to make television. An Intriguing concept only gets a show so far if they have nothing else backing them up. There is no sense of direction, no bigger picture. This gives the audience less of a reason to actually care about what’s going on, and if they don’t care, what’s to prevent them from changing the channel? The show will usually throw in unnecessary drama, which emphasizes its lack of realism.

The final reason why reality tv does not make good television is that it lacks realism. When the show gets boring, the creators throw in drama that would make no sense in the real world. This drama is created from situations that aren’t dramatic at all, and when the situation is even slightly dramatic, it is heavily emphasized. For example, almost every winner of “American Idol” has a sad backstory that is heavily played up to make the audience sympathize with them. In “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, drama can come from something as simple as a wardrobe malfunction. This begs the question, what’s the point of a reality tv show, without realism?

Reality tv does not make good television, because It lacks story, is not sustainable, and it lacks actual realism. It may be unique, flashy, and catch the viewer's attention, but lacks anything that is important or interesting, anything that will keep the viewer watching for multiple seasons. There is no real purpose or story to tell.