Is Reality TV a good thing or just trash TV?

I dunno what to believe anymore. Most are not I feel even real. Most are made up and just put in for a good show instead of doing what they used to do in the past. Which was caring. Nowadays people don't really care as long A they get their money and B I even hear those that are not even paid well would actually not try and do their best for reality shows. I don't bother watching them because of these reasons. Why bother watching when none you see are not doing their best? So I watch what I enjoy on my laptop not even to bother thinking about those non good shows. '-'

I'd say it's trash mostly. I have seen at least one that I found entertaining back when I was more into television, but for the most part they feel too fake. And there are a few that are so fake it's almost painful to watch and even more painful to think that some people I know actually think said shows are real. Lol I won't call any shows by name or specify why they're do obviously fake so as not to offend any fans that may be on here, but yeah suffice to say that I doubt much reality TV is real. Why? What you and I live each day is reality, that doesn't seem entertaining enough for a TV show does it? Yeah, same goes for these other people and their reality. Directors and yes, script writers, are spicing it up before putting it on the air in my opinion.

Besides, almost none of it is entertaining as far as I'm concerned, so meh.

I will say it is both, sometimes true and some times "un coup monte"......

Eirinn : I for one hardly have time for it because of all the good scripted shows!!

Well, it depends on your perspective, and how it's used. I will admit though, most of these shows are either scripted, or filmed over such a long period of time with everything but the high lights filtered out, it could hard be called "reality" TV in the first place.

For instance, if you only watch the show for a few good laughs, or just on occasion for whatever reason, it can actually be a positive influence on you. For me personally, I'll watch them every so often (not so much watch, as end up seeing it when my mom is watching them, as she does so very often) just to remind myself how not to behave. The things the characters end up fighting or hating each other over tends to be so petty it can even make the show / characters themselves unbelievable. I mean one of the few reasons I'll sit down and watch it for maybe an episode at a time (the most I can handle) is for a few laughs at how incredibly petty or fake the show actually is. I understand most of this is either scripted or just the high lights of the drama, but it's still a decent reference point in how you should carry yourself, if only not doing what they do lol. It's the people who watch these shows and become extremely invested in it who it tends to be an issue for. I mean if you watch reality TV for any longer than 4 - 6 hours, on a daily basis or not, it will literally start to rot brain cells. Not very intellectually stimulating

Also, most of these shows are filmed over the period of 6 months to a year. Out of all this time, the half an hour to an hour you see each week, for only so many weeks out of the year, are only the high lights from that huge span of time, all the boring stuff edited out. It can hardly be called reality TV when they intentionally cut out everything that isn't interesting, and only leave what they know or think the audience will want to see. If I put all the high lights of a year's worth of my life on television, a lot of people would probably think I'm actually interesting in some way XD

I honestly can't stand Reality TV a lot of the time. I don't really enjoy Reality TV in general, since I never saw the appeal in it. When I want to watch a show I want to watch something that tells an interesting story or I find educational. This is usually neither and I often find the concept stupid. Some shows feel so fake that it's even kind of cringe inducing for me to watch them. Though there might be some that do try to stay true to real life, I get the impression that most are heavily scripted. Just seems like a lot of scenarios or characters are so exaggerated that it's too farfetched to happen under normal real life circumstances.

The intent of reality TV is largely exploitative. The people behind the shows exploit and manipulate reality in order to sell the show. Some promote good, though. Many game shows promote learning, such as Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, and Merv Griffin's Crosswords (but really, who remembers that one heh heh...I do...). They may accomplish this via crude means, but that's better than not promoting the good at all.

If you ever get the chance, I suggest watching "The Truman Show". It's about a guy whose entire life is manipulated by an exec who likens himself to a kind of God. Truman's life is on TV 24/7 for people to watch. Truman faces severe opposition to leaving, but in the end, he does. It's a masterwork and a classic that has a lot to say.

A majority of television programming is terrible. Reality television doesn't do much more than glorify conflict and drama. I feel like people try to create these sorts of things during the day and in their lives because they see it on television and it's hot and sexy and makes them more important than they are.

Without reality television, I feel like everyone I know would be about 30% more chilled out about things instead of constantly trying to pick fights and arguments. They're always trying to have zinging conversations and sexy back-and-forths and it never seems to work because they don't have professional writers working for them.

Turn the tv off, turn your brain on.

Trash. Pure stinking trash. I mean,you have a bunch of people in an unrealistic situation,have them whine and b---h,talk behind someone's back and maybe start a fight or two. The only reason reality TV is huge is,they can make reality TV for far less than an actual show.

Oh how I hate reality television it's a waste of a television slot and is only further dumbing down this generation. All of it's fake from the rented/leased houses to the rented/leased cars to the fake fights and staged scenes (alot of which is said to be staged or faked in the shows credits) but for some reason people keep mindlessly watching this garbage.