The Misperception of Reality TV and Race

Oh no, not another reality TV show that centers around a predominantly Black and "wealthy" cast!  By now it is clearly obvious that reality TV is nothing more than fallacy and a joke.  As they cast the show, producers sift through tape after tape, YouTube after YouTube page, occupation after occupation to find the most peculiar set of characters that they can market to bored, TV watching viewers all over America.  If you take the time to spend 44 minutes of your life that you will never get back, to tune into these productions one can simply defend their decision to partake in the viewing of these shows as being simply entertainment.

However, since when did the average every day lives of human beings become entertainment.  Usually in order to be entertained, one would usually pay to view trained, professionals ( I use this term loosely in regards to some entertainers) do what they have somewhat mastered to pay their bills.  You have your experience and then you return home to your normal life.  Now Americans are paying money to watch their neighbors, hair stylists, doctors, butchers, etc. live through their daily lives doing activities that in the end we all may end up doing at some point in our time on Earth.  But wait, there's a catch.

The new stars of these shows are all WOMEN!  These normal every day citizens that sign contracts to become characters, all fall into carefully shaped categories which then become stereotypes in the eyes of the viewers eager to then cast judgment and place all individuals into the categories of their new favorite reality TV stars.  The problem is, every character hides behind their money or perceived fortune.  Money speaks volumes in these shows and that dollar excuses how they act and are portrayed for millions to see.  With your favorite reality shows in mind let's match the characters to their categories!

First and foremost, the majority of the shows all focus on minority women as the faces of the series.  By minority I mean predominantly Black, but many of these ladies are bi-racial.  The males that are highlighted are gangsters, unstable or vicious, while the hard-working respectable gentlemen makes sure that they are left out of the show (I wonder if this done on purpose).  The head or leader of the show is somewhat famous and the most famous of the rest of the cast.  She supposedly has the most money, the most influence, and generally tied to a very notable male celebrity who becomes her claim to fame.  She defends her decision to exploit her companions by claiming that she is empowering women and exposing them to the joys of being an independent, strong woman who can now hold her own and call her own shots.

Next, we have her right-hand who's job is to keep the leader free from drama and the downsides of the foolishness that occurs throughout the season.  She is perceived to be easily controlled, almost as aesthetic as the leader, and almost as successful as the leader, but she cannot become too successful because then the show will obviously turn to focus on her.  So she plays her role perfectly and sits in the pocket to maintain her presence next to the leader.

The next couple of characters all have some kind of connection to the leader and her right-hand.  It is usually the right-hand who introduces them to the leader as a favor to help them out and get them on.  These characters all report directly to the right-hand because the leader rarely has any interactions with them, but they appreciate any amount of face time that they can get.

Now we have the conflict characters.   These characters all come into scenes loud, violent, and are flawless.  They end up being more attractive and just as successful than the leader but because of their attitude and their history, they get labeled as promiscuous, loose, and desperate when in fact, the entire cast have checkered pasts filled with promiscuity, desperation and violence, but this always gets left out right?

Last but certainly not least, we cannot forget the caucasian or woman who's race is different than the majority of the rest of the cast.  She has to be a blonde and she has to talk like, act like, and dress like a "sister" (whatever that means).  She is usually an actress or model who is way past her prime or never made it to her prime.  Her job is to become the scapegoat of the show while taking attention away from the loud conflict characters.  After she has found a way to anger the rest of the cast, she always gets her own show and her race is always focused on in one or more of the episodes as she is accused of being someone she is not.

In all actuality, every one of these characters are clearly being someone they are not.  What the producers do not tell the viewers is that, these some of these women have college degrees, intact and functioning families, and they are generally trying to make something of their lives because face it, who wants to be known as "that chick from the reality TV show"?  No one is perfect and the viewers seem to forget this as they bash and choose sides each and every week these shows come on.

Unfortunately, drama, money, and sex sells.  They have to hone in on the negativity because when the characters are too respectful or nice, they get fired because no one wants to see nice on television.  Well why not?  We can love fictional shows such as The Cosby Show, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire, and even the newly formed Reed Between the Lines, because the characters all seem to be extraordinary and not the normal every day Black family we see on TV, and watch this, there are strong Black males present!  What America does not want you to know is that, actually most families of today are similar to these shows' cast as more and more individuals work hard, come together as a family, and promote growth and class so that the community can see the true view of being a minority in America.

Yet, while viewers can love fictional shows promoting advancement, no one wants to see advancement on a reality show which is advertised as a real life story.  It is time to wake up and realize what the media, writers, and producers are trying to do to races to keep them fighting amongst each other so that they will keep themselves down.  Producers do not have to be seen as racist because the people that participate in these productions do a fine job of this already.  So when will this end? When will the ratings go down so that these shows can become cancelled?  When will the butcher, the janitor, and the neighbor return to their lives instead of trying to make it big on YouTube to make it to the shows that are now viewed by millions every season?  This is not and will never be the standard true lives of minority women in America!