Reality Bites

Turn the TV on practically any night of the week, and one is confronted by what has been dubbed "reality television". Shows where ordinary people are lumped together in a place and their every move is scrutinised not only by the cameras, but also the viewers. Shows like "Survivor", "The Resort", "Big Brother" and "Ground Force" all have become an integral part of our voracious appetite for something different.

I myself am not an avid viewer of television, with my average viewing being about two hours a week. This is generally watching "Queer As Folk" and the few minutes in the morning of the "Today" and "Sunrise" shows - the latter two purely to see what the weather is going to be for the day.

Yet over the last two weeks, I have sat down with my flat mate and watched these reality TV shows. And what I have seen has not only surprised me, but also re-enforced my opinion of humanity and the media in general.

Take the issue of sexuality on these shows. Most of them have their token gay guy or couple simply to some-how attract the gay viewers. None have a lesbian or lesbian couple though. Is this because two lesbians would be difficult for the straight community to 'spot'? Seriously, if one did not know better, any two women seen on the street could be mistaken as lesbians, especially as they walk around holding hands, hugging etc. Men don't do that, unless one is openly gay and likes flaunting it.

Body beautiful seems to be the order of the day with these shows. I have yet to see a fat man or woman on any of these shows, and most are under 30 years old. If they do exist like that US show where the fat guy is used as a "stooge", it simply is there for the laugh factor. Or is it my imagination? Nah can't be - these kind of people simply don't exist in real life. Do they?

And oh the bitchiness and cattiness of them all! My God! I never knew straight people to be so manipulative! I thought it was the domain of sexually frustrated queens that could have claws so big and sharp and dangerous! Or does the issue of 15 minutes of fame and money bring out the best [or worst] in all of us?

But then I keep forgetting that I lead a sheltered life and my circle of friends and work colleagues are in the minority. I simply must work in an industry where my fellow workers are made up of a vast variety of people. If I had to do a quick calculation, I would say about 20% are gay/lesbian, 30% would be considered as "fat", and of the remaining 50%, half of these would be 40 and above. The good-looking guys and girls would account for about 30% of the total workers - bearing in mind that most are also gay or lesbians.

Then again, maybe these shows are called "reality TV" simply because that is how we envisage our "reality" to be - full of beautiful young people. Or is it the money generated from the advertising and the high viewership of these shows that leads the producers to fill these shows with their "perceived" view of what reality is all about?

Don't know who needs to get a life. Me switching the TV set off and going out and mingling with the "real" people of these world which is full of beautiful people; or the producers who need a reality check simply by walking down any major shopping strip and looking at who is around them.

I know one thing though. Reality bites - whether it bites me or the producers - you decide!

James