Reality Bites
Brigette Moland
I flipped on the T.V. and an image of a girl eating worms appeared. Eating my dinner at the time and being disgusted by the sight, I began surfing the channels to see if I could find something a little more appealing to watch.
As I flipped through the channels, I saw clips
from the Real World, Trading Spaces and countless other shows of
people picking people to date on T.V., as well as plastic surgery
makeovers. All I wanted was a good lighthearted show to watch while
finishing dinner.
I finally decided on Fear
Factor. I couldn't believe I was watching it, but I couldn't find anything
else to watch on a Monday night. During the commercial, ads showing clips
for the countdown till the end of Friends appeared to me. Now
normally I wouldn't think anything of this until I realized the other shows
that are going off the air this season. I knew of three going off-air for
sure and another one contemplating the idea. Two of the shows have been
T.V. “must-sees” for the past few years. I can’t believe it but not only
was Friends ending their show, but Frasier, Sex and the City,
and possibly a few more.
The last of the good quality sitcoms were going
to stop airing as of the spring season. Maybe it is time they retire from
their show and let other new shows take their place. However, what kinds
of shows will take their place?
Lately
reality T.V. has taken over. Reality shows are based on fear, dating,
image, house remodeling and even marriages are taking over the television
screen as we know it. No longer will shows like Friends or Frasier
be on to relax and humor us, but people will now be trying to find which form
of reality they will want to watch next instead of snuggling on the couch to
watch some of the fictional T.V characters being heroic or funny.
I cannot believe this but the sitcoms are slowly
disappearing and reality is taking its place. What happened to the days,
when flipping on the T.V. to watch the infamous Tanner family, see the dramatic
life situations of General Hospital, or watch the ongoing saga of Ross and
Rachel’s relationship was so easy and carefree? Since when was everyone
obsessed with the reality of situations and stop caring about entertaining
sitcoms?
This is a disgrace to television, no longer will
I look forward to the fictional settings and scene and even television actors,
but I will be faced with the reality of everyday people broadcasting a part of
their lives over the television. I think I’d rather eat the worms than be
forced to have nothing else to watch but reality T.V.