So Reality Television. Let's break it down. There are different categories of Reality Television.
When I began writing this post I tried to fit it all in one, and it started to look like a novel. So this one's going to be a multi-parter.
When there is an emphasis on skill over "personality" the more discerning TV viewer will deem reality "watchable." I would place the Bravo reality offerings (with the big big exception of the real housewives franchise and that awful fake gossip girl i like to pretend never happened) and CBS ones (especially the Amazing Race which is also totally travel porn) into this category. For me these are almost not reality shows and more very complicated game/competition shows. Sure, we have reality show staples like story editing, villains, and confessionals, but they (usually) don't just focus on drunken fights and schadenfreude. Although there are some drunken interludes and ill-advised romances, though they tend to be distractions with the competition being the main focus. With the bravo series you even come away from them thinking you learned something. My favorite seasons tend to have more bombastic personalities such as Santino on Project Runway, but I still cared more about the most talented designer winning. What is most appealing is a sense that these shows are meritocracies and (hopefully) contestants aren't kept around just to keep the drama going. Although, well, you never know. There is an elite element here - these are the shows you openly admit to watching.
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