The Reality of TV

So, I’ve been working on this one for awhile. A friend of mine suggested that I write it after reading “The Soap.” I hope it lives up to his expectations. But, on a personal note, I have been utterly appalled at the number of “Reality” shows that are taking over our TVs. The other night when my hubby was flipping channels, it seemed that he could not find anything else on. Please don’t misunderstand…I enjoy my share of reality TV, but there are just some shows that I find to be too ridiculous and too demeaning to watch. Also, as a side note, in my research for this poem, I counted over 150 reality TV shows coming out this summer alone. Enough said!

Talk about an overload
Is “reality” TV real?
I can’t begin to tell you
How horrified I feel.

It started out so simple,
With a game show or two.
Followed by competitions
A winner gets their due.

But now it’s downright crazy
And seems out of control,
As this ever present nuisance
Begins to take its toll.

Don’t get me wrong,
We’ve been entertained.
But how much of this realness
Can we fit into our brains?

There are shows about cooking,
And baking and eating,
And shows about dating
And weddings and cheating.

You can join in on the hunt
For houses to buy,
Or follow the hunters of
Ghosts gone awry.

There’s dancing and singing
And shows of the like,
Shows about customizing
A car or a bike.

You can watch people design
A dress or a room,
A yard can be transformed
With a few dozen blooms.

There are shows about housewives
And mob wives and nannies,
Shows where contestants
Try to lose their big fannies.

There are shows about pawning
Selling and buying,
And shows about trading
And fishing and flying.

You can watch as one
Faces an intervention,
Watch as some talk of
Things too taboo to mention.

There are shows about gypsies
Hillbillies and rednecks.
Shows about millionaires
Who could write you a blank check.

What about those shows
Where they catch a criminal?
Or the psychics who work with
The dead or subliminal?

There are shows about families
That are incredibly fake.
They are all spoiled brats
Despite the money they make.

There are so many more
I’ve barely scratched the surface.
But I think by now you get
The gist and the purpose

Of what I am trying
So hard to say.
We’ve become obsessed
With “reality” today.

So take a good look
At that show on TV.
If it seems unrealistic
It really might be.

image http://telehealthdave.com/mental-health/reality-tv-shows-affecting-mind-bad-way