The tribe has spoken, you have been eliminated from the race, please pack your knives and go. These sayings have been in my life since I can remember.
You cannot turn on your TV during primetime television and not have the option to watch a reality TV show.
While some frown upon the so-called trashy, controversial and fictional reality TV shows, I embrace them.
I am proud to say that I have seen all 25 seasons of “Survivor” in their entirety. I have been to 85 different countries while sitting on my couch watching “The Amazing Race.” I know how to debone, fillet and pan sear a chicken in one hour because of “Top Chef.”
If others say they are bad, why do people watch them? The answer is simple.
They are pure entertainment. People get lost in the lives of others and live through their wild partying and adventures.
Not every American will get the chance to have a multimillion-dollar wedding to a basketball player, file for divorce 72 days later, then be pregnant with Kanye West’s baby three months afterward.
While I do not agree with the practices of the Kardashian clan or the wild antics of “The Real Housewives” of whatever city it may be, Americans watch these shows because they love drama.
I personally don’t care about what Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom are doing or how Honey Boo Boo is being redneckognized.
I do care about how people can be cunning enough to outwit, outlast and outplay people on “Survivor.” I do care about the physical fitness needed to handle “The Amazing Race.” I do care about the talent found on shows like “American Idol.”
Can you imagine a world without Kelly Clarkson or One Direction?
They were all discovered on reality TV shows and have gone on to sell out stadiums and make millions. It gives the everyday Americans the chance to live their dreams.
Not only have reality TV shows given us entertainment, knowledgeable skills and talent, but it has helped save the TV networks’ ratings.
According to James Poniewozik’s article, “Why Reality TV Is Good For Us,” found in the February 2003 issue of Time Magazine, reality TV brings back viewers who are asking themselves, “What more could possibly happen?” These shows also give viewers an opportunity to jump in halfway through a season and not be completely lost.
Reality TV has received a bad reputation over the years. People need to find the right reality TV show for them. After all, “America’s Got Talent.”