Reality in Life and on Screen
I was sitting on a Delta jet high over a sea of clouds heading to Atlanta. I often take unread magazines with me. I was reading a copy of Time Magazine, Feb. 22, 2010.
I came to an article, What’s Right With Reality TV. There was a full page picture of folks in “Reality Nation.” Since I am not a fan of the genre I recognized very few faces, but I read all five pages of the articles.
I thought about my blog about Becoming Authentic! I began to think I was either very naive or simply out of touch with authenticity. The writer had a lot to say about authenticity. You package yourself, picking identities, “like a producer…you edit yourself to fit the context” (whichever one of you it happens to be at the time). Each one is “entirely authentic.” Basically, you make it up and it’s all REAL?
I saw the phrase “the realitization of reality” and felt confused. What does that mean? It was defined as “the evolution of once private, or at least obscure, acts into performance.” When I returned to Arizona I looked for the word “realitization” in my Webster’s New World Dictionary. It isn’t in there. Perhaps my “new dictionary” is already out of date.
I also looked up REAL: existing as fact, actual, true not merely pretended, imagined, authentic, genuine and so forth. Sounded OK to me. Back to the Velveteen Rabbit question, “What is real?”
I’m in a profession where, like priests in a confessional, confidentiality is sacred. What’s Right With Reality TV questions the whole idea of privacy. “Now the default setting is publicity, not privacy.” In the words of “Rachel” from some Real program, “Nowadays being anonymous is worse than being poor.” (Her face was probably there in the “Nation.”) I am one who cuts or tears off my mailing address on the magazines I read and leave on the airplane. I am being anonymous! But I don’t think it is worse than being poor.
Also the “viralization of people?” I bet that’s not in the dictionary either. I’ll have to think more about that.
One Response to “Reality in Life and on Screen”
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gremus says: March 6, 2010 at 12:27 pmBarbara –
I’m on board with you here, even if Time isn’t. I have a relative who works in “Reality” tv, and the funny thing is that the article isn’t even entirely accurate. “Reality” tv is just as scripted as other tv! There are producers, writers, etc. all working to make sure that the “Reality” that happens is as entertaining as possible. And if it isn’t, they re-shoot!
I believe our cultural fascination with reality tv has little to do with reality – it’s just another form of our obsession with celebrity. Everyone wants to feel like they are special, and the most obvious way to do that is to be noticed by everyone, have doors opened for you, the best table in restaurants, etc.
All exactly the opposite of Star or any long term recovery program. Where feeling good and grounded and loved comes from within, and takes a lot of hard emotional work. And true “reality” comes from what you mentioned in your other posts – finding that balance between authenticity and compassion. And getting to a point where they are one and the same, when we’ve shed enough of our bad habits, limiting beliefs, and perceived “needs” to be able to exist in the moment and let go of outcomes.
Anyhow, loved the post, keep them coming!
George
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