Okay, so the other day, I’m watching “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”. My mom is in the room and so is my daughter. (I’m sure you know where this is going.) My mom watched about two minutes and then loudly asks, “Susan, what do you like about this?” It took me a few minutes to snap out of my reality show haze and think about it. I had no answer for her. I didn’t actually “like” it, I just couldn’t stop watching. When pressed, I could come up with the reasons why I don’t like it but that would take too long and I may miss Teresa and her brother making up.
But now everything in the “reality” world has changed. Russell from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” has committed suicide. This is complicated and we don’t know the details but I would venture to guess being in the Reality show environment didn’t help his situation. This makes me so sad. It’s tragic. I am so sorry for Russell and his family.
I worry about the rest of them. Here’s what I’ve noticed. They never speak of God or faith. At least I’ve never heard it. They give each other bad advice, they are hurtful toward one another and they lie to each other. The screaming and yelling is constant. They bicker and back stab. Nobody seems happy. In their quest for fame and notoriety, they’ve lost their way.
Where is the voice of reason? Where is the voice of faith? Where is love?
Here’s another important question: Why am I watching? Is it the proverbial “train wreck” and I can’t look away? What about us wants to have a window into other people’s lives? Why are these shows so popular?
Would anyone watch a show about a family that was happy? About friends who lifted each other up in prayer? About couples who supported each other and were faithful and kind to one another? Would anyone watch to see kids that behaved and studied and worked hard? Would anyone want to watch people saving for the future or reading books or discussing faith? Would anyone care?
TV in general can be a time waster if you are not careful. “Reality” TV can be something more serious I think. We work to create homes of peace and love and understanding and then we watch and we let the kids watch people behaving in ways that are contrary to what we believe. Maybe you don’t do this, but I have, and now that I’m conscious of it, I need to seriously reconsider what we watch. There are so many choices! We are like kids in a candy store and it’s difficult to monitor ourselves. I figured it was harmless and now I know it’s not. I am recommitting to being mindful about my media choices.
What we take in through our eyes and ears matters. What goes in comes out. When bad language, abusive behavior and poor choices are what we are constantly seeing, we become desensitized. We begin to think that’s normal. And then how do we behave?
While trying to avoid reality TV, here’s something fun to watch. Many people have sent it to me and it’s pretty cool. It’s a creative reminder to make good choices when deciding how to spend our time. After all, we only have so much of it.
©2011 Sue Bidstrup, Great Big Yes™ All Rights Reserved image from technorati.com
Hi Sue,
Thanks for the reminder. Some people say what we see in movies, TV, and magazines does not affect our behavior. If that were so, businesses would not spend lots of money on commercials and other media advertising to get us to buy stuff. Loved the You Tube.
Oh Sue, this is so perfect. I have noticed the same thing with my choice of weekly magazines at the grocery store. I have a 1st grader who can read now and sometimes I’ll see what the headlines are and am horrified. Thanks for the gentle reminder. Keep in mind that on RHW Beverly Hills when Camille goes to Beaver Creek, that is the house that Dana designed. So, you NEED to watch that episode before turning off your TV. ha ha Thanks for keeping the faith!