These days it’s not unusual to turn on the television to see yet another reality TV show doing a stint on one of the main TV channels.
With The Great British Bake Off about to reach its conclusion on Wednesday and with The X Factor gracing our screens every weekend until Christmas, it is virtually impossible to avoid.
Reality television now ranges from ‘talent’ contests to alleged ‘windows’ into other people’s lives.
And there has been much deliberation in recent times over whether what people see is really an appropriate example to set.
Should young girls want to wear fake tan, hair extensions and have botox like the women on The Only Way is Essex do?
And should we all relish in the turmoil Simon Cowell inflicts on young and often naïve hopefuls?
Here at MM, we took to the streets of Manchester to find out what people thought and asked:
Is there too much reality TV on television?
|
Option |
Result |
|
Yes |
66% |
|
No |
34% |
Cassius Kiani, 22, a business development executive from Manchester, said: “I understand why there is a lot of it at certain peak times of the year, towards winter months, because people have more time to spend at home.
“I don’t personally see much of it but the market is saturated with it.”
PHD Physics student Costa Demetroullas, 26, originally from Greece, takes a stronger approach to the reality TV he has experienced.
“It’s all too boring, I can’t stand them! They all promote the wrong role models for people,” he said.
University of Salford Graphic Design graduate Marcus Craven, 22, agreed: “I don’t like reality TV – it’s just people trying to make a name for themselves to get famous.
“It was quite a good experience when it was new 12 years ago, but now it’s all just over-edited trash.”
NOT A-PEELING: Marcus Craven believes the shows are ‘over-edited’
Joe O’Donnell, 21, who works in the Manchester skate shop Note, has so little interest in reality television he has almost no experience of it.
He said: “I don’t really watch it, I don’t have a TV! I probably wouldn’t watch it if I had though because I don’t care and it doesn’t interest me.”
Students in particular appear to be unconvinced about the ‘reality’ element, as many believe they are scripted and set up only for entertainment purposes.
Laraib Saeed, 18, a University of Manchester Pharmacy student, said: “Sometimes they are just too scripted.
“And because they are always on at the same time it is hard to watch them all, as they’ve become too popular.”
MMU Chemistry student Sarah Hamilton, 19, agrees: “There is something for everyone because we are interested in other people’s lives, even though it’s often fake.”
‘SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE’: We are interested in other people’s lives, claims Sarah Hamilton
Those of the older generation are also inclined to agree however, including 70-year-old reggae musican Wyatt, who performs with the Exhibit Reggae Band.
He said: “It’s too much fiction most of the time. It’s not real, it’s all for profit and edited for prime time. Not everyone wants it, it’s forced on you.”
HITTING THE WRONG NOTE: Musican Wyatt sees the programmes as ‘all for profit’
Julie Spink, 56, from Manchester, disagrees though.
“There’s not really too much because you can switch it off. There are a lot but there’s a lot of other stuff you can watch too,” she said.
Chemical engineer Ahmad Almubarak certainly picks and chooses what he watches in his free time.
He said: “I only watch the first audition bits of contests like Britain’s Got Talent on YouTube. The rest – like Jersey Shore – are pointless.”
The common cynical feeling towards reality television and what it provides is reiterated by Amy Harvey.
The 19-year-old MMU Teaching student said: “A lot of people just want to be famous. Reality TV represents people in a bad way, especially the ones which show people who are always getting drunk and partying.”
Image courtesy of CNBC, via YouTube, with thanks
