There is Rest in Reality (Television)

My favorite reality television show of the moment is The Hills: New Beginnings. I watched each episode after the day it premiered as I was going into the weekend. There is no shortage of drama, oftentimes petty. I also watch the cast grow into their ambitions and relationships. They go on the best vacations. There is enough vocal fry to supply McDonald’s restaurants nationwide The opening credits montage is hysterical for the high glamour stares. Kaitlynn Carter serving Blue Steel Nothing (trademark) is captivating. 

Almost every person has a reality show that they love. Over the decades since the rise of the genre, there has been a show to satiate your interests and/or curiosity. I thought that most people watched reality shows to judge. Reality shows were a jester to make the viewer feel better than their life. For some, that may be the case.

The water cooler continues its generational purpose as the space to bond over the drama and the mundanity. Or these days, a group chat is that vessel. I found that just as television and film, reality shows are an education and a connection to the worlds around us. 

Beyond escapism, there is joy in making time to watch your show. The time you spend does not need to be associated with capitalism, even as you may be connected to fifty streaming services. Rest on your desired location. I love the couch. The time with your reality show is a pause out of your reality into someone else’s unscripted reality.

Rest in the mundanity. Rest in the pleasure of the worlds outside of you as they can be presented to you. Rest in exploring your curiosity. It can be your private joy.

What reality shows do you love? What is a reality show or genre that you would not watch?

Ashley Paul

Ashley Paul Instagram

Ashley Paul is a traveler, runner, and baker. She is an Everlasting Bookworm and Culture Maven. She is passionate about supporting high school juniors and seniors to write compelling stories for their post-secondary careers. She loves stories with social commentary, atmospheric writing, and compelling characters.