I wonder what television tries to imitate when attempting to make their show families seem like real ones. What's their motive? Is it to be a dysfunctional yet charming assembly? Or to clone the ideal family personality? Whatever their goal is, it never seems to hit the nail on the head when it comes to what a real family is like. I find this most true with teenage characters. The media is just unable to reassemble real life youth.
I blame Disney and Nickelodeon mostly for this. Their television shows make it seem like life is so easy and fun and that's all there is to it. For example, icarly. She lives and in an incredibly nice apartment in San Diego with her older brother who in reality, doesn't have a real job. Yet, they two seem to stable themselves just fine considering Carly's up to date living quarters and fashionable wardrobe.
Of course, real TV isn't going to show the down sides of life. They're only going to show us what they think makes the world happy and what our little fantasies are, which I think is fine. Considering television is merely a form of entertainment and should be appealing to its audience.
However, when television becomes a reality to some is the problem I think. Some would think it to be common sense that television isn't real, but I fear that not all have gotten that memo, which is what I find irritating. Maybe it isn't the television industry its self that I think is being too fake, it is the people that are consumers of it though. It is not as easy as it seems to be living a flashy life, and I don't think people get that. They absorb all the false information on how life really is and eventually translate it so they think it is real.
That is just one example of television families, today anyway. The trend seems to be the less parenting the better, another show, What I Like About You ( and quite frankly a personal favorite because I adore Amanda Bynes), but again, it is two sisters that live together, without their parents. However, the oldest sister is relatively successful in the business world, and so is their father, so I can see how it is somewhat logic that they are doing okay. They don't have the flashy apartment, or clothes, but they have personality, which is what I think I am drawn to most about it.
However, there is a fine line between realistic television, and reality TV. I find that most reality TV shows are garbage and full of conflict and drama and I would have to say that though some of the emotions may be real, they ruin the idea of bringing the real life world on screen. Why some one would want to sit on their butt and watch busty tan blonds talk smack and back stab each other beats me. I absolutely loathe such an idea to be considered "entertainment".
But what does that say about our world today? Why would our society enjoy watching mean and nasty people at their finest? I don't get it, and I have yet to find some one who does watch those shows and can give me a reasonable explanation for watching shows like The Hills. (Sorry, that's the only example I can think of right now.) What I would think would be concerning about so many people watching these acts happen would start doing such themselves. Is our culture going to become a bunch of heartless, cold, back stabbing, whiny beings?
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