As freshman year comes to a close, sadly this blog does as well. I have shared in the positives of reality television and the lessons that it provides us. For this last blog I am not going to focus on a specific television because it is not necessary for the lesson that the shows teach us. Steven Spielberg put the lesson into the best words possible, “This whole thing about reality television to me is really indicative of America saying we’re not satisfied just watching television, we want to star in our own TV shows. We want you to discover us and put us in your own TV show, and we want television to be about us.” I really believe that is what reality television comes down to. When we view these shows we all see a little bit of ourselves in each show.
The first television show that I discussed was Dance Moms. I discussed how the show teaches independence and perseverance. As college students we are all learning how to live on our own and advocate for ourselves. We also have to overcome and fight through the challenges we may endure to get the results that we want.
The second television show that I discussed was The Bachelor and its spinoffs. I discussed the importance of believing in fairytales and understanding that in order for them to come true one must work hard. While I am not going to be on the show my fairytale ending will be me working in some sort of health profession. I know that working hard will lead to this ending, and for others their dreams will come true with hard work as well.
The third television show that I discussed was The Kardashians. I discussed one of the major reasons why they are successful is because they believe in teamwork and their familial bond. These are two characteristics that again will help make us successful individuals. I know that when my family is getting along and happy everything is better. I also know that when I work on a group project and everyone contributes the result is better.
The fourth television show that I discussed was WAGS and its spinoffs. In this blog I addressed the importance of loyalty and self-sufficiency. I know that being able to provide for myself and having loyal relationships are very important in my life and well as other, including these women.
The fifth television show that I discussed was Botched. I discussed the importance of health and happiness. It teaches the importance of the balance between health and beauty. This is something that everyone needs to understand as people including themselves always see imperfections in oneself themselves, but it is important to realize that you are your best self when healthy.
The sixth television show that I discussed was Toddlers and Tiaras. In this blog post I discussed the importance of pursuing one’s own passions and not having your parents live through you. Children need to do what they love, not what their parents love. Everybody has the parent that wants them to do something they do not want to do and this show clearly shows that.
The seventh show I discussed was 19 Kids and Counting and its spinoffs. I discussed the importance of loving one’s family and embracing differences. Friends come and go but for the most part family stays the same and the show shows us that one should love your family because of that. I completely agree and can see that through my changing friend groups the one thing that stays constant is the support my family provides me. And while not everyone can be so lucky to have that, I definitely see myself in this aspect of the family. It also shows that we must embrace differences, something everyone at PSU must do as WE ARE…inclusive of everyone.
The ninth and tenth shows that I discussed, Say Yes to the Dress and Sister Wives were about lessons previously mentioned, self-advocacy,
embracing one’s beauty and independence. Sister Wives also addressed the importance of community. This is something that we all hold of great value at PSU because of university’s inclusive nature.
These lessons that the show teaches may help of live better lives, and may make the shows worth watching, but what really keeps us occupied is the fact that in every one of these shows we see a little bit of ourselves and they show us how important these characteristics are as they are what make us wonderful people. That is truly why these shows are important to society and why everyone watches them. They are watching many things that exemplify the best parts of themselves that they need to express to make society the best place possible.
Thank you all for reading this blog. I had so much fun writing about my favorite topic “trashy,” pr as we have seen “not-so-trashy” reality television.
I hope you have all enjoyed Keeping Up with the Kerbel.
Talk to you all soon.