The Reality after Reality (Television) Part II
I mentioned last week that I would be discussing the afterlife of reality television in multiple parts. This is the second of those two parts. Last week I touched on the positive influence reality television could have on an individual’s life. However there is also a dark reality (yes that was a play on words) that comes with being the spotlight. CNN did an article about reality stars after their television days. When they interviewed Joe Patane who stared in the fifth season of “The Real World” on MTV in1996, he made a comment that “you think the attention will go away as soon as the cameras stop rolling.” However a new life sets in after the cameras stop rolling. People recognize you and begin to share all their opinions with you about your time on the show. This can seem like a deja vu for the contestant. They have to relive events that happened months ago, events they have moved on, but at the same time, many people have very current opinions of the events that occurred on the show. Evan Marriot, the star of the hit show “Joe Millionaire” that aired on Fox in 2003 said he went through “pretty bad depression and paranoia, even in recent years because [he] was constantly under the microscope.”
How do former contestants deal with these feelings? Many of them actually go into hiding. It is not uncommon to not hear from a star for a while after the initial rush of attention they get. Sometimes the best way to deal with it all is to go to the other extreme and not be seen at all, instead of carrying out the role of a public figure. It is important to note that the author of “Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited,” Sam Vaknin compared the desire for fame is similar to that of substance abusers.They become obsessed and addicted with their own fame. This in itself can be detrimental to the contestants life after reality television. Many participants could find themselves on reality television shows after their original showing. However, these shows do not seem to have the most appealing descriptions. Of course everyone needs help, but being put in a “Sober House” and then inviting the public in to watch your struggles does not seem to be the most therapeutic way to go about getting help. But maybe that is just my opinion…..
Even though reality television can lead to success and fame, it creates a false sense of security. The initial benefits are indeed rewarding, but participation in the show has a long term impact on self worth. Once fame is reached, the question is whether it can be maintained. If it cannot be maintained then there becomes questions of a person’s purpose in the world is. Very few reach that high ever again and this could really impact the self-esteem of the former contestants. Additionally, the contestants become an open book where the public feels they are welcome to share their opinions. Every decisions they make is put under a microscope. Is it really even their decisions anymore?
Work Cited:
Jaffe, Adi. “Can Reality TV Be Dangerous? Prime-Time Tabloids and Consequences.” Psychology Today. N.p., 16 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-addiction/201108/can-reality-tv-be-dangerous-prime-time-tabloids-and-consequences>.
France, Lisa Respers. “Cover Story: Reality Bites after the Lights Go out.” Cnn.com. CNN, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/01/life.after.reality.tv/>.