War: Play by Play

I'll admit it. I enjoy watching so-called "reality" shows. Granted, I don't watch all of them; there are not enough hours in the day to do so. But I have seen portions of most of the more popular shows (and I will readily admit an addiction to Fear Factor). While viewing these shows, my reactions range from fascination to boredom, from enlightenment to disgust.

After viewing and analyzing much of the "reality" fare, I have come to the conclusion that Reality TV is not reality at all. In fact, Reality TV is one of the biggest misnomers in entertainment history. Reality TV is simply nothing more than intense game shows that involve the whole person and thus increase the stakes for all involved. Not only is the mind tested (as in classic game shows), but also the affections and the will. In Reality TV, one bravely (or stupidly) places one's ego on the line. Since the contestants are baring all in order to win, oftentimes their egos are soundly bruised by defeat.

Many people are disgusted with Reality TV. There is nothing wrong with this, if one's disgust is simply a matter of one's own taste and preferences. Perhaps you simply don't enjoy watching others humiliated. However, many people attack reality TV from a much higher moral ground, arguing that reality TV is simply another example of an increasingly decadent society. This is also a valid position, if one wants to hold this, but I think this position takes Reality TV too seriously - more seriously than it takes itself. In fact, this position fails to see that Reality TV is really anything but reality itself.

True Reality TV would involve broadcasting people while they were sleeping, showering, brushing their teeth, eating meals, driving to work, watching the news, etc. In other words, true Reality TV would be downright boring - unable to compete with the extremely provocative, sexually charged, highly-edited, heightened reality presented in Reality TV. The only thing real in Reality TV are the people competing, and even they represent only a select few who are carefully chosen from among millions by market-driven producers.

But now a new Reality TV has arisen - one that is truly Reality TV! And the people who spoke out most loudly against Reality TV are its biggest fans. Its "real" material is chock full of titillating excitement and edge-of-your-seat suspense. And the price paid is no longer the loss of human dignity, but the actual loss of human lives! What could be more provocative? Furthermore, the coverage is around-the-clock, so you need not miss out on any of the blood-soaked, violence-laden, "shock and awe" excitement!

Yes, friends, we now have War: Play-By-Play. Better than any sporting event and more "real" than any Reality TV show. Listen as the broadcasters tell of the latest strike! Watch the brilliant fireworks display as the bombs explode! Hear the actual sounds of the missiles hit real targets! The only things missing are the actual screams of death emanating from wounded and dying soldiers and civilians. With coverage so complete, you actually feel like you are in the middle of the conflict. The bombs, the screams, the blood, the violence, and the death - they are all real and for your consumption. Finally, Reality TV that truly lives up to its name!

My simple point is this: Please don't ever complain about "Reality TV" shows again if you are ravenously devouring the ugly reality of War: Play-By-Play. Especially if you don't shed a tear every time a bomb is dropped, a gun is fired, or a missile launched. Furthermore, please don't ever criticize violent video games, especially when you are gleefully participating in something far more destructive and real. In video games, we can afford to simplistically label people as evil and good and then proceed to blast away at the evil. In real life, the labels are not so simple to attach.

Please don't misunderstand me. In this short piece, I am merely pleading for consistency on the part of those who complain about decreasing standards in television fare. I have made no comment on the morality of this war, either pro or con. I simply ask those who are against violent video games and Reality TV to forever keep their mouth shut if they are going to digest so completely the numbingly real Reality TV going on around the clock. You can "turn off" video games and Reality TV if you are offended by them. Sadly, no one can turn off real Reality TV.