Reality Television, a wave originated in the US, has become a household name in last 5 years. The idea of competition was nothing new, only the packaging and the reality aspect - what a killer idea it turned out to be! A Reality Show supposedly hunts talented individuals, gives them a platform to showcase their stuff. The hosts and the hon'ble judges remind them that though they all possess great skill, it is as per the rules of the game that one-by-one they'll be eliminated and at the end only one lucky fellow would win. The contestants, the young guns, make friends/foes, make/break breezy romances, holds their ears out of sheer respect every time they talk about their Gurus, cry when they lose, cry even more when their friends leave. Invariably it's the audience who decide whom to kick out by sending SMS (paid voting).The climax of any episode deals with the nail-biting moments of elimination. The job of the judges is restricted to over/under-rating a performance, showering praises at the drop of a hat, uttering harsh words as if the world ends here, fighting with co-judges over difference of opinions, contradicting to display creative differences, promising participants of breaks to catapult them in career path, blessing a departing contestant, offering to quit being disappointed by junta's decision. Other common elements of a reality show are backstage gossips, attractive prize money and/or contracts for winners. Some of the shows take a slightly different route - they don't chase any conventional art form as talent - it could be a competition of anything, e.g. survival, attitude etc.
Like any other business, it's the production house that wins at the end if the show tastes success - plus the hosts, the judges. Winners get money - more importantly instant stardom, which in most cases fade into oblivion soon - with no concrete gain in terms of career barring a few exceptions. In general, it's 15 mins of fame and short term money. Losers hardly get anything. Very few get the promised breaks, but mostly in some unnoticed venture. The biggest losers are the audience who spend their hard-earned money to vote - as if they're asserting their democratic rights - sometimes to identify real talents, sometimes to save regional pride. Are reality shows all bad? Not really - there are good performances, efforts by contestants. Most importantly I can't take out the credit of the brains behind a successful show - it's good project management, business acumen. There is no harm in watching if you enjoy, but don't get fooled by voting - some but not all emotions are real. Don't try to prove you care for art/justice/your region/a cause - your SMS hardly counts for someone's career but it'll surely fill the pockets of the telecom providers, TV channels and the producers. If you don't like it, take a chill pill - it's just a bubble like indi-pop music. It sank without a trace once the honeymoon phase got over. A good business minus value can't sustain. It'll die before you realize.
Like any other business, it's the production house that wins at the end if the show tastes success - plus the hosts, the judges. Winners get money - more importantly instant stardom, which in most cases fade into oblivion soon - with no concrete gain in terms of career barring a few exceptions. In general, it's 15 mins of fame and short term money. Losers hardly get anything. Very few get the promised breaks, but mostly in some unnoticed venture. The biggest losers are the audience who spend their hard-earned money to vote - as if they're asserting their democratic rights - sometimes to identify real talents, sometimes to save regional pride. Are reality shows all bad? Not really - there are good performances, efforts by contestants. Most importantly I can't take out the credit of the brains behind a successful show - it's good project management, business acumen. There is no harm in watching if you enjoy, but don't get fooled by voting - some but not all emotions are real. Don't try to prove you care for art/justice/your region/a cause - your SMS hardly counts for someone's career but it'll surely fill the pockets of the telecom providers, TV channels and the producers. If you don't like it, take a chill pill - it's just a bubble like indi-pop music. It sank without a trace once the honeymoon phase got over. A good business minus value can't sustain. It'll die before you realize.