My Reality TV Pitch

What is up with reality TV?  It has gone way overboard on what they will show for ratings.  Years ago, I remember when Big Brother (that would be BB1!) came on and everyone couldn’t believe the “reality” of it… not that it is real life.  Don’t get me wrong, I do watch some reality TV… but my tastes run towards Say Yes to the Dress, Mountain Men, Yukon Gold, and other shows similar to that.  Yes, I am sure some of it is scripted.  It’s just like wrestling… I know its fake, but its good entertainment.  (Or, it used to be… but that is another rant all together.)  I remember years ago, reading a book (I want to say it was Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinlanguage, but don’t quote me on that.)  The author said something along the lines of one day a person will pitch a television show to a producer that will be about real life and they will produce it because it is “normal” and not reality television.

So, while watching the commercials this weekend showcasing the latest and greatest reality television shows… we already have Bringing Up Bates, Little People Big World, Secrets and Wives… we now have My Big Life and Almost Royal and many more coming to a channel near you!  Now, don’t get me wrong… there is nothing at all wrong with these shows.  But, enough is enough.

Reality TV is anything but ~ James Dyson

This weekend, I joked that maybe I should pitch a new reality television show called “My Normal Life”.

It would feature a mom, dad, two kids, and a dog.

The mom and dad would work full time and pay their bills on time, while at the same time raising their two kids to be loving, productive, and socially aware human beings.

The dog would chew things up.

The dog would grab food off the table and stove when no one was looking.

There would be weeks where money was tight and all they ate was spaghetti and hot dogs.

There would be a race car in the trailer that doesn’t see the light of day because they can’t afford to race anymore.

There would be times the parents would tell the kids NO when they ask for something (I know, right!).

There would be fights over Internet access because the family lives in the country and doesn’t have reliable service.

There wouldn’t be enough time to spend with the kids because of everything that needed done after working all day.

There would be nights the mom would be too tired to cook and they ate out.  A lot.

There would be sports to shuttle the kids to.

There would be Sundays where the mommy is too tired to take the kids to Church.

There would be business trips that needed to be taken at inopportune times.

There would be nights the children crawl into bed with the mommy and daddy because they were scared.

There would be crying.  There would be tantrums.

There would be things the mommy and daddy plan on doing with the kids but have to save money and budget to pay for them.

There would be dentist appointments and doctor appointments.

There would be a mommy and daddy sneaking naps while the kids watched TV.

There would be clothes that needed washed.  Dishes in the sink.  And moldy food in the fridge.

There would be fun.  And love.  And hugs.  And kisses.  And laughter.  And dog slobber.

You know, normal life for most people…

………………Yeah, I’d watch that.