Reality of Today

Is Reality TV real? I admit readily that I refuse to watch the so-called “reality” shows like “Survivor” or “Big Brother” or any of those other shows like “Clean House”, or “Hell’s Kitchen”. But my family seems to be enamored with them. Where in the world is there any reality at all in them?

My wife and kids gather in the living room on just about any late night and watch RECORDED versions of the “Hell’s Kitchen,” “ Project Runway,” “Ace of Cakes,” “Food Network Challenge” and a verisimilitude of others. They laugh, discuss happenings and berate the players. I cannot watch these. I guess it is against my better judgment as to what good television is and what is not. Where is the plot? How are these people not following a script? I know that if the guy on Hell’s Kitchen got in my face while I was preparing a flambeau, he might have hot stuff on him. This is not “Reality”; no one would take that abuse. Matter of fact, most of these people who are screaming and yelling and demeaning people would be opening themselves up for a number of lawsuits. This is not reality, because it is not live; not REAL, All these shows are taped, and all the participants must sign non-disclosure clauses. By the time we see these shows, they have been over for months and have been edited. Not exactly reality, is it?

Sports programming is live, dramatic, and one never knows the outcome until the end. That is reality! How do people deal with adversity, communicate, resolve conflict? Even the weather becomes a factor in those sports that are done outdoors! I am not talking about the entertainment of wrestling, I am talking football, basketball, golf, volleyball, even extreme sports! Like the ABC Wide World of sports always said at the beginning, “The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.” That is what reality is, not whether the execs of CBS decide Johnny is off Survivor because his ratings are not high enough.

Reality is creating expectations and living up to them. As a coach for over 30 years and parent for a little longer, I have had my instances of defeat and I have had them victory. I yelled at my players and my kids when they stepped out of line, or did not live up to the expectations I set for them and myself. No one was harder on me than me.

Recently I know of a coaching friend who was suspended from coaching for yelling at a player who had thrown his helmet and cussed at a coach. The player stepped out of line and my friend admonished the kid strongly in no uncertain terms. But was athlete punished for his behavior? NO… my coach friend was, though. His head coach did not even stand up for him. The head coach did not discipline the athlete, either. The administration listened to the players, the parents, but not to the coach.

Now, that is the reality of today!

Doughnut