Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Reality is Totally Fake!

Please allow me to rant.  I just discovered a new TV show.  It's called Real Housewives of New York City, and it makes me sick.  Basically the show's about a bunch of  wannabees in Manhattan, who travel around on the outskirts of real New York society, flashing their money and praying it will buy them class, which of course it never will.  I'm a New Yorker and a wife,  and I take offense.  Let me state right now--most of us aren't like that.

As a writer, I am aware of a very dangerous trap--never let your characters become stereotypes.  I am always careful to make my characters 3D, with a myriad of emotions and traits that allow them to grow.  Like a real person. Unfortunately, this reality show features "characters" that are one note--and its all the same note.  Whiny.  If I ever tried to submit a manuscript with characters like that, my career would be over. (Or as these women with their horrible accents would say, Ovah.  I swear, no one in Manhattan sounds like that in real life!)

Which leads me to my big question.  Is anyone else sick of these so-called reality shows that have nothing to do with reality?  I know that during the writers strike the networks had little choice but to create them.  But the guild has settled with the producers.  Aren't we entitled to some good television now?  

I know what you're thinking: Why not just turn off the TV and read a good book? That's exactly what I did.   The Great Gatsby.    I guess that after a solid hour of the Real Wives, I just had a need to read about superficial New Yorkers that actually had some depth.

Of course, Daisy, Nick, Tom and Gatsby aren't real.  But they sure seemed that way to me after what I'd just watched.  And I'd much rather spend time with them than the wannabees on TV.  Wouldn't you?

Okay, rant over.  I feel better now.

Anyone else have a pet peeve today?


xo
N
  

3 comments:

Jennifer Echols said...

Nancy, LOL! MTV's football reality show Two-A-Days was filmed in the Birmingham suburb next to mine, but from what I saw of it, I'm afraid it was pretty accurate. ;)

Aimee Friedman said...

I hate admitting it but I'm addicted to THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY! It's awful..but I can't turn away! The classic so-bad-it's-good TV. I can't tell you how many of my perfectly decent writing hours Bravo's reality shows have sucked up!!

Micol Ostow said...

I feel you Nance. N and I are so grossed out by those women. But as Aimee says--we can't turn away!