Hardworking Reality TV Stars

I, a modern, logical, professional, forward thinking woman of the 21^st century, watch reality TV.

Yes, I can see the implied oxymoron but I swear it was a learning experience for me and I will tell you why.

At first, it started when I was younger and had a lot of free time. It not only seemed very entertaining but I actually thought it was real. Bored young woman that I was, this was fascinating to me.  Slowly but surely I realised how fake it all was…. Who wears full glam make up 24/7? Who fights like this in real life? Then I realised watching reality TV just became a bad habit for me. No one around me could understand why I watched it. I tried to explain the storyline to get others interested but I could hear myself….it was pretty sad. Honestly.

One day while watching one of real housewives pick a fight over some trivial issue, I asked myself,

‘who watches this shit? And wtf for ?’

At that moment, my logical brain kicked in.

These reality TV stars had become relevant because of familiarity. They are all over our TV screens whether you watch their shows or not. Always impeccably dressed, speaking ‘their minds”, maximising every opportunity, writing books, getting brand deals, even attending events for cash! The trick is if you see me often on different media platforms, you subconsciously think I have something to say.  So you watch and listen. Unfortunately, this trick happens with so many celebrity these days, we find it difficult to decipher who actually has something to offer.

Don’t get me wrong, these stars work hard and we, the intended audience, have to acknowledge that. The sacrifices they make to stay relevant. They have to keep up appearances, basically selling their brand, whatever it may be at any time. Take a minute and try to imagine yourself branded at all times…. Because truly, we all have brands. This is the image we perpetuate to the public. The difference is I get to get rid of that image after a long week when I  just want to get a drink down the street. . The image I’m projecting at this point is hobo chic!  The chic is silent…..

The difference between us and them is our job description. That’s why its hard for me to empathise when they are criticised. They are just being criticised for being bad at their jobs. This happens in every work environment, only their work environment is the world. While the rest of us get to switch off, they do not. If they want to, it comes at a huge cost of protecting their privacy. Side effect of this well paying job  is losing relevance. See, catch 22!  Not only do they have the worse work environment, their clients can be quite fleeting and they have several competitiors just lurking, ready to pounce on any vacuum their sudden need for a regular life might create.

Staying relevant to their clients is key. It takes a lot to keep someone’s emotional attention while offering no real gratification….

Empathy

This year has been a year of silence.
That silence that comes when you realise its out your control,
Have no opinion on the matter as it defies logic,
No previous experience or experience of any form to draw wisdom from.
You just become quiet and watch.
At this point you dont rationalise anything.
Just say a lot of 'it is well's

How i love it when even the loudmouths get on that bandwagon!
I want to say "it got you too huh?"

In all of this, some people still dont get it.
This amazes me. And makes me quiet. As i see the futility in explaining the obvious
They still have a point of view which everyone else should take as a truth or a fact because "you know,i have been giving this some thought....."
Like their thoughts can ever be completely objective. (And please if its not, sharrap!)
Like the rest of our brains have been playing "green light, red light!" And our playmate put us on red and disappeared.

Lets not forget our  emotional filterless nutjobs, who just decide not to think
Who will probably take offence if i dont mention them.
There is a sudden death and they shout "Why did you die?!"
It is all i can do for my eyebrows not to go above my hairline.
Then they go on to outwail the person who suffered the loss
Or they want to give you 'a piece of their mind'.....like they had much in the first place.
You almost want to say "keep it, you need it more than i do......."

As i said , it has been a year of silence
Because whats the point of talking?
Its not gonna change much, probably make people be more obnoxious about their point of view.
Well this is my point of view. SHUT UP! Do more, talk less, more productive .....

A year of silence indeed!
But a girl's gotta vent somehow......