Bill Ralston: Get real

Reality TV haters need to remember it’s chewing gum for the eyes.

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29th September, 2012

Of all the TV genres, “reality” television has the weirdly contradictory effect of often attracting the most opprobrium while also drawing the largest audiences. Loathing reality TV is the mark of the highbrow, cultured intelligent-sia. It’s the new snobbery, a defining statement of class and outlook that lifts one above the tacky distasteful masses. Half a century ago, these folk would have been declaiming their refusal to have a television set in the house. Reality shows are a blend of true life and drama, fiction and fact. Their ancestors are “fly-on-the-wall” documentaries where ...

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