Once signifying the state of things as they actually are rather than as they appear to be, reality now denotes a television show featuring untrained actors, poor writing, amateur set design and heavy editing. It is common for the actors to be B-list or lower level celebrities and/or to be engaged in some kind of competition.
This is a ground breaking modern term in that it now means the opposite of what it used to mean. “Reality” TV now implies a greater effort at audience deception. Unlike scripted TV, which is forthcoming about its fictionalization, Reality TV hides its staged nature by cutting production values on all fronts to give the appearance of a documentary program. It then creates false conflicts, false personalities and results in false celebrities. The technique of using a familiar term to promote its polar opposite is a classic bait-and-switch that currently permeates every corner of our popular culture.
It’s as if the FDA began distributing “safe sex” prophylactics made out of diseased penises.
For a more detailed study of the Reality TV Apocalypse check out “TMZ TV,” appearing this week at the Access Theatre in New York as part of Madair Production’s Project Playwright IV.