What Happens When Reality TV Comes to Town
Many people tune in faithfully each week to their favorite reality television shows - but what they often fail to think about is what reality must be like when reality tv comes to town.
Every week I find myself tuning in to Extreme Home Makeover, Super Nanny, Armed and Famous and American Idol.
It wasn’t until I began writing for Super Nanny Rules that I’d ever given a seconds thought to how these shows must impact the neighbors, neighborhoods and even entire cities or towns of the people who are appearing on these shows.
There have been comments left here by “neighbors” and “(ex)family members” of those families who’ve appeared on Super Nanny and to be honest - I have been taken aback by what I’ve learned.
It’s not hard to believe really, but it is difficult to stomach that camera crews would actually stage portions of episodes to make them more interesting to the audience and drive those ratings.
At what cost will the drive for ratings stop?
Granted, I’m quite certain that my family life wouldn’t be that interesting to a major audience like the viewers of Super Nanny, but I have to think what I might do or how I might react if my family were staged to be some sort of “on the brink of disaster, filled with chaos and stress” kind of family? Far more than what it is - anyway.
Have you ever given much thought as to what goes on behind the scenes of reality tv?
Have you ever had reality tv in your neighborhood? What was it like?
Do you think some reality television might be going just a bit too far? If so, would you mind sharing your own examples?
I’m very interested in the opinions of our readers. If you happen to have a blog and would like to write your opinion there, I’d be more than happy to link to you.
Tags: mihalik-family, Reality Check, reality-tv, smith-family, Super Nanny, supernanny, swanson-familyUpdate: At the tipoff of a commenter - I was able to find my way to this thread on an ebay forum. There are actual neighbors of one of the former featured families being just about the rudest a$$ I’ve ever seen.
People like this, who seek to gain popularity, recognition or attention at the expense of others simply make me ill.
Can you believe people would actually be so rude as to place comments like this on the net?
A perfect example of when someone should mind their own business!
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POSTED IN: Parenting
7 opinions for What Happens When Reality TV Comes to Town
Angela
Jan 24, 2007 at 12:59 am
I saw the comments of her neighbor. What an @$$ and I’m not referring to the donkey version.
I was a single parent for eight years and know how hard it is to raise 1 child by myself.
What is really disgusting to me is that the neighbors should have done nice things to help out because they wanted to and not because they thought they might get something out of it.
How can you help somebody and then turn around and talk about them behind their backs like that?
The internet is not a private place. People do read.
To the Mom with the kiddos on the show - keep your chin up and don’t let your neighbors get you down.
One more thing, I would NOT let the boys spend the night at anybody’s house unless you know the parents are going to take some responsibility to make sure that they are not sneaking out of the house.
Kelly
Jan 31, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Hi - I enjoy your blog and the show Supernanny, although I have to say that I never really had much trouble with my kids so I can’t relate in that way - it’s just a guilty, voyeuristic pleasure for me. However, I think you were off-base on your comments about the neighbor posting about his experiences with the reality show and the kids next door. He didn’t really say anything negative at all. In fact, he talked about how the neighborhood had pulled together when her husband died and how brilliant one of her children were. You have been much more judgemental in several of your posts regarding your opinion of both parents working. Look at it from his point of view for a moment and how exciting it must have been to have Supernanny and this whole crew come in for a week or so and all the excitment that must have engendered!! If it had been your neighbor, you wouldn’t have been able to resist a post here or there.
Gayla
Jan 31, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Are we talking about the same neighbor? Were you able to read the same thread in which he posted all his negative comments? I can’t imagine for a second we are talking about the same person.
That neighbor has since apologized so I have to give him that - but what he did and what he said was totally out of line and frankly, someone had to place him on the carpet for the hurtful things he said.
Kelly
Jan 31, 2007 at 7:13 pm
The neighbor I was talking about was the guy posting under the name mdconn. I went back and reread his comments and didn’t think he seemed particularly mean and not even as judgemental as some of the other posters on that thread. Unless there’s another thread altogether that I didn’t see or something else I missed. The only really negative things he said were that he’d almost run over a puppy and his wife had to watch a kid they’d forgotten about when shopping at Walmart. Not really mean, particularly if they’re true stories. Although, personally, I don’t think postings commenting on your neighbor’s business are particularly conducive to a happy block party, this woman did voluntarily open up her life to public scrutiny by going on Supernanny and that will inevitably lead to public judgements. She has had a tough way to go, but she chose to deal with her disciplinary issues in a public forum, it’s not as if her neighbor just randomly posted about her poor parenting on the Internet. Although, wouldn’t it be fun if there was a forum called, “My Neighbor’s Kids Are Brats”? I have a couple I would happily out. Boy do they need Supernanny!
Gayla
Feb 1, 2007 at 10:51 am
The portion I’m speaking of is where he gripes about how long he and their neighbors did things for the family. Excuse me, but I’m sure no one was pointing a gun at them to do it. If you can’t do things like this out of the goodness of your heart - regardless of how long it takes or what’s done, then don’t do it!
It’s things like this that push me just a bit too far.
I found those comments to be rude and totally uncalled for.
Kelly
Feb 1, 2007 at 12:11 pm
I think it’s just a matter of perception. I didn’t get the impression that he was “griping.” Rather, I felt more that he was being defensive about his motives for posting. It seems to me that he started this post out of genuine excitement at the prospect of being next door to a Supernanny family, without really thinking it through. Then, when the family found out about his posts, he realized it wasn’t a very neighborly thing to do. He hadn’t considered the consequences of his actions. If he’d checked with his wife first, I’m sure she’d had put the kibosh on the whole thing. Sounds to me like he’s human, he screwed up, he apologized, and now he just needs to work it out privately with his neighbor.
Gayla
Feb 1, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I couldn’t agree more and according to the SuperNanny family, that’s exactly what’s happened. This case has been handled very adult like after the postings and is really considered closed :)
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