| “The highest
form of vanity is love of fame.” — George Santayana
The announcement that Michaele and Tareq Salahi, who made
headlines in November by crashing President Obama’s
first state dinner, were going to write a book about their
experiences both caught my attention and left me feeling
disgusted.
They are working with an investigative reporter and they
will critique White House security. Although, as yet, there
is no publisher, their book agent says many celebrity- or
scandal-based books have been very successful. Adding to
her attraction, Michaele has a starring role in an upcoming
“Real Housewives of D.C.” reality TV series.
The entire episode might be so ridiculous as to be considered
laughable were it not for the fact that it is no longer
a unique occurrence. It seems to me that there is something
seriously amiss in a society so in awe of attention that
it rewards outrageous, even illegal, behavior with celebrity
status.
Instead of being shunned or even fined or jailed, these
two self-promoting zealots, who carefully planned and orchestrated
their White House exploit down to the tiniest detail, are
admired and rewarded. The media and general public seemingly
applaud their lies and bravado. One of their ambitions (now
achieved) was to get on a “reality show.”
My writer’s curiosity aroused, I did some research
on “reality” shows and was astounded to learn
that there are currently more than 300 different reality
shows on television.
Donald Trump, who is a stellar example of a self-promoter,
wants the recently jailed Lindsay Lohan on his “Celebrity
Apprentice” show, just what this obviously troubled
and already overexposed young actress does not need.
After appearing on “Dancing with the Stars,”
Pamela Anderson, whose main attribute is most definitely
not her dancing but her expansive bustline, gushed that
“dancing changed my life.”
Then there’s “Dance Your Ass Off” and
“The Biggest Loser,” two of many weight-loss
based reality shows.
Paris Hilton has a show so insipid it is almost fascinating.
In her “My New BFF” show, potential new best
friends are put through tests of loyalty, endurance and
compatibility. When one by one they are eliminated, Paris
dismisses them with a snide smile and says, “TTYN,”
which is her shorthand for “Talk to you never.”
Can anyone over 14 years of age stomach this junk? We also
have the “How many kids can you produce?” genre
as exemplified by “19 Kids and Counting” and
“Kate + 8.” At least their profits will go to
help feed and support their families.
The “Jersey Shore” show, which some Jerseyites
considered so distasteful that they mounted a protest, stars
several scantily dressed, loud-mouthed types as they mostly
drink, sunbathe and flirt. However, one of their “stars,”
Jenni “JWoww” is “designing” a new
clothing line to be distributed by Filthy Couture in Las
Vegas. (Honest, I’m not making this up!)
Kim Kardashian, another buxom babe, is into her second
perfume launch and has a wax replica at Madame Tussauds.
These so-called reality show celebrities are so admired,
their endorsements earn them additional big bucks in fields
where they have absolutely no expertise, everything from
clothes design to “authoring” a book.
There is also “America’s Next Top Model,”
“America’s Top Dog,” “America’s
Toughest Jobs,” “Sell This House,” “Secret
Millionaire,” “Extreme Makeover” ... the
list is endless.
Wikipedia informs us that the reality type of programming,
which is purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations
featuring ordinary people, started with game shows in the
1940s.
About 1948, Allen Funt’s “Candid Camera,”
followed by “Beat the Clock” and “Truth
or Consequences,” became wildly popular. In 1973,
the first real reality shows were introduced with PBS’
“An American Family,” which followed the daily
lives of a family going through a divorce.
The 1950 series, “You Asked For It,” in which
viewers’ requests dictated the content, was the forerunner
of today’s audience-participation shows in which viewers
cast votes to help determine winners and the course of events.
In many reality shows, participants are put into exotic
or dangerous situations and coached to act in specific,
scripted ways. Speech and events are manipulated to create
an illusion of reality.
We can blame the Writer’s Guild of America strike
and the subsequent need for new programming for the huge
growth and popularity of the reality type of show. One such
show is called, “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
If Americans are satisfied with this type of programming,
perhaps that answers the question.
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
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