Reality TV......there's nothing Real about it!!

   Do you watch a lot of reality television? The answer is a probable yes considering it pretty much dominates television today as we know it. There's also plenty to choose from. Whether it's following a famous person like Gene Simmons, watching a competition like Big Brother, or watching a bunch of no names act a fool as on Jersey Shore, there's something out there for everyone.
   Now I don't know about you, but when I am watching one of these "reality" shows, I would like to believe that what is happening at that time actually happened and was not planned, rehearsed, nor scripted, otherwise how then can they call it reality? I mean, the word "reality" does have the word "real" in it, does it not?!
   Let's really think about this for a second. We all live our lives from day to day usually with the same routine. Whether it's work, school, shopping, etc. most days are more or less humdrum. Are we to think that just because you're famous or because the camera is on you that suddenly all of these crazy, dramatic events suddenly occurred?! Is it possible, well technically yes but probably has about the same amount of odds of winning the lotto or better yet spotting Elvis Presley alive.
   You may be thinking what has made me so skeptical? Well I am glad you asked that!! Just to let you know, I used to watch a lot of reality television. Such shows included, "American Idol", "Gene Simmons Family Jewels", & Steven Seagal's Lawman". Now I have heard rumors that some of these shows may not be as "real" as you might think that they are but I had never witnessed anything to make me believe otherwise, until a few weeks ago that is. While watching, "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" I was watching Gene's son Nick be a passenger in a car while his sister was driving. Nick was a holding a birthday cake that they just picked up from a bakery which was for his Dad. While they were driving back home his sister made a short stop and the cake went right into his shirt and got all over him. It took me two seconds and then I realized,.....why wasn't the cake in a box in the first place? Also, why wasn't the cake on the floor on a low flat surface? Yes, he actually had the customized cake on his lap, I believe on a piece of cardboard underneath it, with no covering whatsoever. there was no cake box of any sort protecting it!! No bake shop would let someone leave their bakery without a box, not only is it not right but it is also unsanitary!! Now what are the odds that Nick took it out of the box inside the moving car....slim to none...and why would he?.......he wouldn't!! No one in their right mind would do such a thing!! So then I put two and two together and realized that it was all planned!! This was obviously done to create some sort of drama and amusement. Now maybe one would have the cake on their lap instead of on the floor but not in a cake box? Whether it was an expensive cake or not makes no difference in this case so unless you're a child then if there was ever a cake box it would never have been taken out of it and placed on your lap while in a moving vehicle!! I must have rewinded it at least three or four times and even had a witness watch it with me to make sure that I wasn't seeing things.
   Now you can call me cynical, I know that I do, but do the producers of this show actually think that they can pull this one over the viewing public?! How ignorant do they actually think that we are? It is from this experience as well as reading other people's experiences of this "reality" show and others stating of re-takes and editing scenes together to get a certain effect, etc. that has ended my viewing of these so-called "reality" shows. Thinking about it, how real of an experience are we to get when we know that people we are watching fully well know that they are being watched with a bunch of cameras on them at all times? Who wouldn't ham it up a bit when they know that the camera is always on them?! Now if you want to sit down and get comfy and watch a good "reality" show then watch a show like, "Candid Camera", although it is no longer airing or a show like, "Taxicab Confessions" on HBO. The people that you watch on these shows had no idea that they were being filmed until after they have signed a release after the fact. This way and only this way will one get a true authentic reaction to a situation. Once someone becomes aware that a camera is filming them you'll get a different reaction entirely and this my friend is the true reality because in "reality" there are no do-overs!!