Written By: Terrific Terrasola!~!
According to Tracie Egan Morrisey1 reality TV and divorce go hand in hand. In a recent article for Jezebel.com she notes that there have been a number of divorces on the popular “Real Housewives of ...” franchise, and that the link between divorce and reality TV began back in the 1970s when PBS created and aired “An American Family” which showed the disintegration of the Loud family.
Why does there seem to be an association between reality TV and family breakdown? Is it an “inflated sense of self and conceit” that Ms. Morrissey points out seems to be present in many families who agree to take part in reality TV, or is it that filming, including questions producers (and the public) ask family members, “illuminates the problems” that exist and cannot be ignored. Ms. Morrisey notes that the nature of filming a reality TV show can also be very intrusive into family life and that people may not be “real” when outsiders are in their homes. Perhaps reality TV participants become so used to acting a part that they are no longer being the people that their mates were originally attracted to or are simply not being “honest”. Alternatively, sometimes cameras catch candid moments that reveal things partners were not aware of and cannot live with.
Dr. Patrick Wanis2 believes that reality TV triggers several predictable responses in participants.
1. Most people have a subconscious desire to please others, which may lead participants to say or do things that they believe others expect of them.
2. Eventually participants may become numbed to the presence of cameras and exhibit “emotional nakedness”, lowering their internal defenses and leading them to say and act out what they believe subconsciously / internally to be true, but what in “real life” they would not reveal to others (by remaining silent, suppression, trying to control comments and behavior, etc.).
3. Cameras and editing exaggerate the best and the worst of each individual. The camera judges every action, response and statement, creating physical, emotional and mental strain.
4. The publicity and fame of reality TV “stardom” can result in a loss of perspective, loss of the sense of one’s “true” self, and a change in one’s personal beliefs and values.
5. The constant presence of cameras robs a family, and especially a couple, of the time needed for privacy and physical and emotional intimacy.
If you add the responses that Dr. Wanis points out above to the exhibitionist personalities typically attracted to reality TV3 or, as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter's mother explained it on “The Big Bang Theory” that people attracted to “acting” generally have an external locus of control and tend to value themselves only insofar as others value them, you have a pretty good recipe for family (or individual) breakdown.
Tweet
Haven’t they already fallen victim to it?
ReplyDelete1. They were out seeking a sponsor for a show, at that time, there was no talk of adding a wife, I think that was part of the "hype" of the show. And Bringing 3 kids into the scene. It has to be hard on THEM knowing they are not the real Browns, no matter how many times they call him Daddy.
2. I do think that sometimes they are prepared to say what they SHOULD say, and sometimes those talking head scenes bring out the truth they don't even realize they feel. They also bring out the liars. IE, Christine, if I had known the engagement kiss would hurt you so badly, I would have never allowed it. uh huh, then caught kissing again. BIG slap to Christine as a sister wife, taught Christine not to trust the new family member. Not good.
3. Baby. They needed another one, didn't they?
4. The move, HOW many times has Autistic Dayton had to move now? Ridiculous that poor child has to move where they have some of the worst schools in the US!
5. Lawsuit. They LOVE that publicity in weird ways. Like to empress the powers that be. . Although, you have to admit, they aren’t out every night looking for a camera, which could easily be done in Hollywood. By stars’ standards, they are not very publicity hungry. Although, Robyn is, she is trying awfully hard for freebies.
6. It's all just too much for one family, much less 4. These children, I'm telling you, are going to suffer. If not now, later in life for them. This is crazy and too much.
7. Do I think one will leave? NOPE. Oh, they will play it like a soap opera and pretend drama , like one will, but they won't. It's in the DNA. If one would leave, who do you think it would be? My bets on Janelle or Christine leaving if anyone does.
8. By hiding their religion, they made it seem like something was wrong with it. Well, I guess we've learned why!
I think Dr. Manis is correct. They got into this, thinking how great, money, WON'T CHANGE US... (Christine always come to mind) but it does change you in so many ways. Another way it alters you is the money. Now, it's hard to explain to an audience how your pinching pennies, etc. And, you have this extra money which is a fake security - how long will it last. You kid yourself into thinking your show will last longer than the others. then money problems again. (4 homes, really? For a lovey dovey family? Couldn't even bunk up 2/2?
ReplyDeleteTHAT in itself shows problems, major ones.
Think how tough that would be. If you had great intentions in the beginning of showing how your "lifestyle" can be done. In a loving way, how they area happy, etc. THEN comes the compromises. Many I blame on the producers who egg on fights and don't really care of the happiness of the people. They love ratings, and what makes ratings besides strife and troubles.
ReplyDeleteThat racked with the greed of the money, trouble ahead.
This family obviously had HUGE money issues/bankruptcy which forced them into this show. Those money issues are probably still there. Nobody has a real job, for sure, and nobody has any idea how any of these people are insured.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine the stress of fame like this to be too much for most families. I don't really care which concubines leave or not, though that would be awesome TV! Maybe that was the plan all along...
The losers here are the kids, all of them. They will be freaks for the rest of their lives, no matter how normal/self-sufficient/talented they turn out to be, despite their freak show parents. And they can't just walk out. Poor kids...
Robyn is a stage prop. Kody went out to find a new wife with a more TV friendly appearance when he got the television deal - a wife who was slimmer and had more reproductive potential than the older three wives. Kody is using Robyn as a stage prop for the tv show - and when she realizes it, she will leave.
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a blow up today, or this week, with that lying, sick, twerp on The Real housewives of NY and a guy from Journey? Rack up another one. "Michaela" or whatever the F her name is.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tmz.com/2011/09/15/michaele-salahi-journey-neal-schon-affair-years-in-the-making-secret-promises-leave-husband-tareq-cheating-marriage-white-house-crashers-real-housewives-of-dc/
Let's face it, the process would put a tremendous strain on all- how they acted, how you did, saying things you wish you hadn't SEEING things, for the Browns, with the other wives you wish you hadn't. For others, most is out in the open, for the ladies, seeing their lover hug and kiss and love on someone else, the very thing they try to avoid, has to be heart wrenching. Is it worth the money?
ReplyDeleteSadly, Robyn, the freak, is getting the best out of all of this, kinda in your face girls.
Have you EVER seen Kody sexy up to Janelle or Christine? Look at them with lust?
I hadn't thought of that, Robyn, you freak XD.
ReplyDeleteIt must be torture watching him love on Robyn, b/c he ain't on the others.
RHODC was absolutely ruined by Tariq's and Michaele's hijinks. I think it's a publicity stunt that fortunately has fallen flat because no one really cares about those grifters.
ReplyDeleteBack on Topic...
I agree with you Robynisafreak (nice name btw), & everyone about Kody and Robyn...we have seen Kody be insensitive with Christine (on the necessity of moving and when the children were tired and hungry during the long move, not to mention the whole dress and kissing incident), with Janelle (he got really mad when she said no to getting another trailor and no to delaying their departure from Lehi) and with Meri (the whole Meri having her own house arguement and of course poor Mariah's plea to him to let her stay in Lehi). But when has Kody actually acted like an ass with Robyn? Unless those scenes are on the cutting room floor (highly doubtful) she plays the perfect mate to the perfect husband, and he likes it.
oh, I will say girl just to be the odd man, but I'm bettin on a boy, too. could that Fall leaf tutu just be any cuter?
ReplyDeleteBTW - also the scene where he got mad at Janelle over buying new sleeping bags. Of, she is starting to look like the mother to Kody.
They'll have a ody - I mean boy.
ReplyDeleteDon't you see it already cracking? My goodness, the combined wieght alone of all that have gained, the strained and weird eyes, oh yeah, it's crumbling. I blame it on the addition of Robyn myself. BUT, I don't thik they will ever leave, per say. They will lead seperate lives, but not outwardly split.
ReplyDelete