Two Day Magazine

By: Mia Bencivenga

Reality television rarely, if ever, captures actual reality.  

The Real Housewives of *insert city* series is a testament to this tradition of televised frivolity.  These women prance around their oversized homes, sipping champagne and talking a mile a minute about the latest all-consuming drama.  

But, in its own twisted way, watching these women and the ridiculousness that surrounds their lives is woefully entertaining.  It’s hard to believe that there are people who actually live in that kind of a bubble, where the day-to-day difficulties of life that most of us encounter, simply do not occur.

Unfortunately, though, the world of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was shaken by the tragic news that one of the housewives, Taylor Armstrong, had discovered her estranged husband, Russell Armstrong, dead of an apparent suicide.  

To add insult to injury, the Bravo network has yet to wrap shooting at this time.  

Meaning, that events leading up to and immediately following Russell Armstrong’s death have been documented on film; events that perhaps would be insensitive to show on television.

If Bravo were to release these episodes, there is no question that they would be profiting off of this man’s death and his family’s suffering.  One assumes that out of both moral obligation and fear of public backlash, Bravo is going to either heavily edit or entirely can the new season, this will cost them a great deal of money; however, it’s clearly the right thing to do.   

Yet, no one can question that the main attraction of reality television is the ability to watch real people, not contrived characters, go through struggles.  

Shows like Survivor are solely based on watching as people manipulate, compete, and fight against one another for a grand prize.     

But, where exactly is the line drawn?  When can’t networks profit off of the real-life suffering of others?

In a recent season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney Kardashian’s struggle with her boyfriend’s violent alcohol driven behavior was documented for the world to see.  

Cameras were even there as he drank himself into a stupor, and then headed up to his room to punch his hand through a glass mirror.  

They were also present during his surgery to repair his damaged hand; zooming in on his torn up skin as the doctors attempted to sew it back together.

In some ways, one could argue that by having cameras present for this behavior, they are reinforcing it.  

Who can truly understand how the presence of a camera crew influences your day-to-day life?  You are being paid to be filmed.  You are supposed to provide us with entertainment; and therefore, your life must be interesting and exciting.  

It has to be something that we want to watch.

These “stars” of reality television are in a kind of entertainment limbo.  They aren’t actually putting on a performance, but they can’t exactly just be themselves, either.  

The pressure to be dramatic, to perpetuate your own demons, must be, at times, unbearable.  

Even the most stable person would have a difficult time with the kind of pressure you would feel, let alone someone who is going through some very intense personal issues.  

Then, at the end of filming, to know that everyone has seen you at your worst and knows what should be your private business, you would feel atrocious and very self-conscious.  To be in a reality television show must be very strange, and, most likely, very unhealthy.

When you see people on the television, it is very easy to feel disconnected to them.  But, these people and their lives are real.  This idea is rarely reinforced, until something truly tragic happens, such as the case with Russell Armstrong and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

To watch a scripted show is very different, because we know that in the end, all of the actors are okay, but sometimes, in the world of reality television, some “cast members” aren’t okay, and they may need help.

I’m not, nor would I ever blame reality television for a person’s decisions or the escalation of their problems; however, I think the public, needs to reevaluate the true meaning of “entertainment.”

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Mia Bencivenga is a regular blogger for twoday magazine....find her on Facebook and tell her what your feelings are on how "real" reality tv should be.