Real vs. Unreal

Television shows have traditionally ignored the realities of human life. Events such as using the restroom, bathing, shaving and other things have been ignored and are not part of the life of the television characters. When asked why they watch television, many people will respond that they watch it to escape reality. The failure to display human behaviors such as shaving, or using the restroom, assists the viewer in his or her desire to escape reality.

If the basic human functions and other evidences of reality were to become included in television shows, it would have a negative impact on the industry and would lessen the ability to watch television for the purpose of escaping reality. The television industry promotes the adoration of television characters. It provides a platform for the viewer to become attracted to the life and actions of television characters. Part of this can be attributed to the fact that many basic realities of human life are not portrayed on the shows.

If they were their magical aura would be gone and people would no longer look to them to escape reality (Watson pg). Viewers are enamored with television life (Amatangelo pp). Watching stars work out issues in 30 to 60 minutes provides the viewer with hope. If the industry were to change its methods and start including human functions such as bathing, restrooms and shaving in the shows the viewers would lose their magical attraction to the shows and might stop tuning in to view.

Realities of life include messy houses, smelly restrooms and snoring people. Viewers who live with these realities each day tune in to characters and situations that are always attractive and neat and tidy. Viewers tune in and find hope. They see people in immaculate homes living far above any realistic financial means and having more free time than anyone in real life could possibly have. When people tune into these shows they are regenerated and they begin to forget the hardships they have in their real lives.

They see that people have hobbies and that they have wonderfully decorated apartments and homes even though they don't have jobs that can support such lifestyles and they can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Introducing the reality of life to the shows, such as showing where characters can really live on their incomes, or having messy homes, would remind the viewers of the down side of their own lives.

Goldson pp) One example of the need to keep reality out of television shows is the popular show called the Sopranos. Studies have been conducted on the show's hold on viewers, as it is reported that shopping centers clear out in time for shoppers to go home and watch it. One mental health expert explained its popularity on the fact that the main character does not deal with reality of his actions.

According to the professional the lead character Tony Soprano, for all of the crime being committed, comes off as a nice guy with a normal life. This of course is not the reality of full time criminals and is a prime example of how reality is absent from television and that the viewers like it that way.

People love to root for Tony the regular guy to prevail over Tony the violent criminal; they want more than anything to be able to find a noble everyman at the heart of the worst and the lowest of the low. Simply stated, viewers don't want to believe that anyone is really evil." This is a remarkable turnabout from two decades ago when television's favorite creep was J.R. Ewing on "Dallas." When "Who shot J.R.

" was on everybody's lips, it wasn't because we wanted to see the would-be assassin brought up on charges -- we wanted to see him handed the keys to the city. We didn't want to understand J.R. -- we wanted to hate him. We loved to hate him. J.R. never killed anybody, never even beat anyone up, yet we cheered from our couches when he got what was coming to him and hoped desperately that his every nasty scheme would fail.

If so, why do we forgive everything for Tony Soprano, the godfather who terrorizes and murders for fun and profit, just because he worries about his marriage and his children? C'mon, even J.R. loved his son and his momma. Perhaps there's no better barometer for the moral pressure of society than our relationship with popular television characters.

When we cheer for the good guys and boo the bad guys, isn't it because of our desire to see that justice is done? But when we sympathize with a violent criminal, when we identify with him because he cares about his kids just as we do, haven't we abandoned all commitment to differentiating between right and wrong? The truth is that making moral decisions, balancing right and wrong in complex circumstances, is no simple business.

But instead of challenging us to recognize that Tony is a villain in spite of his human side, "The Sopranos" (and, more generally, the entertainment industry) manipulates us into identifying with Tony's humanity so we overlook his wickedness. Based on Gabbard's assessment, it seems that we yearn for any excuse and every opportunity to deny that genuine.