Pop Culture and Reality TV

     I see pop culture as being the combined differences and similarities of all people, from all cultures.  Pop culture is what is "hip" today, and is ever changing, more rapidly now than ever before.  

     This is particularly important in today's society as well as in business because of the vast use of technology and ease of connecting with others across the world.  A greater understanding of pop culture can help you to have a better understanding of others you deal with on a personal and business level.  This can improve personal and business relationships, and ultimately help you to be more successful with both. 

     One pop culture artifact that demonstrates this so well today is reality TV, my favorite being The Kardashians.  Twenty years ago, no-one had even heard of reality TV.  Today it is a mainstay across the US and many places throughout the world.  You cannot turn on the TV now without seeing mutliple reality shows on various channels. 

     Who would have ever imagined that we would be allowed into the homes of dozens of housewives across major cities in the US; would be looking at a group of people stranded on a deserted island trying to survive; even cared to watch the Kardashian's argue it out, again;  knew or heard of a "Schnookie".  Why are we tuning in to root for our favorite lady while she "fights" for her right to date some dashing bachelor along with a bunch of other single women, and who knew there was even such a career as driving on ice or that so many people wanted to see how an Ice Trucker lives?  There are so many reality shows today, I can't possibly name them all.

     Never in a million years would I have expected myself to be one of "those" people, but here I am, on those rainy days or Sunday evenings, when I do get a chance to sit back and scan the channels to find one of my favorites while I sit, eyes glued, and "veg" out.  I actually enjoy the escape from my reality, and the chance to watch others leading a sometimes crazy life, one that I embarrasingly enough sometimes wish I had or could maybe engage in some of the things that they enjoy.  More often than not, I find myself very thankful that I do not have that life and that I am instead right here where I am and should be. 

As I sit and watch, and think about my guilty pleasure, I can't help but ask, how real is reality TV anyway?