Our stream queen and host of “Binge Or Cringe: The Podcast” comes clean about her LTR with reality TV
by Jamie Joffe, Culture Editor
My name is Jamie Joffe and I love reality TV.
I am no longer ashamed to admit that watching drunk housewives flip tables in their Christian Louboutins fills my love tank. Because the reality is that reality sometimes isn’t that fun, so I welcome the glossy, well-edited version that I see on TV. It’s comforting.
Yes, some of it is predictable and vacuous, but that is what makes it fantastic. “90 Day Fiancé” is the perfect show for multitasking (or in my case managing a severe case of ADD). It is something I can half-watch while folding laundry and scrolling through social media at the same time.
Reality TV provides the perfect escape. Personally, I am outdoorsy … meaning that I shop at REI. But when I tune into “Survivor,” I am able to live vicariously through the contestants while sitting comfortably in my air conditioned house. I was so mesmerized by “Survivor” when it first aired that I even considered applying to be on the show. My husband reminded me that I could barely survive a mosquito bite and suggested that I apply to be a contestant on “Jeopardy.”
Reality TV is educational. Maybe it is not “Masterpiece Theater”, but it’s not all dreck either. I have retained a lot of very useful information. HGTV has provided me with beneficial home improvement hacks. “Shark Tank” has offered some helpful tips on negotiating business deals. And the chief stew on “Below Deck” taught me to make the perfect espresso martini.
So there’s that.
But the most obvious answer is that reality television always offers the chance of a happy ending. Take “The Real Housewives” as an example. As much as these women feud, gossip, and fall out of favor with one another, they always figure a way to come back together. At its core, it’s a show about friendship and forgiveness. With reality TV there is no pressure to be educated or informed, only to be entertained and be an observer of the ludicrous lifestyles that somehow make our own “reality” a little less stressful.
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