Post

Tracy
@wacket.bsky.social

"Reality" TV was the worst thing to ever happen to America...

815 reposts7.7K likes

Salty_AF
@saltyaf21.bsky.social

It’s bad but this is an absurd statement. Genocide, colonization, slavery, Jim Crow, internment camps, and every lying warmongering politician up to the MAGA nazi ICE nightmare of now. Reality tv didn’t “happen to America” nor did anything I listed. Humans created and accepted all of it.

joekinglives.bsky.social
@joekinglives.bsky.social

Social media is pretty awful. You have access to it 24 hours a day. At least with reality TV, there are only so many hours per season. Tik Tok, YouTube, Meta, among many others are zombifying future generations. One is brainless entertainment, the other is a brain drain. Pick your poison.

Dynomoose
@dynomoose.bsky.social

The Heritage Foundation gave us Reagan, the Orange tit, project 2025, the rise of christo-fascism, the disenfranchisement of women and POC, the American oligarchy…

Mr. Trizzle
@etrizzle.bsky.social

I would argue that it was the 24 hour news cycle. It went from news to "news entertainment" a la Fox news. Anything to fill the void. But reality tv didn't help things at all. It was made to combat strikes by the writers. It screwed the writers and the viewers.

batgurl62.bsky.social
@batgurl62.bsky.social

Stupid people believe it's real. It's all scripted. Mark Burnett is responsible for The Apprentice. They propped him up to make him look like he was a great businessman while changing his diapers. I have no idea why people vote for people they see on TV. That doesn't make them good politicians. FFS

Tracy
@wacket.bsky.social

Name recognition is the reason. Stupid people vote for a name they recognize. Explains Mitch McConnell and many others...

Roxysteve
@roxysteve.bsky.social

I disagree. The world wide web was the tool that destroyed the USA. Predictable, really. Anonymous access plus global audience equals libelous gossip central. Connect it to other cultures and there went the shooting gallery.

Angis Eyes👩🏻‍🦼
@angiseyes.bsky.social

Realty TV feeds toxicity and it says A LOT about a person that tunes in. To get joy out of watching other people's drama is disturbing. It also encourages cheap entertainment for the powers that be to get rich off of while the people in it get low pay comparatively to fictional show actors.

calgaryrds.bsky.social
@calgaryrds.bsky.social

No. In my opinion it’s christianity. American christianity has made Americans more stupid, ignorant, and depraved, and hence violent, than any other group of citizens in any democracy at any time in history. christianity is a killer. 

calgaryrds.bsky.social
@calgaryrds.bsky.social

I disagree. The long history of christian lies, depravity, abuse and theft, lionized in recent years by MAGA bigots, is its true core. Hate is its impetus. ALL religions exist, I believe, for three things: gather money; gather power, and to abuse women & children. Today's christianity does all.

Mickinoodle
@md2nm2az.bsky.social

Maybe the worst thing to happen to TV, (but don't forget Fox news!) but not to America. You & I can choose not to watch those stupid programs, and if others enjoy them, well, to each their own. Who am I to say? Let them. But DJT and his sycophantic minions are the worst thing to happen to America.

Deirdre
@maddniez.bsky.social

It definitely escalated the idea of being rude and mean to others, but the 24 hour news cycle gave rise to the Talking Head and Opinion As News shows.

Mingya!
@unityandsolidarity.bsky.social

It boosted him though. He would have been the failed proprietor of “Trump Steaks” at Sharper Image, a failed university, and several failed casinos had they not elevated him as a “business man.”

dodger-dog.bsky.social
@dodger-dog.bsky.social

Blame Mark Burnett, currently trump’s man In England as the ambassador To the court of St. James. He was the one who came up with and made a fortune with Survivor and numerous other horrible shows, including The Apprentice.

Ed
@edciting.bsky.social
Ed@edciting.bsky.social

Reality TV led the way, tilled the field, fertilized the land...then Idiocracy blossomed. We celebrated the reward of conflict, drama, and performative outrage over substance...which directly paved the way for politics to be treated as pure entertainment spectacle.

alwayswailing.bsky.social
@alwayswailing.bsky.social

Especially when it's scripted or when producers or directors kinda "hint" about what they are looking for to put more "umph" in a storyline. They hurt people who have real stories about real issues. Y should I care about rich people issues? THEY'RE RICH! Let me have that lifestyle. I'd be cool!

Dear Sprite
@spritedear.bsky.social

Yeah, but I think of it as just a part of the enshitification of everything and oversaturation of utter crap "entertainment" in all mediums not just television, the root of the greedy problem is the huge advertising mechanism "markets" have been out of control and have no integrity in real value

Bob Gann
@begann.bsky.social

Yep. The dumbing down of America. Hint: Any TV Producer who is going no script and hoping for good ratings is not employed as a TV Producer. Not even considered for the job.

86❌️47
@siko13.bsky.social

"Reality television," has facilitated w/ the dumbing-down of our, "once-great society". I have ways read/seen that, "we" would only get "dumber," the more, "advanced" we got. I saw the movie: "Idiotocracy" and thought that it was just a, "movie". Never thinking it was an actual: Historical document.

Icidlink 🇩🇪
@icidlink.bsky.social

We just don’t got the cool cyberware implants (yet) but I don’t think stuff like mantis blades coming out of your wrists or sharp wires that can slice of heads clean is allto realistic

86❌️47
@siko13.bsky.social

Yes, true that but, before it wasn't so, blatantly obvious. They used to, "at-least" attempt to conceal this, "dumbing-down," if you will. Now, there's no need bc, we are already collapsing and, there's no going-back! I know, it sounds very pessimistic but, that's just how I see it, dear.

James Huctwith
@dainty-bastard.bsky.social

A country that knows everything about Kylie Jenner, and little about Edward Jenner ain't doin' so well. Reality TV's been a huge part of the scourge. But I think the Murdoch and their partisan hackwork spawn have been the worst. A totally successful mass-brainwashing incident. Astonishing.

damo71.bsky.social
@damo71.bsky.social

And they weren't even "reality!" I wrote a show though, and I'm sure I could parlay it into several seasons, no name yet but it's just following people around trying to find a good paying job in drumpf's Amerikkka! There's some "reality" for your ass!

Pissed Off Pensioner
@columbiariverwitch.bsky.social

Rupert Murdoch was the worst thing to happen to the US, or anywhere else he has media. The Murdoch family is doing everything it can to end democracies around the world. Their media is fueled by anti-democratic, oligarchic greed.

Lisa Rx
@l-rex-2025.bsky.social

I nominate Rupert Murdoch. Started out peddling tabloids. Produced “The Apprentice.” Started FoxNews. He is one immigrant that actually needs to be deported for the harm he’s caused our country.

julzvc.bsky.social
@julzvc.bsky.social

My thoughts exactly. In the early 80's as a young woman, I told my hubby that reality TV would be the downfall of the United States and life as we know it. Make America stupid again.

jerzeedee.bsky.social
@jerzeedee.bsky.social

I so agree with you. I watched a few minutes once and never tuned in to any reality show. If anything they are distorted reality. Case in point: the Apprentice. People bought the false claims about Trump.

Nanu
@nanliz.bsky.social

I love my reality shows like Alone, Building off Grid, Northwoods Survival, The Last Alaskans, Life Below Zero, etc. The others aren’t really reality and shouldn’t be labeled that because they’re scripted.

fat-n-old.bsky.social
@fat-n-old.bsky.social

When it started, we were warned. The Brits already had it, and warned it was a death to quality tv shows, made it cheaper to produce shitty shows, all you had to do is Rupert Murdoch them. Create fake controversy. Make hatred and vitriol acceptable. Don't have limits on decency.

Mingya!
@unityandsolidarity.bsky.social

Duck Dynasty, Honey Boo Boo - there’s an argument to be made that reality TV was inevitable, and just giving the “rubes” the slop they wanted, on the cheap. I remember watching “COPS” in the 90’s. I thought it was funny, because I’d get high, and watch other people way more fucked up than me,

Mingya!
@unityandsolidarity.bsky.social

getting arrested. I didn’t realize it was exploitation, or a sort of “Bum Fights,” but that’s at the core of Fear Factor, Jerry Springer, Honey Boo Boo. We laugh, and say “at least we aren’t as bad as those people” - but the jokes on us, because we’re consuming it.