USAsia
by Jason DeShaw

Many years ago I remember sitting in front of my TV, watching a program about extreme game shows from other countries. Contestants would be put through torturous events such as standing in the snow with only their undergarments on, or locked in a cage with a lion. Then each person would be eliminated one by one through the events until one of them was the winner and they received their prize, be it money, vacation, or some other things. I remember thinking "Now there's something you'll never see in America." Or so I thought.

Now today our Television programs are overruled by reality based shows. Every station from ABC to MTV have their own reality TV shows. "But how did this all happen? How did reality TV take over my TV?" you may ask. Well, as I stated in the above paragraph, foreign countries, many from Asia, all have many extreme reality shows. My guess, is one American finally looked at that and thought "hmmm, if it worked there, why not here?"

Now of course, there have always been reality TV shows here in America (The Real World, to name one) but things really didn't take off until CBS launched Survivor. How could you resist watching people abandoned on an island with nothing try to survive. It was new, real, and fascinating, but it also started the craze which still goes on to today. The craze of reality TV. Now if you want to be successful, you have to have your own reality TV show.

Basically there are three types of reality TV shows. In order they appeared (I believe) Game Show (Survivor, Fear Factor), Hidden Camera (Spy TV, Invasion of the Hidden Cameras) and the just plain "I like to watch people live because my life isn't cool enough" show. (The Osborne's, The Anna Nicole Smith Show). Will their be different types of shows in the future, probably, but for now, these are the three that dominate.

Now even I admit, I do watch a reality TV show or two, but it still sickens me having all of these shows out there, all trying to out do the others. Fear Factor is a good example of a show trying to do it all. Everything from insane stunts (climbing across a buildings edge) to eating pretty much anything (bull testicles to underdeveloped baby birds). Name it and fear factor has done it.

So what does the future of reality TV hold? Well there are so many new shows popping up, soon they will probably have their own channel. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if it happened soon. Yet, for every successful reality show, there are about five that are canceled. Eventually this will filter out the crap, and maybe we can once again go back to having our normal TV, not filled with reality. Or will it just escalate, so that all we have is reality TV? And finally a new show will come out that isn't real, and that will be the greatest show ever, starting the "Fictional TV" era once again. Either way, sooner or later I think reality TV will go back down and the craze will end. Hopefully sooner.

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