June 2007 Archives
I was soaking in the hot tub tonight and I noticed the TV in the hotel lobby playing one of the new reality TV shows, Hell's Kitchen. It's a common format for these shows - two teams of competitors are pitted against each other, while the producers and the audience feed on the drama created by the stressful conditions. I hate to sound like a stogy old guy, but I have to raise the question...
Are these shows conditioning people to fail in life? If we take the "TV" part out of "Reality", I think most people would agree that drama in the work place is not good. Most of the people I personally know who eat up shows like Hell's Kitchen are the same ones who always have complaining stories about the drama they experience at work.
Why is it that we as TV consumers and Hollywood as TV producers can't enjoy and encourage programming that shows teams with healthy dynamics? Instead of focusing on how to break people down, why don't we have shows that demonstrate how healthy teams build everyone up to a higher level?
I'm afraid that the simplest answer is that the vast majority of people have been reduced to a hypnotized ball of flesh just getting one hit after another on the emotionally charged bong that is modern TV programming. But it's depressing to think that all I have to look forward to in the next generation of team members is people who've been trained by Hell's Kitchen, Survivor, and the Amazing Race.
