{"id":24,"date":"2011-07-04T02:25:25","date_gmt":"2011-07-04T02:25:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/preacherskid\/?p=24"},"modified":"2011-07-04T19:22:16","modified_gmt":"2011-07-04T19:22:16","slug":"can-reality-tv-inspire-real-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/preacherskid\/2011\/07\/can-reality-tv-inspire-real-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"Can ‘Reality TV’ inspire real faith?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I began this blog, one thing Beliefnet<\/em> wanted me to explore was what inspiration or faith lessons could be gleaned from so-called “reality television\u201d shows.<\/p>\n

Hmm<\/em>. Well, there’s no doubt there is a plethora of them. Survivor<\/a> <\/em>and Big Brother<\/a> <\/em>began the craze more than a decade ago. The shows\u2019 terminology caught on as quickly as their purported morality-in-microcosm appeal (or, as the seasons progress, the lack of morality and\/or ethics, some might argue).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Voted Off the Island.\u00a0 Immunity Idol.\u00a0 The Tribe Has Spoken <\/em>— all Survivor<\/em> terms that have become part of our cultural language. And don’t forget Big Brother<\/em>, where the HOH <\/em>(Head of Household) may nominate you for Eviction<\/em>, and then only by winning the Power of Veto <\/em>can you save yourself or an ally.<\/p>\n

But as I said earlier, plethora.<\/em> Reality TV shows propagated like proverbial rabbits, and while they never were true representations of “real” life, they have stretched the believability of even the most ardent, intentionally naive of their viewers.<\/p>\n

After all, it’s one thing to be, supposedly, abandoned on an island (or in a desert, jungle, etc.), or locked with strangers in a house (albeit one with cameras monitoring every move and word). Even the rags-to-riches appeal of American Idol<\/em>,<\/a> and its unknown singers competing for the favor of celebrity judges and national audiences, seems to fall somewhere within the realm of possibility.<\/p>\n

But really — Ghost Hunters<\/em>?<\/a> Turn. On. The. Light. No spooks. <\/em><\/p>\n

It’s not all so bad, though. However contrived, some of these shows appeal to more than greed, backstabbing, lying, cheating and using other human beings for fame and a big cash prize. I suspect for every viewer out there who falls for the “situational” nature of participants’ moral decisions — indeed, the decidedly postmodern ethics<\/em><\/a> (in a nutshell, there is no authority beyond one’s self, and thus morality is relative) — there must be another watcher who sees the emptiness of such a lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Well, I hope so.<\/p>\n