Reality of reality shows - part 2

What is really fascinating about reality shows is the sense of power it gives to the viewers. Whether its KBC or Indian Idol it is the power of feeling superior which drives the viewers. How many of us feel elated when we see contestant in KBC not able to answer a question which we can easily answer? We feel the same when the contestant we predicted wins in Indian Idol voting. And the list goes on, i think to a certain extent Indian Cricket also is more like a reality show. We know the players personally and we take interest in their personal lives also, we like discussing about them and it makes us feel we are patriotic and know so much about who will play how. Its not the sheer pleasure of watching a game but the pleasure of predicting and commenting which satisfies us. Tell me how many of the viewers understand the nuances of the game, certainly not more than 50% of the total viewers but we all know the name of the players,which city the person belongs and it is not unusual to hear comments on one's region and other characteristics which don't have any relation with the game. Cricket in India is another show like Indian Idol but just has vast reach, may be because of the simpleness of the game. And without any voting power we gladly take the role of selection committee when it comes to cricket.

And this is what brings TRPs to any show, the more we get to discuss and more the predictions and comments more is the number of eye balls a show gets. So it seems a viable strategy by reality show producers like Indian Idol and Fame Gurukul to bring contestants with which the viewers can identify. Remember Qazi Taqueer(Fame Gurukul), he won just because of his never say die attitude and because he could express it(his attitude) quite comfortably. This explains why shows like Deal or No Deal don't seem to take off, just because the format is not interactive. Gone are the days when people would watch a soap opera with a predicable story pattern, as it does not bring any excitement. Formats like Idol and Gurukul give people something to talk about and bring more than committed viewership, yes Indian Idol was a kind of addiction which made Abhijeet Sawant, the singer with largest selling Indian album.

I know a person who likes Qazi so much that he bought the Fame Jodi album even without hearing the songs. So is there anything wrong with these reality shows? No nothing wrong with this, if The Times of India becomes largest selling newspaper selling gossips and articles with no head or tails but on topics which are of immense interest to people. And if Aaj Tak,Star News and India TV capitalize on the sensational news using sex scandals, scams and hidden cameras pouncing on soft targets like Film Stars, then may be SONY should definitely bring in the desi version of Big Brother.