"Reality"

The entertainment world is slowly coming to an end. What is the critical factor in this? The new obsession with reality, or what we like to call reality. Seriously, if this were truly reality, count me in anyday. Strand me on a tropical island with some strangers. I'll take that over Nebraska weather just about any day of the year (especially in the winter). But, reality television isn't the only form of entertainment obsessed with this notion of reality.

Video games are getting to be just as bad. I used to love video games, from Atari to Nintendo to Sega to the Playstation. It was nice to go to neverneverland, to the fantasy world, and escape reality. But, anymore, it's like going from one reality into a fantasy world that is just a bit too real to be much fun. We've gone from Pac Man and Frogger to Grand Theft Auto and True Crime. Some of the more realistic games are fun, but where are the more creative and imaginative games anymore? Kids are especially into video games. They should be encouraged to use that imagination of theirs, not the direct opposite. Now we have the X Box 360 and upcoming are the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Revolution. When's it going to end? I saw some graphics for the X 360 and the PS3 and it was like walking downtown and interacting with people. In Madden '06, it was like watching a game on Sundays. Is it cool to an extent? Yeah. Visually, it's stunning. But, when is it crossing the line? Video games are an escape from the real world. After how much realism is inserted does it become to realistic to be a true escape from reality? Where do we go next? Virtual reality simulators in our own households? The graphics are breathtaking. It's amazing to see the progress from the Atari to the X Box 360 and Playstation 3. But, I, for one, have lost most of my interest in video games. They used to be a blast for me, because they were fun. They weren't very realistic and I was fine with that. Many films aren't intended to be realistic. They're made for entertainment value. Just look at films such as "Aliens," "Armageddon," or "Star Wars." These were not made for people to ooh and ahh at how believable the plots and storylines were. They were made to entertain the public. Some films are based off true stories, such as "Titanic" and "Gandhi," so the plots and storylines will reflect that level of realism. The same should hold true in the land of video games. There are games that should be made realistic and there are games that should not be. The problem is the obsession with the notion of reality and that doesn't leave much room for the games simply made for entertainment value.

I can't decide if it's better or worse in tv land. I may have to go with worse, because the public is much more exposed to television programs than video games. Most of these shows can be seen on local channels, as well, so it's not like one needs to get cable to see the majority of these shows. I can't even watch television anymore, because it's overloaded with "reality." There was: "The Real World," "Road Rules," "Survivor," "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," "Joe Millionaire," "Big Brother," "Temptation Island," "The Apprentice," all the judge shows, "The Jerry Springer Show," "Daisy Does America," "Rollergirls," "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette," "Wife Swap," "Nanny 911," "American Idol," "Making the Band," "American Chopper," "Miami Ink," "Blind Date," "ElimiDATE," "Meet My Folks," "Married by America," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance'," "Beauty and the Geek," "Rescue 911," "COPS," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Trading Spaces," "Extreme Makeover," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl," "Trading Spouses," "The Biggest Loser," "Supernanny," "The Anna Nicole Show," "The Osbournes," "Newlyweds," "The Ashlee Simpson Show," "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic," "Hogan Knows Best," "Totally Hidden Video," "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," "Punk'd," "The Mole," "Fear Factor," "The Amazing Race," "Boot Camp," "Last Comic Standing," "America's Next Top Model," "Dream Job," "The Contender," and many others. I just listed 53 reality tv shows. 46 of the 53 I listed debuted in 2000 or later. Is there such a thing as originality anymore? As thinking up new classic programs like "Seinfeld," "Friends," or "Cheers?" You notice that after "Seinfeld," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Friends" said goodbye, that's when television became bombarded with "reality?" What's next? "Watch Debra and Roxanne Play Cribbage?" "Legally Have More Wives?" "A Garbageman's Duty?" "America's Next President?" I can about guarantee you, if you just set up a video camera in your house, record what you do all day, and send it in to a station to program, somebody is going to watch it. I don't care how boring the video is. Even if you're just clipping your toenails, stretching, watching television, somebody is going to watch your show.

There's nothing left. All creative ideas have about vanished. There are more sequels and remakes coming out in Hollywood than anything original. More and more garbage (AKA reality shows) are coming out by the week. Video games are becoming more real than some people's every day lives. It's about time the entertainment folk start over, because they have reached rock bottom and can't sink any further than they have (although, I shouldn't tempt them, because they probably would sink lower if they had the opportunity).