Hi my name is Alexis and I am addicted to trash tv. I am slightly ashamed but not as ashamed as I should be, especially if I admitted how much time I waste on it. The question as to why I love trash tv led me down a rabbit hole of finding other people who feel like me.
First, I think it’s of utmost importance to let you know yourdictionary.com (which is obviously a reputable source LOL) defines trash tv as “a genre of television talk show with little educational content and a focus on conflict and confrontation”. Now I don’t know about you, but I felt some type away about that description. It made me feel even guiltier that I LOVE it so much. So why do we love it so much despite the negative connotations it carries?
The first show I remember watching as part of this “trash tv” culture was Maury. I remember skipping school in middle school and high school so I could stay home and watch Maury…..ANDthat was my introduction to reality tv LOL. Since then I have been a binger of all the popular ones from my generation. “Cabs are here” …the infamous Dj Pauly D was a staple Thursday nights in my early 20’s. The routine was as follows: pregame while watching the new episode of Jersey Shore and by pre-gaming I mean drinking disgusting amounts of cheap vodka because I knew no better back then. As we were getting ready, you would hear a “T-SHIRT TIME” or a “Do you like the boobs??” here and there. It was a whole VIBE! Then we would head to the club for college night and the rest was history. There are many blurred nights from those years…yikes!
As I got older, my taste for reality TV became slightly more “refined” LOL. I moved into the Housewives franchise…more specifically Housewives of Atlanta. I will binge Housewives of Atlanta and die laughing for hours. Those women are wild, Nene being my personal favorite. I have always been a fan of Keeping up with the Kardashians, I have to respect the hustle of that entire family despite all the backlash they receive. At the end of the day, regardless of what people say about them…they are RICH AF! Most recently, my obsession has been Southern Charm. I have always loved Charleston SC. I have been there many times throughout the years and have always been a fan of the architecture, food, and vibes. All it took was watching one episode and I was hooked. So what is it about these shows that keep me glued to the tv for hours and hours? I have come down to a couple theories and maybe all of you reading this may agree or even have your own theories. I think I enjoy reality tv because I have no drama In my life…like at all! I don’t have much family down here and because of religious differences (we will get into that another time), I don’t really speak to them on a daily basis. Now don’t get me wrong, I live a fun life but I have no major drama. I think sometimes I watch these shows because it makes me feel like I am doing pretty alright in life to where I can enjoy them as entertainment and then shut off the tv and BAM drama over. Another reason I think I enjoy these shows are because I am the first to admit I am nosey and I love hearing about peoples drama and gossip. I would say that’s one of my toxic traits lol. It’s almost like you know that what you are watching is so bad sometimes, but there’s no way you can look away. It’s a guilty pleasure. The last thing I have to say about these shows is I love the fact that you don’t really need to pay attention. So I can rationalize it as “well I need something to watch while I clean or fold laundry” …and then I am doing something productive as well. At the end of the day though……WHO CARES! If you love watching trash tv just do it and enjoy it. It was made for a reason and why not appreciate all the hard work that went into it LOL. At least that is what I will be telling myself.