I understand that the voyeuristic aspects of this type of entertainment is alluring. However, many people also admit that they know the shows are scripted, that they are done up by people other than themselves, and that the personalities they represent are really not all that much like themselves. Why are we so ready to accept this if the reason for our entertainment is because it is voyeuristic? Does the the preplanned aspects of these shows not detract from that part of the quality of entertainment? I quote my girlfriend, saying, "It's just because they are so stupid that it's funny. And there is a thin line between being funny and annoying." Why is it funny? I tried to watch Jersey Shore with her and it annoys me. It frustrates me from lack of logic and lack of characters with a real sense of what it's like to live in this world of ours. Aha, could it be that we are simply not satisfied with this reality and prefer to defer to that of our celebrity counterparts. Perhaps it is less voyeuristic and possibly more vicarious. We don't just like comparing ourselves to them, we like living their lives. Maybe we're not that much different than those folks from Second Skin after all (Except we're not even willing to put the time in to create the characters we want, we prefer the media to make them for us)

If this is true I am wondering what it is about our lives that are less interesting or fulfilling that those in the 'realities' we watch on t.v. I agree that I feel unfulfilled by this culture we now in, at least that which I have yet been exposed to. However, I feel that this stems from an overabundance of technology and useless communication, all of which make possible and add to the existence of these reality shows. In other words, I think T.V. is part of the problem. If you don't feel fulfilled by your life in this day, I encourage you to comment about what your reasoning is!