Recently, I became involved in a "grassroots"-like effort to vote for Sanjaya, the acknowledged worst contestant on the reality TV show, "American Idol".
Why would I do such a stupid thing? What does reality TV have to do with politics?
Make the jump.
Let me start off by saying that I SERIOUSLY loathe reality TV. When it was first introduced, I watched a couple episodes. Rapidly, I discovered that the quality of entertainment to be found in those shows was crap compared to the well-written, thoughtful stories I had previously been able to view in prime time on public TV stations.
In short order, I began to loathe all reality TV, everything from the summer-camp hazing antics of "Survivor" to the disgusting, awful meals/tasks set in front of "Fear Factor" contestants. I have frequently wondered how we, a civilized society, could POSSIBLY enjoy watching regular people be tortured on television? What are we, Romans? Will we be feeding Christians to the lions next, for sh*ts and giggles?
As the reality revolution picked up speed, I began watching television less and less. During that time, I read blogs by Hollywood screenwriters screenwriters about the mess reality TV had made of the industry. Screenwriters, the people who write the scripts and create the stories we love to watch on TV, have a union, the Writer's Guild of America. But the work of reality TV "writers" is not "covered" under their standard contract, nor have any efforts thus far been successful to unionize the Reality writers. The bottom line, I learned, is that reality TV is the Wal-Mart of television programming industry. Producers of reality shows do not have to pay proper actor's salaries, since their "workers" volunteer for the job-- they pay their "writers" minimally for devising the contestant "scenerios", with no guarantees of health benefits. The entertainment they produce is exceedingly poor quality. The "stories", if they can really be called that, are "created" in the editing room.
But since I'm not a screenwriter, and my livelihood doesn't depend on a writer's union, and there ARE, after all, still other shows on TV... Why would I be angry about any of this? Why diary about it? Why vote for Sanjaya, for crying out loud???
Because American Idol is ruining our society, by promoting a corrupted understanding of the American Dream.
If you ask a child or even a young person today, what he/she wants to be when he/she grows up, that child will probably tell you: a television star, a musician, or somebody famous on TV. Pulling themselves up from obscurity to fame and stardom, they believe, IS the "American Dream".
But this wasn't how it used to be. There was a time in history when the "American Dream" referred to something more deep and satisfying than "being on TV." When the goal of "making something of yourself" could mean anything-- any useful pursuit that would lead to a job and eventual financial security. For example, working one's way up to becoming a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, an officer in the military, a factory forman or a teacher. Building a bridge, a library, a farm, a spaceship, a skyscraper or a family. The American Dream once covered all the great and noble ambitions of our people, not just occupations belonging to the "performer" class in our society.
Furthermore, it used to be understood that the American Dream was about HARD WORK, setting sights on one's goals, and busting one's butt to achieve them. Now instead, American children dream about being plucked from a crowd by auditioning judges for their "sparkling personality" and "making it to the top" by performing various degrading tasks until the others around them give up or are "voted off". What is missing from these reality shows is the YEARS of work that goes into fostering a performing talent-- even in the few that are chosen, we do not see the decades of singing lessons, dance practice, or performances that allowed them to stand out in the audition in the first place. This fosters the erroneous belief among viewers that "anyone" could be "discovered" and "anyone" could win the "American Dream"-- as though it were a simple lottery.
I do not think the "American Dream" should be construed as a lottery. I voted for Sanjaya as part of a conspiracy started by folks like Howard Stern and votefortheworst.com, but I didn't do it just to be capricious. I never watched the show this whole season, not even once. My vote was not for a cute underdog kid who could not sing. My vote was for an end to Reality TV. Some theorized that if Sanjaya should win, the producers of the show would be humiliated and take it off the air. I sincerely hoped so. How many young people have I run into in the past few years who have NO CONCEPT of how to go after a goal? How many have no clue what they want to do when they grow up, apart from be in a band or act on TV? We need a new message for our young people today, a message that says there is more to success than being famous-- that fame that comes at the price of humiliation isn't worth it. We need stories for our young people, written by screenwriters, that can tell them about the wonderful diversity of useful and meaningful occupations there are out there, that can show them how to take proactive steps to make something of themselves, instead of waiting forever for somebody to come "discover" them. If I could say one thing to the children and young adults (and even folks as old as early 30s!) It would be this: Nobody is going to discover you. Turn off the reality TV and learn to discover yourself!