Society more accepting of the ridiculous and the absurd
It has just been recently announced that the members of Jersey Shore are now receiving a salary raise and will now earn a minimum of $100,000 per episode filmed. Just in season two, each member received about $10,000 per episode. For just one hour of drunk bar fights and promiscuity, these people are earning more than most middle-class, hard-working Americans earn each year.
Our culture, probably more than most other cultures in the world, has a tendency to glorify the absurd behaviors of society and it is undeniable that these absurdities are fascinating. Watching a reality TV show is like watching a circus, so ludicrous that it’s captivating. And it is for this reason that millions of Americans are able to faithfully watch week after week, shows like Jersey Shore, Teen Mom and Sweet Sixteen.
But when does our enthusiastic interest in the decadent absurdities of popular culture turn into a form of glorification? In our deep involvement in observing the debauchery of others, are we subconsciously beginning to condone it? It seems, more often now than ever before, that the things being portrayed on reality shows and other media sources to depict the abnormal and humorous lifestyles of others are becoming less and less absurd to us.
This industry is growing, and perhaps it’s time for us to ask ourselves why. When the members of Jersey Shore are being paid six figures per episode, it is no wonder that we no longer see it as a repelling culture and instead are beginning to change our perception of it. We begin to view the debauchery as glamour, a lifestyle that could perhaps bring us personal success if we, too, chose to embrace it. This is the tragedy.
As much as I personally dislike reality TV, I will not say that reality TV and the corresponding celebrity culture are pointless. On the contrary, they are very necessary. They are benchmarks by which we can gauge our own lives, something to compare our society to in order to ensure that the absurdities portrayed remain exactly that in our eyes — absurd and ridiculous. For that reason, we must learn to draw a clearer line for ourselves and keep in mind the difference between the things we take seriously and the things we don’t. The last thing we would want to do is accidentally take the dregs of society and put it on a pedestal.
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