My Cheesy TV Obsession
I am addicted.
I can’t get enough cheesy television.
And this isn’t a new obsession.
In high school, I couldn’t get enough of the start of reality television mania, when I watched “The Real World.” I still have dreams of staying in one of the houses that they used throughout the 24 seasons that the show was filmed!
Back in college, I arranged my class schedule around “Days of Our Lives.” I even took early classes so I could be back to my dorm in time to grab lunch and watch it in the common room before I went off to sailing practice. My friends and I would also arrange nights together with wine and snacks to watch “Beverly Hills 90210” and eventually “Melrose Place.” This tradition lasted quite a while!
After college, I was also known to watch countless episodes of reality television such as “Survivor,” “Queer Eye,” and “Laguna Beach.” Don’t even get me started on my obsession over “The Bachelor.” When I moved to California for a short stint, I lived down the street from Matthew Fox. I was heavily focused on catching a glimpse of one of my favorite actors from “Party of Five.”
I have wasted countless hours watching the cheesiest thing on television throughout my years. I just love it!!
This is my favorite time of year….not just because it is the holiday season, but because….you guessed it….I get to watch Hallmark Christmas Movies! I squeeze those in between watching old episodes of my new favorite reality show, “Below Deck Sailing Yacht.”
Yes…I know. It is a sickness. How can an intelligent woman like myself watch trash like this?
It might be rotting my brain, I know. But I can’t be alone. I am hoping that at least some of you reading this blog right now are thinking, “I’m so glad it isn’t just me.” So why do we watch this junk? Why are we so obsessed?
These shows are literally the dessert of television. They are sugary, sweet, and addicting! They give me absolutely zero intellectual stimulation and probably kill a few brain cells along the way.
Scientists have done research on the effects of sugar on the brain. This thought made me curious, so I did a little bit of Googling. I learned that, just like sugar, watching reality and other cheesy television programs release serotonin and dopamine into the brain. These chemicals help us feel a sense of pleasure, happiness, and well being. So maybe watching this stuff isn’t so bad for me after all!
There are a lot of debates about whether or not watching cheesy television, especially reality TV, is good for our overall well being. I learned that the impact of this kind of television isn’t as bad as we think! Some reality shows may be inspiring. Think about shows like “Nailed It” and “Top Chef.” We are literally watching ordinary people, just like us, work hard and achieve their goals. What is more inspiring than that?
We also may choose to watch shows that bring us to different countries and expose us to different cultures. Shows like “Amazing Race” give us a glimpse into other places around the world, possibly even inspiring us to get out there and explore the world ourselves!
Other reality shows can be inclusive and expose us to individuals with disabilities and those with diverse backgrounds. Think about the show “America’s Got Talent.” One season, a disabled singer won the show, inspiring others to work hard, never give up, and achieve goals!
After all this research, I asked myself the question again….why do I watch this stuff? Here’s my answer summed up in a quote I found through my research, as well….
“Sometimes, the heaviest thing we carry is not the weight of the world, but the weight of our own thoughts.”
There’s a lot of heaviness in the world. Watch the news for 5 minutes, and that will have a greater effect on your well being than 20 years of cheesy television, that’s for sure. I have tough weeks. I read horrifying news. I am all too aware of the sadness happening in this world. So I watch shows where none of that exists. My cheesy television shows take me to a place where there’s love, excitement, adventure, beauty, and joy! For me, watching these shows is about entertainment and relaxation, both of which have a positive affect on my mental state.
So I don’t think I’ll quit this addiction quite yet. My research is telling me that this obsession isn’t one that will hurt me anytime soon. The only stress I have at the moment over it all is….what will I watch tonight? There are so many choices!! Do you feel me?
