3 Storytelling Lessons from Watching Reality TV

One of my guilty pleasures is watching reality television late at night.

I spent the entire day being productive.

I don’t want to spend the end of the night being productive too!

So, late at night, I watch anything that allows my mind to be off.

That’s where reality TV comes in.

Reality TV has a few elements that make for compelling storytelling.

• The characters are relatable.
• There is drama.
• There are a lot of plot twists as well.

Say what you want about reality television, but I believe it’s a masterclass on storytelling.

There are people who get too caught up in the details:

‘Well, is it real or not? I think most of the stuff is scripted!’

My takeaway is, who cares?

If it is scripted, that’s even better.

• That means there is a science to getting a rise out of someone.

Let’s break down 3 storytelling lessons you can learn from reality TV.

Lesson 1: Any Character Becomes Relatable Through Exposure

One of the reality shows that I used to watch a lot was I Love New York.

New York was this girl who was a contestant in the show Flavor of Love.

After not winning love with Flava Flav, VH1 gave New York her own reality show.

Many men from all around the world competed for her love.

There were challenges.

One-on-one dates.

Fights.

Over time, each character became prominent…

Until they were eliminated.

I was fascinated by my reaction.

A few weeks ago, I didn’t know who these guys were.

Suddenly, I developed a bond with them.

After the show was done, VH1 would create a spinoff series like I Love Money.

The premise of I Love Money was to host a show where former reality TV contestants would compete for $250,000.

Once I saw a few of the characters from I Love New York, like Tailor Made, Buddha, and the Entertainer, I felt good.

I felt as though I was reunited with my friends.

Reality shows allow us to see that repeated exposure to any human will allow us to build rapport with them.

Even the characters that we despise the most.

2. Manufactured Drama is Still Drama

Reality shows often get the rep as trash tv.

I agree with that.

Watching shows like that at a young age will leave a dent in an impressionable mind.

It makes the impressionable kid think that screaming and fighting is a way to resolve conflicts.

As an adult, I believe the drama can be perceived from a different lens.

Drama sheds insights into human emotions.

There’s this reality show called Temptation Island.

4 couples who are in rocky relationships are separated into 2 islands.

• The girls from the relationship will go on an island filled with single men.
• The guys from the relationship will go on an island filled with single women.

Which of the people in a relationship will get tempted?

This show teaches a ton about human emotion.

We see people who we thought would never get tempted… getting tempted.

The separated couples are able to see snippets of their partner’s behavior on the opposite island.

The audience sees the shock in the faces of the people who are getting cheated on.

We see the recovery process.

All that.

During moments like this, I don’t care if the show is scripted or not.

I care how it makes me feel.

Drama is something that speaks to the nervous system.

And it speaks loudly to the most stoic of individuals.

3. Reality TV Subliminally Teaches About Life

A story is a hit when it is packed with life lessons.

The life lesson within a story is often subliminal.

You need to search for it.

One example is the Alchemist.

For every 5 people I talk to, I hear 3 different interpretations of the Alchemist book.

Subliminal messages are the storytellers’ secret weapon.

There are a lot of times that reality TV has life lessons packed in it.

Before you laugh at me, think about the show Making the Band.

The show’s premise is of Sean Combs looking to hire new talent under his music management company, Bad Boy.

He would host auditions.

Scope out the contestants.

Finalize the contestants.

And the show would document the contestants’ rise to fame.

There were a few artists born from the show.

• Day 21.
• Danity Kane.
• Donnie Klang

The audience was able to see their rise to fame.

And unfortunately, their impending doom.

Day 21 imploded because the members began fighting a lot.

Danity Kane was broken up because one of the singers didn’t get along with the boss.

Donnie didn’t get enough attention to succeed because Day 21 and Danity Kane got all the spotlight.

Most people watched the show and that was about it.

I got life lessons from it.

A few lessons were:

• The music business is savage.
• You need to pay your dues to rise to the top.
• It’s not about getting momentum, but rather, building on the momentum.
• Fame brings out peoples’ dark sides.

No one ever sat me down and said, these are the lessons from the show.

Instead, the lessons were subliminal.

I had to search for it.

Guilty Pleasure

I’m not becoming an advocate for reality TV by any means.

I just wanted to share one of my guilty pleasures out loud.

After watching a lot of reality TV, I have come to realize something.

There are different types of programming within this universe.

It’s kind of like writing.

There are different types of writers.

• Short story authors.
• Fiction authors.
• Autobiography authors.
• Poets etc.

If you hate poetry, it would be unfair to say:

‘Writing sucks.’

Don’t diss the entire universe of writing just because you have a problem with a galaxy.

Similarly, reality TV has its different types.

There are:

• Music business shows.
• Dating shows.
• Game shows.
• Home makeover shows.

And much more.

Before knocking the entire universe, give more galaxies a chance.

Who knows…

You may learn a thing or 2 about storytelling.

For more storytelling insights, check out the Art & Science of Storytelling

✨Ebook

✨Paperback/Kindle

✨Audiobook

– ArmaniTalks