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At the start of the pandemic, it seemed like America’s collective guilty pleasure in crazy reality TV shows like Tiger King and Love is Blind has kept everyone laughing and distracted. The absurdity of these broadcast “realities” created a way to escape into the life of someone who might be wildly different from you. That’s how I’ve always viewed reality TV: as escapism. Competition reality shows like American Ninja Warrior gets my heart racing with thrilling games, while soapy docuseries like Selling Sunset are a window into a completely different world from my own.
Eventually, though, networks and streaming services ran out of pre-pandemic content. Audiences began to question whether they would have to spend the rest of their quarantine re-watching the same three shows on Netflix. There was a fairly immediate cut-off of content for reality TV, which is often aired live or mere months after filming. Luckily, along with the return of sports, many television networks were able to bring back new reality TV content to our living rooms. With innovative new procedures that eliminate the risk of coronavirus transmission, many producers and creators prevailed.
Needless to say, the end products of reality TV programs in 2020 are slightly altered from the pre-COVID-19 programming. Some productions used a “bubble” technique, in which the production team and cast all in quarantine together without outside contact, while others filmed remotely or employed constant testing and mask-wearing. And in some ways, the changes make reality programming seem more relatable and real as a whole.
So the question is: In a world where reality itself feels like a nightmare, is there still a way for reality television to function as escapism?
Pandemic Problems
There’s a reason why reality TV was one of the first entertainment forms to begin shooting after the pandemic began in March. Contrastingly, the period piece shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Goldbergs have begun filming thanks to careful regulations and testing. However, for reality TV shows that often utilize live audiences, voting, and fourth-wall-breaking interviews, it’s not unnatural to see cast members wearing masks in public or even doing segments over video chat services. This ability to adapt allowed shows like American Idol to continue airing in the spring when other productions were forced to a complete halt.
Fortunately, many TV shows have been able to navigate the filming and production process safely. Though I sometimes fear that I may never be able to watch two humans stand within six feet of each other and not cringe, knowing that the entertainment industry is adapting and taking precautions makes me feel a little more at ease when I sit down to watch a show.
Sharing Common Struggles
“After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time.”
Kim Kardashian
In many ways, we all face the same issues in a global pandemic. Yet, Kim Kardashian’s infamous birthday tweet is a reminder that the privileged elites will always find a way to keep partying and living life to the fullest. Often in times of crisis, the media humanizes celebrities by having them face the same obstacles as the rest of us. Subsequently, opening up and being transparent about the coronavirus pandemic and other tumultuous events of 2020 increases reality TV’s relatability so, while it’s clear that not everyone is taking COVID-19 precautions as seriously as they should from a few minutes on TikTok or other social media.
Extravagant lifestyles and lax mindsets like the Kardashians cause viewers to feel disconnected because everyday people cannot momentarily escape a global pandemic. Meanwhile, contestants on reality TV talent shows appear to be more relatable and authentic because they talk about how the pandemic has affected them. For example, on The Masked Singer, Grammy-nominated recording artist Aloe Blacc revealed that he lost a loved one to COVID-19 earlier in the year under the guise of The Mushroom. Similarly, Bachelorette star Clare Crawley memorably got candid this season about not visiting her mom, who is in a care facility while suffering from dementia, due to coronavirus precautions.
Reality Check
If you’ve spent the majority of 2020 stuck in your own home, wondering if this year was as difficult on others as it was on you, hearing about the hardships that others have faced is an important reminder that we are still very blessed to be safe and healthy. Although the Kardashians of the world may provide a good laugh or a moment of escapism, it’s important to remember when the show ends that the facade of their lifestyle is not, indeed, true to reality.
For most productions, though, the changes to the filming process in 2020 have brought the focus of reality TV back to the people. Without going to restaurants, traveling to beautiful destinations, or bringing in many guests, the once mundane things that we all miss now are also eliminated from reality TV, effectively refocusing each TV show’s purpose.
While some shows like The Real Housewives or Impractical Jokers really rely on stranger-filled group scenes and larger-than-life fun, shows like The Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars are praised for taking the opportunity to scale back and focus on what’s really at the heart of each show. In 2020, even the magic of editing and the miracle of the production teams can’t provide the illusion of a perfect reality. Yet, reality TV still provides fodder for escapism. Without the glitz and glamor, we get to see reality TV subjects more vulnerable, more grounded, and more conversational than ever before.
And it’s still entertaining! Instead of being outsiders in someone else’s life, it feels like we are being invited inside it through our common struggles. Honestly, this is perhaps a healthier form of escapism, as it doesn’t erase the harsh realities of this past year. Shows that have managed to transcend that reality and still provide entertaining content are simply golden.
Odd Relevancies
A year ago, being trapped in your home with only a video chat app to connect with the outside world would have seemed like the premise of some outlandish reality show. However, it suddenly became a reality for so many of us. There is actually a shocking amount of odd relevancies to these strange times on existing reality shows.
For example, Big Brother is a competition show where people are stuck in a house together for an extended period of time, and the last person in the house wins a cash prize. Its premise seems eerily similar and relatable to what every American experienced in 2020 while quarantining at home with friends or family. This removal from reality is a common theme among reality shows. Either for the sake of reducing outside influence or maintaining the show’s confidentiality, this is also a feature on Love Island, The Bachelor, Survivor, Love is Blind, and Top Chef. Unsurprisingly, most of these shows have been able to proceed with little alterations, even leaning into it with jokes, and viewers can find a strange, new connection to what the contestants are facing.
Of course, The Masked Singer and its spin-off The Masked Dancer also have an odd new double meaning but offer a glimmer of hope in the idea that excellent performances can still be achieved behind a mask.
The New Normal
As the first wave of many reality TV shows filmed during COVID-19 comes to a close, it’s clear that reality TV can still function as a form of escapism. Dancing With The Stars, The Masked Singer, The Bachelorette, American Ninja Warrior, and many more have already cast, filmed, and broadcasted new seasons despite being in the middle of a pandemic. I’m especially excited for new episodes of The Voice and Shark Tank myself.
By creating new content – both relatable and absurd – we can live vicariously through our TV screens in these hard times. What’s also clear in 2020 is that there are times when confronting significant, real-life issues is also a welcome and healthy reality check. It would be hard to watch The Kardashians’ elegant lives and idolize a life outside of anyone’s reach right now. Still, luckily, many shows are acknowledging and embracing our new normal.
Escapism has always been a favorite American flotation device. When you think about the musical comedies that got generations through wartime, or the exotic plays and novels that had provided powerful portals to other worlds since even before The Bard, William Shakespeare penned his own pandemic-written work. Escaping through reality TV has been a helpful antidote to long, lonely quarantine days; there’s also something really comforting in knowing that it’s not just my life that came to a halt. Even the country’s most chaotic and interesting people were slowed down in 2020… and that’s okay.
