Many TV shows appear and leave an impact on their audience. But what about bad TV shows that are so bad, the audience feels guilty for watching them? Reality shows like Extreme Cheapskate, Moment of Truth, 90 Days Fiance, or even the new ones like The Bachelor or Single Inferno have managed to get really popular although they gather a very niche audience. These shows try to bring "reality" into TV, but it turns out to be a soap opera labelled as reality TV shows. TV shows like these are nothing new. Let's see how bad Keeping Up with The Kardashians, The Simple Life, The Hills, or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills still managed to get their audience regardless of many who dislike the shows as well. The casts of these shows also tend to gain fame as well, just like how the Kardashians get large followings on social media.
It leads to a question-why do people watch them? It's a fact that by watching these shows, the audience tends to develop a feeling of superiority because they feel smarter than the casts of these reality TV shows. Although these TV shows always claim that it's never scripted, we do all know that they're somehow scripted by the shows' producers. Shows like Extreme Cheapskate give a glimpse of how cheapskate people spend their money and how they save them, some to the extent of dumpster diving to find clothes or even food. Or dating shows like The Bachelors, it's so trashy to the point the audience would cringe over the dialogues and how the storyline goes.
This kind of juicy and stupid drama still manage to gather the audience not only for the audience's own self-superiority, but also for the fact some people just need to wind down by watching things that don't require much thought process. It becomes an escape to some, and somehow so complicated to explain why they choose to watch these types of shows instead of any other shows that also could bring laughter in a less dramatic and chaotic way. It becomes a distraction from important things happening in the world and focusing instead on the dramatic entertainment of others. It becomes a guilty pleasure, so guilty to the point that many will reluctantly admit that they watch these shows. Nobody wants to get caught with having poor taste by watching these shows, as these types of shows reflect low intelligence. However, the whole point of the existence of this show is simply to entertain, and nothing more.
