As I'm listening to women tell me about their home lives, I'm hearing something that saddens and angers me. It's the extent to which reality television has influenced not only their homes but the world with which they interact
I've merged their frustration into Two Wretched Lessons from Reality Television. Perhaps you can relate?
Rude is the New Helpful
Been to the hair salon lately? Tried to buy clothes at a mall store? Chances are, if the person "serving" you was under twenty-five, they've fallen victim to the "when I'm rude I'm being helpful" mentality.
Thanks to reality television, they see actors (you didn't think it was really unscripted, did you?) rewarded for making snotty, condescending comments to those they're being paid to help. These ugly snippets were taken from recent reality TV, "Oh, my God! Aren't you embarrassed to wear that in public?" and "Girl, if my hair looked like that, I'd never leave the house!" or my personal favorite (not), "No wonder your boyfriend left you! You're a size twelve!"
Is it any wonder that service personnel now entering the workforce think it's helpful to make rude comments to people paying them for a service? Is it a surprise that many teenagers and twenty-somethings attack each other's hair, clothing, homes, vehicles, and taste in music or partners, in the name of being "helpful?"
One thought for parents battling the "rudely helpful" trend in your own family: tell your kids they'll be the only ones making money soon, if they can learn to offer helpful suggestions with courtesy. I know they're the only ones I'm paying these days!
Your Value is Based on My Opinion
Here's a more insidious trend that I believe is based not only on rude reality television, but a generally secular culture. It's the "you only have value when I say you do" mindset.
We all make value judgments, but the filters being used by some folks to make those judgments seem to be based on extreme arrogance. Here's how that sounds, "I don't like brown hair. You have brown hair, therefore, you are STUPID and UGLY and YOU NEED TO CHANGE!"
If you don't believe that kind of mental bias goes on around you, force yourself to watch one thirty minute "reality" TV show, preferably one that portrays young girls competing for a man's attention. (By the way, while we're making value judgments, ever noticed that aging rock stars with bad hair are the ones usually being fought over? Go figure!)
Next, listen in on what young people in your life say about other people. The hateful comments levelled in all directions on these wretched reality shows should give you a clue why your teenager might be labelling girls "skanks and sluts"(those are the ones I can use on this PG-rated blog).
Two tips for parents:
1) Turn off the trashy television and tell your kids why.
2) Teach them early that people have value because they're made in the image of God, and that doesn't change even when others say they're worthless.
I'm opting for a life based in reality, aren't you? The trash-talking meanies are lousy role models and "unreality television" is one more way popular culture attempts to devalue the individual. I hope this blog post starts a conversation in your family about what's real and valuable. Let me know what you learn, I VALUE your comments!
I've merged their frustration into Two Wretched Lessons from Reality Television. Perhaps you can relate?
Rude is the New Helpful
Been to the hair salon lately? Tried to buy clothes at a mall store? Chances are, if the person "serving" you was under twenty-five, they've fallen victim to the "when I'm rude I'm being helpful" mentality.
Thanks to reality television, they see actors (you didn't think it was really unscripted, did you?) rewarded for making snotty, condescending comments to those they're being paid to help. These ugly snippets were taken from recent reality TV, "Oh, my God! Aren't you embarrassed to wear that in public?" and "Girl, if my hair looked like that, I'd never leave the house!" or my personal favorite (not), "No wonder your boyfriend left you! You're a size twelve!"
Is it any wonder that service personnel now entering the workforce think it's helpful to make rude comments to people paying them for a service? Is it a surprise that many teenagers and twenty-somethings attack each other's hair, clothing, homes, vehicles, and taste in music or partners, in the name of being "helpful?"
One thought for parents battling the "rudely helpful" trend in your own family: tell your kids they'll be the only ones making money soon, if they can learn to offer helpful suggestions with courtesy. I know they're the only ones I'm paying these days!
Your Value is Based on My Opinion
Here's a more insidious trend that I believe is based not only on rude reality television, but a generally secular culture. It's the "you only have value when I say you do" mindset.
We all make value judgments, but the filters being used by some folks to make those judgments seem to be based on extreme arrogance. Here's how that sounds, "I don't like brown hair. You have brown hair, therefore, you are STUPID and UGLY and YOU NEED TO CHANGE!"
If you don't believe that kind of mental bias goes on around you, force yourself to watch one thirty minute "reality" TV show, preferably one that portrays young girls competing for a man's attention. (By the way, while we're making value judgments, ever noticed that aging rock stars with bad hair are the ones usually being fought over? Go figure!)
Next, listen in on what young people in your life say about other people. The hateful comments levelled in all directions on these wretched reality shows should give you a clue why your teenager might be labelling girls "skanks and sluts"(those are the ones I can use on this PG-rated blog).
Two tips for parents:
1) Turn off the trashy television and tell your kids why.
2) Teach them early that people have value because they're made in the image of God, and that doesn't change even when others say they're worthless.
I'm opting for a life based in reality, aren't you? The trash-talking meanies are lousy role models and "unreality television" is one more way popular culture attempts to devalue the individual. I hope this blog post starts a conversation in your family about what's real and valuable. Let me know what you learn, I VALUE your comments!
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