Reality shows have been around for a while now. Essentially a bunch of people “act out” “real” situations in real time. I think it goes like this; a situation is created that becomes the reality of participants in a show. The participants respond to the situation as they would “normally” and their actions in response to the situation is the show.
Right, that was only an attempt to appreciate the expression better for myself. I find the concept of reality shows a tad elusive being a little slow upstairs. First off, the reality thing- is it about real life, or that there’s no script or no staging or that the audience is watching the show live? The “show” is pretty straight forward. It’s on TV so it’s a show. It is when the “reality” joins the “show” that I get conflicted but I guess that’s the way to get a good sense of what reality shows “really” are?
Now while the show goes on, the rest of us are emotionally drawn into the journey of participants as they scheme, writhe and wriggle in the slippery labyrinth of the human dynamics that evolves from the common interest that also divides them.
The nature of reality shows tends to demand high expectations of entertainment and intrigue for target audiences who need to remain engaged and to participate in the show. So be they money making ventures that come with a prize tag; a project in corporate social responsibility or a need to project a celebrity’s fortunes, the innuendos set forth by designers of the show are always adequately matched by the craftiness of participants, depending on what is at stake.
Many of the shows hold true to the intrigues and entertainment. Big Brother Africa has quickly become noted for conniving alliances, manipulations, sex bargains and trading, plain old gossip, back stabbing... all the headline issues that will arise if a $100k were to be up for grabs anywhere. BBA belongs to the purely money making venture shows which are built around the capacity to survive human travails and make no excuses for niceties.
For celebrity shows like The Salt n Pepa Show, which I totally love there is no price tag except viewer showings and ratings. Clearly celebrities want to endear themselves to their fans and seek to show themselves as real people; not the crack pots they pretend to be. I don’t feel their reality hitting me in the shows but hey I don’t live the life of a celebrity!
Then there are the talent search types where there’s quite a variety; Vodafon Icon, Project Fame, Talented Kids and so on and so frigin forth. Their real message is probably “Gh’s not got Talent”. Compare for example the American Idol, Nigerian idol and Gh Idols.
One of them which seems to have defied the “reality” in reality shows and still managed to take it to even greater heights hit our screens a couple of years back. The Pulpit it is called. True to its name, it’s all to do with what happens at the pulpit except that the show’s target participants are 12 to 16 yr olds who in real life are hardly in the pulpit business. I wonder why the many novice pastors are not the targets of the show. The organizers are however following the catch phrase “catch ‘em young”. In their own words; the show is [designed to groom and prepare young aspiring preachers and prospective teachers of the gospel, giving them the platform to build confidence and also unearth their God given talents.
Proverbs 22:6 says it all “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it’’. The pulpit is made up of teenagers within the ages of 12 to 16 to mount the pulpit to showcase their charisma and preach the word of God.]
Proverbs 22:6 says it all “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it’’. The pulpit is made up of teenagers within the ages of 12 to 16 to mount the pulpit to showcase their charisma and preach the word of God.]
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| 2011 contestants of the Pulpit Show |
In my layman’s language that translates to; “train up a child how to put up an act and he will cling to it with his/ her dear life”.
In the show, well rehearsed contestants have mastered “the art of preaching”; they regurgitate bible verses back and forth and best of all play out all the verbal and physical spirit- filled expressions. “Did I hear somebody say amen?...Somebody Shout...Ha...llelu...Lift up your hands and say amen...Give the Lord a clap offering......(the audience provides all the appropriate responses)
In the meantime, the wannabe pastors (actually wannabe winners of some prizes) pace from one end of the podium to another, bang the pulpit, stop and suddenly point their fingers towards the audience like Oral Robert’s “something good is going to happen to you!” ... all that is in the works. The “actors” are great mimics of their seasoned role model bishops and chief priests.
The reality that seems to be eluding many commentators on this matter is simply this; yes the era of “a calling”, whatever that meant, is so so passé. Preaching is a deliberate choice people make, not the “Eli Eli...here am I” type of conversation with the unseen voice. The Pulpit simply brings that reality home.
A story was told me once by a priest who had to endure a group of people who figured that a spot behind his apartment was a good place to learn to speak in “tongues” at night.
Sheribaba sheribaba baba baba baba. Now that is what I call a reality show!
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