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The Ultimate Reality Show
Without a doubt, the biggest change in television programming in the last decade
is the emergence of so-called Reality shows. Also sometimes referred to as ‘unscripted’
shows, these glorified game-shows have overtaken the minds, hearts, and imaginations
of TV addicts everywhere. From Europe to America to Asia, viewers’ appetites
for ‘reality’ have thus far proven insatiable. Today, one needn’t leave the
comfort of their own home to live through real-life dating experiences, cop chases,
jungle survival, tests of mental mettle, courtship, breakups, cheating spouses,
courtroom drama, and even Spring Break. I admit it - I’m a reality TV addict,
too. Ever since the earliest days of The Real World, Survivor, and Who Wants
to Mary a Multi-Millionaire, I’ve been glued to my sofa on Tuesday nights. Even
genre ancestors like Jerry Springer, The People’s Court, and COPS were
always among my favorites. But no matter how emotional, gritty, and uncleansed
any of these programs were, no reality program has ever proved as compelling,
gut wrenching, and ingeniously addictive as the one we all just witnessed: the
Attack on Iraq.
Reality or Reality Show?
If you think about it, The Attack on Iraq was announced, hyped, and presented
like almost any other short-run reality show. There was the rumor and hinting
months before the show hit the air. As the ‘premier’ drew closer, the hype built
to deafening levels, with teasers, slogans, and ‘behind-the-scenes’ segments
airing constantly. Even the uncertainty of the date of the premier contributed
to the pre-show buzz - nobody wanted to get left behind!
But this reality show was different in several ways: First, it wasn’t limited
to a single network. Like the OJ trial, every TV show, from the sorriest syndicated
news magazine to the heavy hitters like NBC Nightly News, staked their claim
to the inside scoop the you had to watch. Not only that, this show (also like
the OJ trial) had a villain. Saddam Hussein: Bad Guy. And most genius of all,
this show - we were told - would impact our lives: it would make the world safer.
And like all the best reality shows, the Attack on Iraq was steeped in controversy
- this show was so immoral that millions and millions of citizens all over the
globe mobilized for protests the likes of which the world has never before seen.
Yes, the stage was set.
One of the traits that earns a reality show it’s credibility is the access
to intimate moments which were once strictly private. In that vein, the Pentagon
had devised the brilliant Embedded Reporter system. What better way to make
Joe Sixpack feel like he, too, was on the front lines, waging war with our troops
against the Evil Dictator and his Elite Republican Guard. All of a sudden, we
could feel the sand in our teeth, we could sense the brutal force of heavy artillery
fire, we could relate to the burden of wearing a chemical suit and the emotional
drain of knowing that a WMD with Mustard Gas Could Strike You at Any Moment.
Right.
Better, once the Attack began, the news media delivered the story like a bunch
of sports reporters, letting us know the score each day: "Well, Aaron,
Coalition Forces have advanced deep into southern Iraq, with little resistance
and no casualties." The crowd roars. "Yes, Tom, Coalition Forces again
were stymied by brutal sandstorms and concerns over the 300-mile supply lines
to Kuwait. With their momentum broken and advancement halted, internal criticism
has begun to surface." Awwww. The crowd grows silent. With no actual score,
the only statistics available were fatalities - a gruesome tally that drove
the reality home.
As the Attack progressed, the coverage grew more personal, with several embedded
reporters - whose faces we could soon identify - dying in the field. All the
while, we hungered for updates, breakthroughs, battle reports, surrenders, explosions,
and victories. Like a bastard child of the World Series, Survivor, and Who Wants
to be a Millionaire, the Attack on Iraq served up equal parts competition, coercion,
strategy, and the lure of the spoils for the victors. But in this version, we
all knew who would win eventually - Our Team.
And so it was. 27 days into the Attack, Saddam’s Regime fell. Looting ensued
(oops), and now, the competition concluded, we await the next great reality
show. In the meantime, thoug, fret not: American Idol is down to 7 contestants.