What Are the Different Types of Reality TV?

For those of you that are interested in actually appearing on reality TV, there are plenty of opportunities from networks, which are usually posted on the site for various shows. Usually there is a place where you can submit a reality TV application form.

I've done a few of these applications and they usually just require a photo, brief bio and sometimes a video sample. You can just upload something to YouTube and provide the network you are applying to a link as requested.

While I haven't been picked for any shows yet, it is fun to imagine what could happen. I still feel like reality TV is the best way to get those elusive few minutes of fame everyone seems to want.

Reality TV is one of those guilty pleasures that a lot of people enjoy, myself included. I usually lean towards watching shows that focus on those with disorders like hoarding and shows that deal with the drama of everyday life. I think that my biggest problem with reality TV is trying to avoid reality TV spoilers when I am surfing online.

I find that fans of reality TV, especially VH1 reality TV, tend to talk a lot about the episodes in forums and think nothing of revealing how an intervention or plot twist will turn out. Personally I like to be surprised and hate when I end up knowing what happened in an episode I missed.

I absolutely hate the talk shows that exist for drama. There is nothing entertaining about getting the same violent reactions out of people every time you tell them bad news, and there is nothing exciting about a bunch of bleeped out curse words.

These shows annoy me to no end. I refuse to watch them, and I won't let my kids watch them, either. If I'm ever in a store and the television in there is tuned to one of these shows, I leave promptly.

Having said that, I do love talk shows with substance. When real issues are discussed and guests act in a polite manner, I enjoy watching the show.

These shows frequently have musical acts or authors that I love, so I always tune in on days when they are featured. There is no drama and no violence, and I feel safe watching the show in front of my children.

@orangey03 – Don't feel too bad. A large percentage of the population enjoys shows like that, too, or they wouldn't be so popular.

I felt a little disgusted at myself for watching a reality show where the contestants were all given plastic surgery to be more attractive. They had their teeth fixed and bleached, liposuction, and breast implants. Then, they were given personal trainers to help them get into shape.

I realized in horror after watching several episodes that all the women were being made to look the same! Whoever was in charge of the show made all of them blond, large-chested women with tans.

I'm all for shaping up and having your teeth fixed, but I see nothing wrong with being a brunette or a pale redhead with a modest chest. The contestants were modeled after one ideal, and it resulted in a bunch of clones.

Sometimes I feel a little dark and twisted for enjoying it, but I love watching hidden camera shows where people are confronted with something that terrifies them. People are put on these shows by their friends and family, so the producers get the inside scoop on exactly what will draw the biggest fearful response from them.

They do everything from faking a car's breakdown in a corn field full of aliens to sending a fake murderer into a person's office with a weapon. My husband says that if I ever put him on a show like that, someone would get hurt, because he wouldn't hesitate to break a person's neck if they were coming at him.

I feel a little guilty for laughing sometimes, but some people's responses are just so funny! It's because I know what they don't know, I'm sure.

Reality shows that actually allow regular people to apply create intrigue in the general public. The reason for this is that ordinary people realize that they could potentially be on television and become stars.

Everyone has some degree of a desire for fame. These shows foster the hope that it could one day happen to us.

Of course, there are some shows that no one would like to be on, like the kind where you are the victim of a prank, or a talk show where you are told that your spouse is cheating on you.

The shows that offer monetary prizes or the chance to show off your talents are the kind that give people hope for a better future. That's why open auditions draw tens of thousands of people.

I know I am dating myself a little bit here, but I remember watching some of the very first reality shows. When I was a teenager, I loved watching the Dating Game. That was probably a precursor of shows like The Bachelor and other popular match making shows.

Candid camera was another one of my favorites and I still like watching old episodes of that show.

I consider myself a pretty private person and don't think I would willingly try out for a reality TV show. I think it would be much more stressful than what it would be worth.

I don't mind watching some reality TV shows, but I think that a lot of them are over the top and don't portray much reality at all.

I don't live in a very big town, and a few years ago a girl from around here was on The Biggest Loser. I always wondered if she had to go through some reality TV tryouts, or just send in a video tape.

She ended up doing really well on the show and once she got back home began running in local marathons and working at one of the gyms. She also began a romance with another contestant on the show, which I hear is very common for that show.

I also had a couple of friends who tried out for The Amazing Race, and all they had to do was make a short video to send to them. They were never called back for anything.

I think we are so interested in reality TV because it gives us a glimpse into the lives of other people and how they are live. When I have watched some reality TV shows, I realize that I live a pretty sane, normal life, and I really want to keep it that way.

@Moldova-- I agree with you, I watch them all the time too! I'm getting married next May so I spend all of my time watching home decoration and wedding shows. I learn a lot from them!

In fact, the wedding and bride shows have helped me select designs for my dress and table decoration during the reception. I watch home renovation and decoration programs to get ideas on how to set up my own home.

It's also very funny to watch what reality TV contestants go through during these experiences. Every time I see Bridezilla on reality TV, I feel so bad for the people around her and also hope that I don't become one during my wedding! I think reality TV is very real because it can happen to anyone!

@cafe41-- I had no idea that there is such a thing as reality TV casting! I thought regular folks applied and got selected by chance! How is it a reality show if the people aren't selected from the regular public then?

Are shows like America's Biggest Loser and Next Top Model considered reality TV?

I guess they are both competitions, but they are very much like a reality show as well because it shows the lives of people over a period of time. I think it could be included in the "self improvement" category.

I've seen both of these shows before and it's hard to bear them. I feel very bad for the people taking part, the model show is more entertaining and bearable than the weight lost show which is horrible. I feel like they are torturing those people on that show! I don't know how it gets so many viewers.

I like self improvement reality shows because I think it helps people gain confidence and self esteem and helps them change themselves and their appearance. It's a good example for other people who also want to make some changes in their life or lifestyle.

I also find competitive reality TV shows like Survivor fun, because it's interesting to see how people cope in that environment and how they interact with each other while fighting for food and resources. It's entertaining and educational.

I dislike reality shows like Big Brother though because I don't like to watch people's personal life and conversations on live stream. I think people deserve some privacy, even if they're taking part in a TV show. I know that some of this is necessary because it is reality TV. But I think that these shows where there are cameras inside a house that captures everything that is going on in those people's lives is just wrong.

@Crispety - My favorite reality television programs are the home staging and real estate programs. I love to look at homes and see how people decorate them. It helps me get new ideas for my home and most of the tips are really inexpensive.

I also like to watch the real estate shows in which the agents are selling these multimillion dollar properties. I love looking at these estates and wonder how these people sell these expensive homes.

@Cafe41 - You have a point, which is why I don’t want those shows because they tend to play out like soap operas and unlike many people I really don’t like the drama.

I prefer to watch makeover reality TV. There is this show that I watch in which three friends help to pick the wardrobe and hair style for the reality show contestant and at the end they have a very dramatic change in their appearance and it is always for the better.

I like positive shows like this. I also like the talent reality shows and I love to learn about the reality TV audition and how they made it to the program.

American Idol does this and it really is interesting to see the auditions and learn about the contestant’s background. I think that it personalizes the program for the viewer and most people become hooked on the program this way because they develop a connection with the stars and are rooting for their success. I think that is why the ratings for this show are so high.

I think that whenever I watch a reality television show it is hard for me to remember that these people have had reality TV auditions and there was actually a reality TV casting call that took place.

A lot of times when I watch these programs, I just think that the program is so natural that I often forget that there is some staging and editing that takes place, so what I see is really not the entire truth.

Sometimes these shows have a way of showing bits and pieces of something in a way that makes things appear more controversial than they really are in order to draw more viewers.

I think that this is the case with a lot of these reality show participants that either live together or have their everyday lives featured on television.

Many of these stars are featured as living an opulent life, but in reality a lot of them are bankrupt or having financial problems that the program does not delve into because it would destroy the fantasy that they portray on television.