Reality Television

Reality television is something I find myself "indulging" in from time to time. There is something special about watching hours of drama because I know many other people who would admit that reality television is their guilty pleasure. Most reality television can hardly be described as reality because of all the editing done. This is probably what makes it so fun to watch. The two shows I enjoy watching most right now are Love is Blind and Glow Up.

Love is Blind

Love is Blind is a Netflix original reality television show with three seasons. The show follows a structure of blind dates to engagements, and then ultimately deciding on marriage. 

Meeting

A group of men and a group of women are separated from each other. Each woman has a chance to chat with each man if they please. However, there's a catch. The man and woman are separated by a wall when speaking with each other, and this is known as being in the pods. Usually, the producers have edited the meetings and conversations to include the most interesting and relevant parts. 

Each person will typically narrow their options down to one or two people pretty quickly. People may have connected over beliefs and goals in life, or they may have just really enjoy talking with one another. The meeting and dating period are brief, or just under two weeks. 

Engagement

Once two people feel they have found their perfect match in each other, the man proposes prior to "cheesy" talk consisting of how much they love each other already. The woman has the right to reject the proposal and move on to someone else, but most of the time, the two become engaged, all without ever seeing the other. After the engagement, the couples finally get to see their fiancé/fiancée. This grand reveal is typically followed by another proposal. 

Decisions

After seeing one another in person, each couple lives together, growing to know, love, or maybe even hate each other. The couples get to meet everyone else from the group, with some left wondering if they made the right choice in the pods. 

Over the course of a few weeks, each couple then picks out wedding attire and eventually walks down the aisle. They then have the choice to say "I do" or "I do not" to their partner they have spent a few short weeks growing to know. 

Sparking Interest

Love is Blind producers use drama, curiosity, and attachment to keep people watching. Personally, it only took me a few episodes to get attached to the characters. I decided that I liked some, did not like others, and I really started to root for some couples to succeed. The producers instigated curiosity and suspense inside me; it felt like I need to know who "wins." 

Drama is a huge factor in reality shows. Producers really emphasize the emotions when a couple fights by finding their flaws and adding suspenseful music behind an argument. Also, clips may be edited together to add interest and drama when there was none before. However, some characters bring the drama on themselves. Here is a clip of a man (tweeted by a fan) after a woman rejects his proposal that the producers decided to leave in the show. He uses eyedrops to act like he is crying.

Andrew Liu

Social Media is used to promote the show. Here is a tweet that was made to raise suspicions and create a need to watch for the results.

Love is Blind Tweet 

I have read news articles written on the show and watched TikTok videos of fans giving their opinions on the couples. If I did not watch the show and saw these videos, it would definitely spark interest in me to watch the show. A show has a much higher chance of success if people talk about it. People look to others for recommendations. There has to be drama or common interest for people to care about and recommend the show.

The tweets I have seen about Love Is Blind typically come from women around my age, so I would assume that younger women are the main demographic group.

Glow Up

Another one of my favorite shows is Glow Up: Britain's Next Makeup Star. Glow Up takes a different spin on traditional reality television by adding competition flair. It is not as drama centered.

Concept

In this show, many makeup artists (MUAs) compete to show off their skills. Their skills may include doing a full glam look or a creative masterpiece that reflects who they are. They may also need to use prosthetics or special effect makeup. 

Through a series of challenges, MUAs are able to work hard to impress (or disappoint) the judges. This process starts by the judges or guest stars giving the artists a creative brief. Then, they present their looks to the two main judges, Val Garland and Dominic Skinner. This set process changes a little through each week based on the brief, but viewers always get to watch the artists' process and see their results.

Elimination

After the first makeup brief of the week, the two makeup artists who performed the worst are in the red chairs, meaning they have fifteen minutes less than everyone to do create their next look and are more likely to be sent to an elimination round. In eliminations, two makeup artists are given the same prompt. For example, the judges might ask them to do a glitter lip. The two models for this makeup are identical twins, so there is no bias in one having a "better lip shape" or some other feature that could cause an advantage.

Whoever loses is eliminated, and the other contestant lives to see another day in the competition. 

Typically, the first challenge is on location and the second is back in the Glow Up studio. The artists may be working for a television show or play and have to do their makeup in a set time frame. 

The competition continues as more artists get eliminated. The final rounds get tougher, and the judges really want each artist to exhibit their growth. In the final elimination round, the last two makeup artists compete, and the winner gets to assist some of the top makeup artists in the world and of course, bragging rights.

What Draws People to the Show?

First, I think as someone who loves makeup, I enjoy seeing the flashy, unique makeup looks makeup artists come up with. Seeing these gives me a desire to recreate them, even though I could never get close to doing what these artists do. 

Second, I think it is easy for people to connect to the same struggles the contestants on the show have. Some artists do not have support from their parents, some struggle with confidence, and some are trying to find themselves. Season 3 winner Sophie Baverstock opens up about having autism.

Social Media is used to advertise Glow Up as it is any show, but I see less advertising on it than I do Love is Blind. This could be because it is a show in United Kingdom, not the United States. 

Twitter

I think the demographics for this show are simply girls or guys who like extravagant makeup, and this may be please people from ages 14 to 35 the most if I had to guess. Non-makeup lovers can appreciate the artistry but will probably not choose to watch the show on their own. The diversity of makeup artists makes it easy to find someone to relate to in the show. The artists are also following their dreams, which is inspiring for viewers as well. 

My Reality Show

If I had to make a reality show, I know I could not do it over my life. I have a good life, but I will be the first to admit it would be boring to watch. Therefore, I would need to make a show focused on love. There are a lot of shows like this, but they are all pretty successful, so why not make another? 

One idea I have is for a girl to go on a series of dates with her ex-boyfriend that is still in love with her and prove he has changed. She will simultaneously go on dates with new men and will ultimately have to choose whether to move on or run back to her old relationship. This concept is basically a knockoff of Love It or List It but in human love form instead of houses. A lot of drama and entertainment can be made out of this, so I think it has the potential to do well. It can also be marketed on social media pretty easily. I would find very personable people so that viewers would easily get attached to them and the show.  

However, if that concept fails, I would like to host a game show. Game shows can be enjoyed by all ages, and I feel like I would not have to deal with creating as much drama.