Channels like MTV, E!, VH1, etc. all have TV shows and programs that broadcast shows where the stars of the shows are partying, sleeping around, drinking excessively, doing drugs, revealing themselves, etc. Last night while browsing through channels on my TV, my friends and I ended up watching the last 10 minutes of MTV's famous "The Jersey Shore." While we were watching Snooki roll around on the floor with her underwear out for all of the MTV viewers to see, something crossed my mind. These reality TV stars have parents! Sometimes, these parents even have their own small role on the shows that their children are starring in. For example, I know this season on The Jersey Shore some of the cast members parents were filmed along with their kids. Would you ever even desire to star on a show, knowing that the audience could see you on your worst behavior? Not even parents, but the entire world can watch these shows and see these stars in their element.
Should stars like Snooki be proud of the celebrity status they have attained, or embarrassed that a large chunk of the world has seen her in her underwear or seen her incredibly drunk and with several men? Why are "trashy" reality TV shows so popular today, and why are there so many people that are eager to enter the field? Are people willing to gain a bad reputation just for stardom? I think the answer must be yes, otherwise I can't think of any reasons why someone would want to be a star on one of these shows.
Allison - The way I look at it is, when we all graduate and go out and get an entry-level job, we all can expect to doing all of the "grunt work" that nobody else wants to do. But, with this being said, after a couple of years of paying our dues we will have made connections and worked our way up to something bigger and better. I think that - especially for reality TV stars - they look at it in a similar way. (Ridiculous, I know!) Most of these stars such as Snookie and Rebecca Black have made their way into the entertainment industry by doing anything and everything. For them, if showing your underwear on national television gets you to celebrity status, they're just one step closer to living in Hollywood starring in movies or producing an album. Look where it's gotten Snookie ... she now has her own slippers line, a book, stars in commercials, and is being paid over $30k to come speak at colleges! And all because she gets drunk and likes pickles!
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