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One of the main reasons why we watch reality TV is because everyone likes to play the psychiatrist and analyse other people's attitudes, reactions and behaviour. It's the latest chapter in the history of television giving us something to gossip about; where we used to talk about the dealings and happenings of fictional characters as if they had a bearing on real life, we now talk about real people put in simulated situations.

However full of rubbish they can be, these shows regularly throw up issues that we can all relate to and have opinions about. Take the UK's latest Celebrity Big Brother which caused such a row over racial intolerance that the leaders of Great Britain and India were compelled to include the issue in their press conferences.

Another appealing factor of reality programmes is the exotic locations in which they are filmed. The extremities of nature and survival alone make compelling viewing. Add a bunch of people from different backgrounds who have never met before and some challenges that most of us hope never to face and the results can be exciting, disturbing and hilarious.

The final reason for the huge ratings these shows continue to achieve is that people want to feel better about themselves. Just as when we go into a fast food restaurant and feel smug that we are not the fattest person in the queue, we watch reality TV and feel smug that we are more tolerant, easier to get along with and more intelligent than those enjoying their 15 minutes of fame.

As long as people volunteer to be filmed 24/7 being themselves' in various situations then reality TV will continue and, whether you admit it or not, as long as it's on the box people will watch it. The real question is why would anyone want to put themselves on one of these programmes in the first place?

Learn more about this author, Jeni Rosier.
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