Anyone else can't watch soap operas & 'reality TV' for this reason?

[Echobelly]

Not sure how best to describe it, but soaps and reality TV seem to hang on people being emotionally unintelligent, which I find just too annoying and frustrating to watch. It doesn't entertain me at all.

Like the dramatic situations often arise because someone decides to read the worst possible interpretation into someone's behaviour and create a fuss or even massive harm for no reason or something they could have, you know, discussed and cleared it up.

Obviously I know that is how these genres create drama and they couldn't exist without it, but it's not something I want to watch. And I presume for a lot of people the joy is kind of wanting to scream at the television but I just find that kind of stressful so I wouldn't watch it for fun or relaxation.

Interested to know why people enjoy this aspect as well.

I don’t watch them because they’re for idiots, which I suppose is the same reason.

I’ll never forget when Whitney Houston died and my thick cousin thought it was Whitney from Eastenders because in their eyes there couldn’t possibly be another Whitney.

The soaps are too far fetched and ridiculous these days. I used to like Hollyoaks but now, like most soaps, it’s full of serial killers.

I'm not judging anyone for watching them,I just really don't get the appeal.

Its because the directors and producers are living out their Martin Scorsese fantasies

I don’t agree they are ‘ only for idiots’ !
I only watch one soap and it is silly and far fetched, but it’s escapism from the everyday and sometimes well acted. They sometimes do storylines well. It’s just entertainment isn’t it. Keeps writers and actors in jobs
our thread on here keeps me going too, I like the banter about it and how silly it is!

I don’t watch any soaps now, haven’t done for years. Too many scenes were very shouty and it seemed that conflict was the only way of putting a point of view.
Most, or all, reality tv seems to manipulate the participants and with editing they are often shown in a very poor light.
That said, as I haven’t watched any for years it might be totally different now.
I do love Gogglebox though.

Like the dramatic situations often arise because someone decides to read the worst possible interpretation into someone's behaviour and create a fuss or even massive harm for no reason or something they could have, you know, discussed and cleared it up

Well, to be fair, that describes an awful lot of MN threads too!

Yes you are

I don’t know anyone who watches soaps. Surely they must be coming to a natural conclusion.