to point out the difference between reality tv and competition tv - and to loathe the former and adore the latter?

[faithinthesound]

Just what it says. I think there is a huge and obvious difference between reality tv, and competition tv. Reality tv is Real Housewifes of the Kardashians on Jersey Shore are Dance Moms or whatever nonsense is en vogue right now. Competition tv is things like Masterchef, Big Brother - shows that contain some sort of competition, where yes, there are real people, but they're competing for a prize and there's a point and an end goal.

I adore Masterchef and Big Brother (US and Canada, not so much UK sorry. The format difference means UK holds very little appeal for me!) and Survivor because I can meet the contestants, get invested, and root for my favorites (and boo my least favorites, who I call the Garys haha).

I just hate this whole "a camera is going to follow a person around while they do mundane things and you're supposed to find it interesting enough not to change the channel" tv. Does that make sense?

I ask because a friend of mine is stubbornly refusing to recognize the difference, when it seems so glaringly obvious to me!

I feel for all the kids who've been through years and years of acting/singing/dancing classes and the tough admission process to get to RADA (or similar), and worked hard there, only to be overlooked for a job on TV because they've recruited a girl who once got her tits out on BB and 'waaan's tuh be a presennnuh!'

People may (and clearly do) disagree on what constitutes reality tv, and what constitutes competition tv, but I don't think you can disagree with @faithinthesound's basic theory - that there is a difference between the two.

@thenotsoquiet is right too, about the level of manipulation and editing - I think some programmes manipulate both the participants and the audience - Dance Moms is a good example, I think. When the series first started, Abby Lee was told to use the pyramid as a way to critique the girls' performance - so that changed the interaction between her and the girls, and her and the mums - and also had an effect on how she was perceived by the audience.

For me, the division between 'good' and 'bad' competitive tv comes with how the contestants behave towards eachother - basically, are they supportive and helpful, or bitchy. The contestants in America's Next Top Model bitch and back bite and look like they'd do anything to win, whereas the contestants in Bake Off and Sewing Bee are supportive and will help out their fellow contestants.

I know that is a bit of a generalisation, and there is good and bad behaviour in all these programmes - but that is the essential difference that I see. Mind you, it doesn't stop me watching ANTM and Dance Moms - they are some of my guilty TV pleasures!!