While some may regard reality TV as “trash TV,” I genuinely think it’s one of the best methods of sociological fieldwork done on the human population. Beyond the theatrics and dramatization of things, when looking at it from a study of human relationships, reality TV reveals a lot about the driving factors of our interactions.
Additionally, given these shows often have factors such as Independent Variables (IV), i.e., challenges on the remote islands, lack of external communication and people vetted to intentionally test connections being made, alongside Dependent Variables (DV), i.e., the contestants, reality TV should absolutely be viewed as a scientific experiment. With popular shows like “Love Island,” “Summer House,” as well as “Love is Blind,” just to name a few, these experiments reveal how systems of power trickle down from structural institutions to systemic and individual experiences.
Even the invitation for audiences to contribute towards voting off people, having input on how to further test connections being made or even drive discussions on “fan favorites” vs. least liked people on the shows can be read as gathering data on how we as a collective society regard dynamics of gender, race, class, etc. As a Black woman, I’ve had my fair share of bizarre experiences, especially on Bucknell’s campus; however, I’ve noticed that watching reality TV tends to reaffirm the realness in those experiences. I feel that especially for minority groups in predominantly white or privileged spaces, it can be easy to gaslight oneself about experiences where there has been discrimination or some sort of microaggression happening. However, seeing it play out on a screen with other people can confirm the realness of one’s experience.
Peacock’s hit series, “Love Island,” was a great success at exposing the complexities of our dynamics as humans. Watching both the sixth and seventh seasons was a peak experience and since the most recent season’s conclusion, the impact it had on pop culture and entertainment has yet to be repeated. And frankly, I don’t think it ever will be. Audiences were able to look at ways that race, gender and even sexuality heavily influence our perception of each other and both consciously and subconsciously influence our actions, especially in the face of romance.
The worldwide reactions, commentary and effects which followed the islanders leaving the villa further exposed the way we as a society perhaps tolerate certain actions from people of specific identities compared to what we won’t tolerate from others. More often than not, people with identities that closely align to privilege are able to escape backlash and accountability for their actions towards their Black counterparts. This can then be interpreted to reflect our values and morals as a society about what we deem socially acceptable.
Case in point, the stark difference in audience members’ perception of Huda Mustafa and Olandria Carthen from season 7 of “Love Island” after the whole debacle where Huda exacerbated Olandria being left by her partner for another woman. In the emotional and humiliating moment, Olandria calmly explained that she and Huda would speak after; however, Huda took this boundary as aggressive and humiliating to her. This behavior was constantly exhibited throughout the season with her blowup with Jeremiah, a Black man, Chelley, a Black woman and again with JD and Chris, both Black men. Huda’s behavior across the season sparked a river of hate towards her Black counterparts, unfairly labeling them as aggressors in situations where Huda was actually the aggressor. Quickly, the mass media took sides with companies such as Buzzfeed posting about Chelley deserving a “knuckle sandwich” and a swarm of racist hate being hurled towards Olandria.
Alongside this, Olandria faced an added level of hate for her relationship with Nic Vansteenberghe, a white man. As a viewer, I felt that she received a disproportionate amount of hate for being in an interracial relationship with a conventionally attractive white man, compared to her non-Black peers, or even Black male peers who didn’t receive nearly the same amount of backlash.
Overall, I think reality TV is a great way to study human interaction and should be viewed more as a sociological field study than “trash TV.” There is a lot to learn about humans, especially in out-of-the-ordinary settings like a secluded island with no access to cellular devices, the internet or their everyday social circles. Just try it; the next time you tune in to a reality television show, think about the dynamics revealing themselves and how they’re reflected in large society.