Reality T.V - © Neil Buddle 2008In the world of the media, the phenomenon of Reality T.V has swept the world. Providing the media-makers with an endless supply of cheap programming as we, the public become the stars, or villains of our own entertainment. It is a long recognised fact that the public only appear on T.V to be humiliated or patronised, even when they have been successful, won something or done some praiseworthy act. In the act we become cannibals, essentially consuming ourselves in an unhealthy voyeur-fest of vicariousness by proxy.
As the banal is sensationalised and the sensational trivialised, our perceptions of ourselves and our environment become warped and distorted and our participation and interaction with the 'real' diminishes.
A new term, Actuality TV has been born, especially to describe TV that is about what is 'really real' as opposed to Reality TV which is real people in contrived or unnatural situations!?
So as they use to say on the old British kids show, Why Don't You? - "Just switch off your TV set and do something less boring instead".
It is with these issues in mind that this work was produced for the Silk-Cut Lino-Print Awards 2008.
