From “Cops” to President Trump

6StringMercenary
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

A Writer’s biased perspective of what “Reality TV” did to the United States

Enter Barbour and Langley

So back in the late 1980s, the Writer’s Guild went on strike and gave “Cops” a chance. Needing to fill airtime, and without Professional Writers, Barbour and Langley had tapped into a “Gonzo Journalism” technique enabled by camera crews that could run. A real-life soap opera, Jerry Springer in real-time, basically ripping off James Cameron in the intro to “Strange Days” if we’re being really critical.

Reality Ain’t What’s on TV

The tag-line of “Cops” made it clear that “innocent until proven guilty” was supposed to matter. Yeah, because having things on tape via “Cops” really helps out the accused. N’ah mean?

That’s why Great Lawyers cost Good Money

What the show did do was tap directly into the Fight-or-Flight reaction of watching a train wreck happening, to use a metaphor. The scenes presented were genuine, the REAL THING. Considering the Professional Writers were on strike, by comparison to re-runs, yeah, it was probably quite compelling.

It’s not like daytime TV didn’t have “The People’s Court” to prime the pump of an interested audience. After all, that’s where Buttfucking Harvey Levin got his start. Nature is funny; Levin is one of the most prying jerks on the scene but wants his own privacy and his Bottom not harassed on the street. At least Harvey’s kids won’t have to deal with that, because even with his money he can’t make Cum and Shit into an embryo.

Enter MTV, the Major Networks, and Whores

A show like “The Real World” really did change the way young people thought about TV. It was a chance to actually get on TV by being “interesting” or have a persona. The seed was planted.

The concept hit hard, was translated into Music and Athletics and bred a new genre of US Entertainment. There are always imitators, and sometimes they have connections and deep pockets. That’s one Mark Burnett.

So “Survivor” blended the fantasy of exotic challenge with everyday “It could be YOU!” overtones to great success. It became the crown jewel of Reality TV. That is until Ray J got more real than Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson or Paris Hilton by releasing his sex tape with Kim Kardashian as promotion.

The bar of what was “Reality TV” changed thanks to the Internet, and that’s the only reason Donald J. Trump was given a show on NBC. People will tune in to Whores plying their trade on air, because they have no shame. In the mind of a Whore, any negative attention can be re-phrased or manipulated into a positive marketing spin. It’s as natural as breathing.

The United States Chose This & Will Have to Live With the Shame

Instead of trusting Professional Writers to Entertain, money became such a big deal that a cancer was formed. While “Reality TV” once meant something descriptive, the subsequent 20 years changed it into “False Reality” to the point of elevating otherwise incompetent puppets into viable Leadership positions. I’m not the one who made this happen, I’m just calling out those guilty of what they created.

Barbour, Langley, Burnett, and Trump all were Executive Producers of the worst mental virus that can be identified in modern times. Because of these men, we are living with a President who is a Fake Reality TV Show Host and those who could have prevented this from coming to be sat on the sidelines. History won’t forget, and is still being written.

Shout Out to Sean Spicer

Hey Sean, I think you should definitely sign a book deal for a $5M advance and then write what you want to write, but, in the theme of this Essay, I hear “Dancing with the Stars” wants you on — dude, do it, but only if they give you a chance to have a 5–10 minute conversation with The Pope. Feel me?

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