Why MTV Reality Shows Make Us Feel Good

Like Britney and Anna Nicole self-destructing in tandem, MTV has put out two new “reality” shows about kids who have made and are making some really horrible decisions: “Juvies” and “Engaged and Underage.”

So, full disclosure, I am, in fact, engaged, though not underage, and I have an extensive juvenile record that has, thankfully, been expunged.  Just kidding, I was a big ol’ goody two shoes, but I’ve recently realized that I am the target audience for both shows, and, really, just about all of MTV’s reality programming.

Why, you ask (as your coworkers stare at you, because why the hell are you talking to a computer screen)?  Because the purpose of MTV’s reality shows is not to give you a glimpse into the lives of others (as it is in … well, all right, that’s the stated goal of most reality shows, even though it rarely happens that way).  Nope, MTV’s reality shows are for one reason and one reason alone: to make you feel better about your life.

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