-Pastor Robbie Cheuvront
I hate reality TV.
I’m not just saying that either. I think it’s perhaps the some of the most deprave, senseless, waste of human life ever to be imagined. I must clarify this, however. I’m not talking about reality TV in the sense of a game show, like “The Amazing Race”, or “Top Chef”. Where there is a legitimate competition, where the stakes are high and the winner moves on to a large prize, sometimes even a career, as is the case with a show like “Top Chef”.
What I’m talking about are these shows that follow around some looser family, or group of people, showing us the depravity of their worthless lives, glorifying their stupidity, or some other deficiency, that somehow in the end, ends up making them a super star. Example: “Jersey Shore”.
As a pastor, I worry why so many people find watching something like that enjoyable. Is it because they ultimately are comforted that the same wickedness being rewarded on TV is the same wickedness that we all share, to one degree or another? And that society is endorsing and promoting this kind of behavior as acceptable?
It wasn’t too many years ago when the top rated shows in America were those that promoted family life, a strong marriage, well behaved kids, and the good moral lessons that helped all of America to feel like this was the greatest place on earth to live. Shows like “My Three Sons”, “Eight’s Enough”, or “Leave It To Beaver”, etc. You get the point. But now, it’s as if the entire Television industry has just completely gone to Hell… well, that is with perhaps ONE exception.
I was working on something a few weeks ago and had the TV on in the background for noise. Now, I had heard time and time again about this show called “Duck Dynasty”. Immediately, I had no desire to ever see it. As a matter of fact, I think I made the comment that I’d rather get whacked in the face with a cast iron skillet. I mean… it’s a reality TV show. But then something happened. I heard something in the background and it registered to my brain that what I had heard was funny. So, I grabbed the remote and rewound the thing a few seconds (gotta love the DVR).
Long story short, I can’t remember what it was that Sy and Willie were arguing about, but it was hilarious! And as I continued to watch, I saw something I hadn’t seen in I can’t tell you how long. I saw a show based on strong family values, where people aren’t trying to be something they’re not, and they are very much grounded in the very thing that it seems the rest of the TV universe has purposely tried to mock and diminish: God’s Word!
Needless to say, I found myself sitting there watching like five episodes in a row. And now, of course, I DVR the show. My Kids love it! My whole family gets together to watch it. And it’s something that I can actually approve of. Who would’ve thought a few rednecks from Louisiana could have turned the whole TV world on its ear, just by being content with what God has given them…. and being openly appreciative of it!
So here’s my question for you…. why do you think people watch the garbage that’s out there (Duck Dynasty excluded!) And do you, like me, believe that ultimately, reality TV is going to be the very downfall of our society?
-Robbie Cheuvront
