With that said.... I have a big confession to make.
I got caught up in the Tori Spelling story that's been on the news lately - how her husband cheated on her, and how they are filming it for their reality show. I was thinking, "WHO in the world does this? Who airs their dirty laundry on TV like this & why?. But as I was thinking it it, I couldn't stop reading about it online or see it enough on the TV. I read her book about growing up in her family, and sort of followed her life (for some weird reason) and I read a couple years ago how she almost died from her last childbirth. So, I felt like I needed to know about their relationship and him cheating. WHY? Who knows. Just call me trash.
So I did it. I started watching "True Tori" online. Yep, I did. And you know what...I love it! Ha!
I discovered that while some of this is no doubt scripted and things are totally done FOR the camera, she is a mom of 4 kids, having the same feelings & struggles that most of us have as moms on a daily basis. Her husband is in rehab for having a mental breakdown after cheating on her, and she is home taking care of the 4 kids, and having a really hard time. I can TOTALLY relate to the 'taking care of kids' part of it - the mom part (not the cheating part!).
It is very hard taking care of kids - it doesn't matter who you are - being a mom is tough. When my husband works late or is not home (which isn't too often luckily), I have to go into full time mom mode and it's not easy. Maybe the 'mom' part of me feels bad for her. No amount of money or fame can help make the anxiety of being a mom easier. So the show's premise is them trying to work on their marriage, being parents and her maybe forgiving him for what he did to her (yet to be seen).
She is in a bad marriage and trying to work it out. She does show that, like in most marriages, you can get lost in being parents, and lose focus on your marriage without realizing it. Things do change after you have kids, and anyone that says different is lying to themselves. It happens to everyone. You have to work harder to be husband and wife, and know that time together (sans kids) is limited. You just have to have the where-with-all to get back to being a married couple along with the incredibly tough (but rewarding) job of being parents.
Looking at my own life, one of my biggest complaints is how much I do not like my house. I hate it actually. We need a bigger place desperately, but due to the bad market in this area, we won't be able to sell for a few years. I hate that my kids share a bedroom and how small our space is. It eats away at me daily.
So, here I am watching this 'True Tori' show, I am looking at her kitchen and thinking "Wow, I would love a huge kitchen like that!". Then I took a mental step back and thought, she would trade places with me in a heartbeat if she could have the kind of husband & family happiness that I am blessed to have. Sounds silly right? But it does make me realize by watching this, that the big kitchen and other things like that, don't make happiness. It is soooo cliche' and I know it. But sometimes we have to see things like this remind us that what we truly have is a blessing.
I wouldn't give up my life with my husband and kids if it meant having a bigger kitchen or better car or less bills to pay. No way. I guess what I'm saying is - sometimes you need a Reality show to give you a big time Reality check. I will deal with my teeny house and teeny kitchen if it means I get to keep my life with my husband and kids, which I cherish (but take for granted like most people do sometimes). My life is just fine, thank you. Small kitchen and all.
Maybe people watch reality shows to remind them of how good their lives truly are?
I mean come on, who really wants to be "Teen Mom"? Ugh!
Do you watch reality shows? Which ones do you watch & why?
Do you just need some mindless drama to make you laugh?
Mi Familia
I watch True Tori and watch most of the Housewives. I actually started watching reality TV more after 9/11. I escaped watching mindless TV.
ReplyDeleteI watched True Tori once, it's not bad. I guess my reality pleasure is Dance Mom's I love watching those girls dance. I have 4 kids and even though Taylor is and adult and Cassidy almost an adult, it is still hard. There is new things to worry about, or struggle with them about. Bill is away all this week so I know what it is like. Trying to be in 2 or 3 places at once, by yourself. I can't imagine what it is like when your 4 are all so little. But it does make it easier when you have a cook, nanny, housekeeper etc, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI am not so sure they have a cook or nanny from what I saw - but maybe they are not on camera. She lugged the kids by herself off to school (one puked in the car - ugh!) , etc - so who knows. Either way - it is not easy taking care of little ones by yourself - no matter who you are.I hear you! Never saw Dance moms - if that one is the moms that force their 2 year olds into pageants, I may not be able to watch that without getting angry LOL. I hate exploitation of kids on TV. Some might say True Tori or anyone that puts their kids on reality shows is exploitation and I tend to agree, however, we normal non-celebs put plaster pics of our kids all over facebook, etc (blogs, etc) - so are we any better.... thoughts to ponder :) .... not sure I would do a reality show though LOL.
DeleteYou have a very good life -- family, children, house, job, beautiful views, a boat on a lovely lake, etc. Many people
ReplyDeletewould love to be in your shoes, and I would not think anyone on a reality show is very happy. Many couples break
up after their reality shows, or family tensions erupt out of control.