Time for reality TV to get a reality check


dresdeneric

Since May 16 it has been difficult to go to any major Detroit media source without any new information about the death of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones.

Personally, after being exposed to her family and friends grief through several pictures, it became hard to accept something so terrible happened to somebody who had not even finished the second grade.

While her death is both mortifying and saddening, I hope it serves at least one purpose.

To show TV show creators when enough is enough.

Over the last week and a half there has been speculation as to whether a reality TV crew filming a show called “The First 48” caused the police team to be on edge as they were followed.

After the events that ended with the death of Stanley-Jones, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing banned reality TV cameras from following Detroit police on raids.

Hopefully this serves as an example for other cities around the country that things can get out of hand if they are treated like exploitative Hollywood exposes.

At some point all reality TV is doing is bypassing the truth and actually trying to create a more compelling, but fictional, truth.

TV cameras do not belong in a police raid at all.

At the rate TV reality shows are going it is safe to figure during the next presidential election there will be some show training participants to run for the presidency.

Nearly everybody acts a little different when on camera and networks are thriving on the quirky behaviors of people who know they are being filmed.

But this one-upmanship between networks to try and create the most “real” show is going to cause some major problems.

It is okay when someone’s hidden backstabbing tendencies are revealed on “Survivor,” but things could easily get out of hand when that person is about to charge into a house, gun in hand to catch a criminal.

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