I would like to clarify from the beginning what “reality show” means. Some of the politicians mistakenly believe that it is only a program like the “Elder brother” or “Home-2” when the cameras day and night are following the life of “ordinary people”. The program participating volunteers agree to live for weeks in the “aquarium” for some payment and publicly show their relationships and passions. Frankly speaking, I do not like such programs primarily because the participants are not sincere in all cases. The man usually is not honest even with himself alone, not to speak about being in front of the camera. But the “Alfred’s room” format is just one of the aforementioned varieties of the genre.
The mandatory conditions of the “Reality show” are as follows: the absence of the scenario prepared in advance, the involvement of ordinary, unprepared people and the conveniences maximum close to the “real life”. They might be of “survival” shows, “The Last Hero” or the American version – “Survivor”, “renovation” shows when, let’s say, they come to an apartment and change it beyond recognition (“Apartment issue”), “educational” when people coming “from the street” learn something (such as, for example, the British “X- Factor” project that has a lot of national versions, including Armenia). And so on. In short, it is not necessary it be a nonsense like “Home-2”.
To confess frankly, I have not heard about the political “reality shows”. In my visualization, it is a humorous genre. But maybe we would be the first in this matter. I do not know what my friends will manage to do who have initiated the “Yes-No” reality show. I sincerely wish that everything will work out well with them. Or, it might be not a “reality show” but still very interesting and spectacular program. In all cases, I think that we, the journalists and television employees, should be friendly to each other.
But let us look at the problem through the eyes of politicians. If they refuse to participate in such projects, then this speaks of the lack of pragmatism. During the campaigning period, any political force should strive to use the opportunity of free live broadcast without going into the details of peculiarities of the genre and motivations of organizers.
And the general reason is that our political culture is “monolog”. People prefer pronouncing monologs from the parliament podiums, journalists’ clubs, political party meetings and in the form of interviews. As to what excuses they bring to avoid the disputes (e.g., “bring people of my caliber”), it is not so essential.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
