Reality TV and Conservative/Fundie Beliefs

[zz22zz]

I'm fairly new here so forgive me if this has been discussed for 100 pages in the past.

Has anyone else noticed that family based reality shows tend to feature families who are almost all, either fundies or conservative Christian/Catholics?

(and yes Catholics are Christians IMO but having Southern Baptist relatives I wanted to clarify. My SIL was raised and spouted off one time to many that Catholics are literally devil worshipers with a completely different bible that we finally had to make her compare the two bibles and do some research. We had a practicing Catholic marry into the family and she kept saying she couldn't believe she liked someone so much who actively worshiped Satan....sigh.... She has mellowed in her faith considerably over the years,the years she has lived away from her parents who are fundie minister and wife, that she was even willing to do the comparison and admit it wasn't as different as she was brainwashed, I mean taught, to believe... snaps to her.)

Anyway.... here are the ones I can think of...

Conservative (possibly fundie lite)

Kate G of Kate plus 8

Little Couple Big World

Fixer Upper

Catholic (pretty mainstream BUT they have heavily featured religious sacraments on these shows, and a both families professes that they are devoted to Catholic beliefs)

The Little Couple

Cake Boss

Any Gyspy Show

Fundie Mormons

Sister Wives

My 5 Wives

I'm sure others, especially who are better at turning their channels from TLC will be able to name more.

My point is

1. Reality production companies seem to have ties or fascination in a lot of conservative branches of Christianity. I'm struggling to think of non Christian family reality shows. Be interesting to know the hows and whys families were picked.

2. As far as I can tell if you really wanted to watch a family who is not anti LGBT, anti abortion, etc in their fundamental beliefs... then your best bet is Honey Boo Boo. Mama June even won Gay rights awards for her statements on her show supporting the LGBT community.

Too bad she is another parent who chooses to turn a blind eye to pedophiles, just like our 'friends' who are in Gothard land. ( And if you really want to make your head hurt read the stats on sexual abuse on children... that means A LOT of parents FROM ALL RELIGIONS/BACKGROUNDS/BELIEFS are turning a blind eye to who is with their children and influenced by...as well as creating an environment where their kids are fearful and don't have the relationship to tell their parents or another adult in their lives. I learned a long time ago that outward appearances can hide dark secrets and you can think you know someone who in reality is a sociopath. Also that MANY religions, even mainstream ones, depend on guilt and fear as a way of keeping their flocks faithful and that environment creates a cozy place for pedophiles. Same goes for blind family loyalty...just cause some guy is your uncle if he gives you a weird vibe trust your instincts...if your child doesn't like being watched by someone (even you think they are so amazing) talk to your child and get to the bottom of the problem.

Studies by David Finkelhor, Director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, show that:

1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse;

Self-report studies show that 20% of adult females and 5-10% of adult males recall a childhood sexual assault or sexual abuse incident;

During a one-year period in the U.S., 16% of youth ages 14 to 17 had been sexually victimized;

Over the course of their lifetime, 28% of U.S. youth ages 14 to 17 had been sexually victimized;

Children are most vulnerable to CSA between the ages of 7 and 13.

So if you want to not risk supporting/leg humping someone with anti anyone beliefs and who may be aiding a pedophile then don't watch much TV I supposed. Better yet, get rid of your TV...read the bible more...start wearing long skirts...HEY wait a minute!

[DGayle]

Non-Christians, and pretty much are the minority in the US, have grown accustomed to accommodating the religious majority. We're used to seeing their crosses everywhere, and having preaching pushed on us, and bible-based laws. A TV is harmless in comparison, so nothing is lost by having openly-Christian families.

But the religious majority isn't used to accepting others, and so a show featuring an atheist family, or one that is questionable about whether or not they believe, would get a ton of outcry, and then get yanked. Why bother starting a show that won't last?

It's funny too, because conservatives while about not being accepted when they literally rule this country and rule TV.

The Honey Boo Boo show lasted because they were seen as a literal freak show. Again, accepted by non-believers since what have we got to lose by blanket-protesting people, and laughed at HARD by conservatives who pointed at the as a "see what happens?" exhibit.

[jerkit]

Wait, what the what? Kate G is considered a conservative Christian?

[2xx1xy1JD]

They show whatever draws ratings. Period.

Some of those examples are stretching it. The Little Couple makes the odd reference to Christmas but their religion is just part of their background. It's not a big theme like with the Duggars. There is far more emphasis on health issues, kids, adoption, pets, her career, etc.

The Gypsy shows are hardly about conservative religion. It is all about gawking at a different culture and emphasizing outrageous outfits and big fights.

All-American Muslim was subject to boycotts and pretty much forced off the air.

Shalom in The Home ran for a couple of seasons. It was actually quite tolerant and one of the families helped had lesbian parents.

[Rachel333]

I don't know what their beliefs are, but the Kardashians don't seem especially fundie to me!

But yes, I'm struggling coming up with any other non-religious families outside the celebrity reality show genre. Big families are popular and it makes sense that they, even the ones with large families because of multiples, would be mostly religious.

[apple1]

They show whatever draws ratings. Period.

Some of those examples are stretching it. The Little Couple makes the odd reference to Christmas but their religion is just part of their background. It's not a big theme like with the Duggars. There is far more emphasis on health issues, kids, adoption, pets, her career, etc.

The Gypsy shows are hardly about conservative religion. It is all about gawking at a different culture and emphasizing outrageous outfits and big fights.

All-American Muslim was subject to boycotts and pretty much forced off the air.

Shalom in The Home ran for a couple of seasons. It was actually quite tolerant and one of the families helped had lesbian parents.

Disclaimer: I think I have only ever watched one or two Little Couple shows. But I did see one in which the husband (I don't remeber his name) talked very openly about being agnostic and how it affected his dealing with her cancer. Not sure if there have been other shows where he claimed other beliefs.

[browncoatslytherin]

Wait, what the what? Kate G is considered a conservative Christian?

that was news to me, too. i've seen it mentioned that initially she didn't reduce because of religious beliefs and she tried to bank off of that by speaking at churches and shit, but ye shall know them by their fruits and all that...she doesn't really act very christian-like.

[tlcarlaw]

Disclaimer: I think I have only ever watched one or two Little Couple shows. But I did see one in which the husband (I don't remeber his name) talked very openly about being agnostic and how it affected his dealing with her cancer. Not sure if there have been other shows where he claimed other beliefs.

Bill and Jen just had a recent episode were they had Will and Zoey baptized. They both talked about how important there Catholic faith is to them and they are raising their children with those beliefs. I've seen every episode and I have never heard Bill mention being agnostic.

[apple1]

Bill and Jen just had a recent episode were they had Will and Zoey baptized. They both talked about how important there Catholic faith is to them and they are raising their children with those beliefs. I've seen every episode and I have never heard Bill mention being agnostic.

Interesting. I know I didn't just imagine this. Maybe it wasn't an actual show, but some kind of interview somewhere.

Wondering if these things are reconcileable with each other, because many who believe (myself included) understand that questioning is part of believing, if you get what I mean.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Cake Boss - I consider the Catholicism as just something that goes along with the Italian-American culture of the show. They make a big deal about this being an Italian-American bakery in New Jersey.

With Catholic families in general, there's a big cultural/life cycle component that doesn't always reflect conservative personal religious beliefs. You mentioned having one Catholic marry into the family, but I'm not sure how familiar you are with people from various Catholic cultures. [i'm not Italian, but 44% of my city is, plus I've worked in the Portuguese community here as well. When you do family law in overwhelmingly Italian or Portuguese areas, you get an inside view of what people really do in their daily lives.] Events like baptism, first communion, weddings and funerals are a big deal, because they mark life cycle events and the whole family and friends come out. Christmas and Easter will be a big deal, featuring family and food. Doing these things doesn't necessarily translate into daily beliefs and practices - you'll still find that plenty of those who do the big life cycle events and holidays will use birth control, get divorced, etc. I wouldn't automatically assume that someone from a Catholic cultural group in North America was automatically homophobic or anti-abortion.

As for non-Christian shows:

Ace of Cakes was about a Jewish baker.

My Five Wives left their faith.

Millionaire Matchmaker - Patty's about as Jewish as they come, and she matches gay couples all the time

Million Dollar Listing - talked about Fredrik's relationship with his husband, Josh Flagg's close relationship to his (late) Holocaust survivor grandma and his coming out as gay were big themes

Andy Cohen is openly gay and Jewish. He's behind the Real Housewives shows and Watch What Happens, and hosts the Housewives reunion shows.

House Hunters seems to feature families of a variety of backgrounds.

A Baby Story did an episode with an Orthodox Jewish friend of mine.

Miami Ink's Ami James is originally from Israel.

You get a fair number of non-Christian weddings on the various wedding and wedding dress shows

[sparkles]

Can't speak to any of the others but I do watch Fixer Upper, and while they are Christian, I can't ever recall hearing them push it in any way, other than a couple of casual mentions of church. Yes, their clients have been missionaries, home schoolers, SAHMs, pastors, etc. but as for the Gaineses themselves? They don't home school, Joanna–who's certainly no meek and quiet helpmeet–is a major player in the business, and they certainly don't act or dress like fundies. Whatever their beliefs may be, they seem to be keeping it to themselves, which is as it should be since it's a show about home renovation with a little bit of their home life thrown in. Given where they live, I'd say they're most likely on the conservative side but unless they start pushing it on the show or become known for actively discriminating, they're entitled to their beliefs.

[MamaJunebug]

Nah, can't co-sign on this one, and I'm about as hyper-sensitive to religions in the culture as anybody (just the way I'm wired).

Additional Evidence of decidedly non-religious extremist reality "stars":

Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

Mob Wives

Alaska The Last Frontiert

Edge of Alaska

Not oriented around a family, but certainly featuring same-sex couples as casually as they show headboard and leaky pipes:

Love It Or List It

Love It or List It Too

Any number of other home remodeling shows....

Fashion-related shows:

What Not To Wear

[any and all bridal shows]

Nope, I don't see evidence of a secret or bald-faced effort to conservative us and put us all in long skirts and head coverings on the menz.

And not to go off-topic, but Ive lived in Catholicism Central my whole life, and fully half my family were RC while I was growing up. Permit me to reassure you that there as many degrees of devotion and hypocrisy and a spectrum of politics that runs the gamut and back. There's as much of a monolithic base in RC as there is in the SBC, which is to say, not much. ;)

[MamaJunebug]

I hate editing on a phone. The above should read "BEADBOARD and leaky pipes, " and also "Nope, I don't see evidence of a secret or bald-faced effort to conservatize us and put us all in long skirts and head coverings on the menz."

Back to the laptop for the insect! (Me, the Junebug, that is. Heh)

[Mitz_]

I hate editing on a phone. The above should read "BEADBOARD and leaky pipes, " and also "Nope, I don't see evidence of a secret or bald-faced effort to conservatize us and put us all in long skirts and head coverings on the menz."

Back to the laptop for the insect! (Me, the Junebug, that is. Heh)

Michelle Duggar has said that she considers her family's show to be their ministry. To me that has always meant that are hoping to sway the population over to their views and beliefs, which are the only ones that will get you into heaven.

They don't do that show just to give us some laughs.

[August]

They're freak shows, of course they want extreme people on them. Would you watch a TV show of people doing ordinary things?

[MamaJunebug]

Michelle Duggar has said that she considers her family's show to be their ministry. To me that has always meant that are hoping to sway the population over to their views and beliefs, which are the only ones that will get you into heaven.

They don't do that show just to give us some laughs.

That's good, because laughing is my rarest response to that lot! I'm saying that there's lots more to reality TV than just them, and while Queen Bee may have that as her goal, I seriously do not believe it's the motivation of show runners and networks.

[Maggie Mae]

I probably don't watch enough reality TV to really know the answer, but my guess is that Christianity (specifically Protestant) is the majority religion in the US.

The conservatives you notice on TV are people who either live in an area where it wouldn't be culturally acceptable to not mention God, or they belong to a religion where one of the tenets is to go out and spread the news/be annoying and pretentious.

There are thousands of reality shows. The ones mentioned barely make up a percent of that genre.

[Maggie Mae]

They're freak shows, of course they want extreme people on them. Would you watch a TV show of people doing ordinary things?

People do watch shows of people doing ordinary things. Shopping for a wedding dress is ordinary. Going on a date is ordinary. Getting arrested is ordinary for some people. Yet there are tons of boring shows about shopping and dating and remodeling and a couple different versions of Cops.

[August]

People do watch shows of people doing ordinary things. Shopping for a wedding dress is ordinary. Going on a date is ordinary. Getting arrested is ordinary for some people. Yet there are tons of boring shows about shopping and dating and remodeling and a couple different versions of Cops.

Dude! How many wedding dresses have you bought and were you arrested wearing them? Not only are those not ordinary situations, but the bits which make it to TV are not the less dramatic parts. Even house hunters needs to over-dramatise house shopping.

[Four is Enough]

I have to say something about the gypsy shows. These people aren't using Catholicism as a way of life. They are exploiting Catholic sacraments as an excuse to have a party. This is much more clearly evident in the British gypsy shows, where the children receive first communion. They have absolutely NO idea of what they are doing and what they are supposed to be doing. They disrupt the church service. Indeed, they usually have "their own" communions.

Catholicism is a "community" religion. They want people to do things "in community". Gypsies are not really part of this community. They are baptized, receive first communion, and possibly get married as Catholics, and I don't really know how they achieve that. In the US, there is "formation" for all of those sacraments, and the shows show none of that. I don't think the kids or families participate in it, either, because they never behave as if they know what to do, either sacramentally or reverently. Even the gypsies' "good girl/bad girl" culture is more gypsy than Catholic. They never talk about the ten commandments or any religious tenets. It's all about their own culture.

I'm not saying gypsy culture is bad, because I don't know that much about it. I'm just saying it's pretty far removed from Catholic.

AFA the American gypsy shows, there are a LOT of weddings that take place outside of churches, and especially NOT in Catholic church settings. I think the religious aspect of American gypsies is much more diverse. Still a very small part of their lives, just more diverse than in Britian/Ireland.

[quiversR4hunting]

I have to say something about the gypsy shows. These people aren't using Catholicism as a way of life. They are exploiting Catholic sacraments as an excuse to have a party. This is much more clearly evident in the British gypsy shows, where the children receive first communion. They have absolutely NO idea of what they are doing and what they are supposed to be doing. They disrupt the church service. Indeed, they usually have "their own" communions.

Catholicism is a "community" religion. They want people to do things "in community". Gypsies are not really part of this community. They are baptized, receive first communion, and possibly get married as Catholics, and I don't really know how they achieve that. In the US, there is "formation" for all of those sacraments, and the shows show none of that. I don't think the kids or families participate in it, either, because they never behave as if they know what to do, either sacramentally or reverently. Even the gypsies' "good girl/bad girl" culture is more gypsy than Catholic. They never talk about the ten commandments or any religious tenets. It's all about their own culture.

I'm not saying gypsy culture is bad, because I don't know that much about it. I'm just saying it's pretty far removed from Catholic.

AFA the American gypsy shows, there are a LOT of weddings that take place outside of churches, and especially NOT in Catholic church settings. I think the religious aspect of American gypsies is much more diverse. Still a very small part of their lives, just more diverse than in Britian/Ireland.

I want to add the American gypsy shows (the few episodes I have seen) were all in a Protestant church, not a Catholic and I was surprised. The ones on TV are so disrespectful to any religion. One episode show them getting married by the JP at the court house and another had banquet hall wedding.

The American gypsy shows are a hot mess and train wreck. It's like finally finding out where the Jerry Springer guests come from.

[Maggie Mae]

Dude! How many wedding dresses have you bought and were you arrested wearing them? Not only are those not ordinary situations, but the bits which make it to TV are not the less dramatic parts. Even house hunters needs to over-dramatise house shopping.

I've bought zero wedding dresses, but I have bought plenty of special occasion dresses. Who the fuck is watching someone shop? I really don't understand why this is a thing. I don't even want to go shopping with other people. It's just a bunch of people who claim to be your friends criticizing everything you try on because it's not something they like. And you have to change your clothes every two minutes. Shopping is a perfectly ordinary event and people make a show out of it.

I was kind of in jest about Cops, but when I thought about it, for police officers, arresting people is just another night on the job. And for criminals, and people who are poor and not criminals, getting arrested is pretty normal too. Ask me how i know.

[2xx1xy1JD]

My kids can recite my wedding dress story by heart, because we watch a lot of Say Yes/Dress.

I was engaged. We had been to a wedding the night before, I wrote one of my Bar exams that morning and hadn't even bothered to take a shower, and on my way back I happened to pass the discount outlet for a wedding dress store. No appointment was needed, I walked in, got blinded by a sea of white, hated the 1st 2 dresses and then fell in love with dress #3, which wasn't at all what I had described myself as wanting. It made me look great even with no shower and a greasy ponytail, so I bought it. Luckily, I had received an unexpected cheque in the mail for $1,200.00, so that's what I had to spend on dress, alterations, jewellery and veil.

My mom said I was crazy and that there was no way that I could just buy the 3rd dress I saw, without anyone with me. We went to a few stores together, I hated everything, so we went back to my dusty outlet store and I tried on the dress for her. They gave me a veil to try with it, my mom started to cry and agreed that yes, this was my dress.

My memories of that dress are great. In reality, of course, it was the mid-1990s, so there's some beading and bows that nobody would wear now, and it wasn't strapless (I don't really like strapless, but apparently everyone else does).

[Palimpsest]

that was news to me, too. i've seen it mentioned that initially she didn't reduce because of religious beliefs and she tried to bank off of that by speaking at churches and shit, but ye shall know them by their fruits and all that...she doesn't really act very christian-like.

Yes, Kate G was very evangelical in the early shows and on the original church speech circuit. Her father is an evangelical pastor so she could talk the talk. There was lots of praying on the first couple of seasons and Prosperity Gospel stuff in her standard church speech. The publisher of her first books was Zondervan, the Christian publisher.

That Christian talk all went away incredibly fast when she hit the big bucks and dropped the church circuit leaving churches she had already booked in the lurch. Fast forward a bit ... then she filed for divorce from her husband and Zondervan dumped her due to the scandal and rumored plagiarism in her cookbook. She apparently rarely mentions God these days.

[Lillybee]

I know that Bill and Jen are Catholic but I don't think that they are very religious.

The fact that they did try IVF is a very big Catholic no-no.