A mother and daughter are fast asleep on the couch in front of the TV while a reality show is on. Meanwhile, an exploratory virtual reality trip is taking place on the edge of the couch.

Ah reality TV. It’s hard for me to mention it without launching into a rant. I will try to keep things tame and just mention a few key points that get on my goat*:

  • There is soooo much of it.
  • The program introduction usually outlines most of what is going to happen during the show.
  • At an advertisement, which is usually at the point of a major (stalled) decision or announcement, you are shown what is ‘coming up after the break’.
  • After the break, that which has already happened is recapped. Quite often, the last minute or so of that which has happened is replayed in case your memory spans no longer than three minutes.
  • If the show has contestants, they are usually doing their visual diary entry where they tell you what they have just been told will happen by the host. This is also what the viewer has just heard the host announcing to the contestants because the announcement was filmed and broadcast just prior to this.
  • If the show follows multiple stories or people, it will often iterate through each, frequently leaving one to go to the next, recapping each story upon resumption.
  • At the end of the show, most of what you have just seen is reviewed for your displeasure and you are also shown what will be happening in the next episode.

Then there are the repetitive station promos for shows in general that try to hype each up by talking with husky voices and dramatic pauses. These ads are full of generalisations and superlatives designed to make you feel like the entire country, nay, world is watching, so you should too… because you need to see what all the alleged fuss is about that apparently has everyone talking. It’s quite remarkable how many No #1 shows there are out there that are ‘taking the world by storm’.

After a reality check (and on the bright side),  I noticed the remote control does have an off button.

A few months ago, I was able to try a virtual reality headset, which connected to a mobile phone. Downloadable virtual reality apps provided amazing 3D worlds to explore with everything from space travel and roller coaster rides to zombie eradication.

*It’s a big goat, a bit like a pack mule.