Reality Tv and the Myth of the Big Break
Hi Magpies! Welcome to my first ever video post. I can’t figure out how to select a more flattering screen shot on my video editing program. It’s appalling! Nontheless, the show must go on! Enjoy.
- Neato things Rachelle mentions in this video:
Michael Buckley on What the Buck (get your shot of goofy sunshine.)
Britain’s Got Talent: The artful and creative winners Spelbound.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life
- Today’s Artisan: (Who’s name I pronounced wrong. Sorry Mate-y) Mati Rose
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And the questions we need YOU to answer (pretty please):
What do you think about reality TV? Have you learned any positive lessons from reality TV?
What terms do you use to define success for your creative projects?
What have you learned from your own creative journey about how long it takes to get there?
21 comments
My goodness Rachelle, that is so awesome. Woohoo. I am almost bursting with joy that you did this.
And what great thoughts on reality TV… I have stopped watching reality TV a while back because the cynic undertones were getting to me… you know the stuff you mention… normal person one day, 6 weeks later super star. I also have a huge problem with the fact that everyone wants to be famous, be a star. As if those routes are the only way to happiness.
So when is the next video blog post then?
Love
Mel
xo
SUCH a good post, Rachelle, and it’s so great to see your face with your voice. Almost gives me some sense of relief– oh “YEAH she *is* real!”
In reference to your last point about telling your story even if someone else got there “first,” I wanted to add one huge example that should hopefully help put things in perspective:
In 1964 there was this little pop formation in England that got the idea to play a rockin’ kind of music with guitars and drums, with compelling lead vocals. They had lots to say, musically, lyrically, and culturally, but unfortunately for them, just four years earlier “The Beatles” had already decided to do this, and were being met with MASSIVE success. The little pop formation could’ve given up or decided that they were too “unknown” or too much just “nobodies” and stopped pursuing their dream. I’m just glad for *everyone’s* sake that this little group of unknowns called “The Who” decided to keep going with the music thing anyway.
:)))
Even if you aren’t ever going to receive the kind of fame and laud that The Who eventually came by, it’s important to remember that both the Beatles and themselves started as “nobodies”– this wasn’t back in the day of Disney-corps kids being groomed from adolescence to become the next big pop start, and to be able to fit both a Christina and a Britney in the market and stuff. These guys started from the bottom and made the choice to go for it, despite how discouraging it might have been that there was already a band from England doing “this kind of thing” and taken the world by storm.
And needless to say– in the end the two bands aren’t even remotely thought of as “competitors” for the same market, or something! That would be preposterous.
Wonderful! Oh Rachelle, it is so nice to get to know you and your video was lovely. You are fabulous! I love finding out that a wonderful blogger such as yourself also adores reality TV. Makes me feel much better about myself. One thing I have learned from watching a lot of it is that human beings are completely and utterly unpredictable. It is one of the reasons I find it so fascinating.
I also agree that there is always room for dreamers. What we have in our world are too many people that have given up on themselves, not the other way around.
LOVE the vlog, Rachelle! Way to go!
I agree with everything you say here and would rather talk about how WONDERFUL YOU ARE.
:)
Really…video blogging usually does NOT hold my attention. Like it’s not fast enough or something, but YOU do. You’re a natural. Don’t work on “improving.” You are just right. And I like the off the cuff, no editing feel to this.
Also…bravo for putting yourself out to be “seen.” I have such fear issues with this…like I can only do it after I attain some mysterious (and unattainable) level of perfection. SO MESSED UP! Perhaps (notice the perhaps) you will inspire me to take the leap.
i am so proud of you rachelle-y! you get so confident towards the end of your blog, it is so awesome to see. i think the “supersize” element of americana also contributes to this–everyhing has to be bigger! better! faster! grander! over the top! to be a working actor is not enough anymore–you must be seated in the first 4 rows at the oscars to “be anyone who’s worth anything”. you must be on the cover of the glossies, open a movie, etc. etc. etc. i can’t wait to do a video blog with you someday. love you so much, so glad you are coming home my friend!
So so marvelous to see your lovely face and hear your wisdom directly! I looooove love love the video posts. Yay for being brave.
Yo Rachelle, go! go! go!
Thoughts of the Queen of the Blog delivered straight to my desktop. Can I stand any more of this amazingness???????
Rachelle,
I really like the video. It comes across very naturally. You make some great observations, add some humor and end it. I think a lot of videos ramble and go on forever. I like your style better. I’m sure you have a million readers who are eating it up to see and hear you “in person” too. Great job. I don’t watch reality TV, but appreciate your eye towards how it is shifting attitudes about success etc. The little I’ve seen of shows where people are voted off is that it makes me sick. Is more cut-throat competition what we need to foster in our culture? I can’t wait to work with people who grew up in the era of reality TV at a job or on a committee or vote for one for public office. That should be interesting.
Thank you everyone for your warm welcome and enthuasim. I have severa more posts loaded up and ready to post so keep an eye open. I’m shooting to do one every Monday.
Jen — yes! I was thinking we should do a video interview. Maybe we can do one via webcam and then do a live one when I come see you in CA.
Susan — There’s a Banksy piece in which he’s insert Simon Powell (the mean “Idol” judge) into a famou Degas(?) painting of the ballet class. Word class dancers are performing around him and he’s leaning on his elbow looking disgusted and bored. I think that speaks to your objection to the “cutting” process/style and my objection to the idea that only one “best” person’s art or skill should be honored. I’ll try to find the image and do a follow up post.
Thanks again y’all for your support — and don’t forget to leave me questions for an upcoming Ask Magpie video post!
Love,
Rachelle
[...] blogging has been taking off around here recently. Sas dit it, Rachelle did it and Jo even did two. I have to say I totally love it. Reading something is one thing, seeing [...]
Yipeee I can see this video!
Rachelle this is so lovely. I feel like you were all of our BFF’s in this video. Nice work.
I also love your thoughts on reality tv. Did you see “Jay McCarroll: Eleven Minutes?” I mean, not the best documentary on the planet but I felt it was a HUGE fabulous myth buster into the life of a reality tv star. Jay is so very very unprepared to be a fashion designer full time.
Thanks for naming these myths and calling them out.
I think that the myth that ‘in order to be an artist you have to want it so much you will die without it’ is the one that stopped me from creating for years. I went to an art academy for high school and just thought, well I wont die without it so clearly these kids deserve it and I don’t….. yeah took me a long time to shake that out of my head.
Rachelle, you rock! You should do more v-logs: I loved this one. Just what I needed to hear, and boy, am I going to be happy to see you when you get back!
Love, love, love what you shared–just what I needed to hear today – of course!
Ok–reality tv is my guilty pleasure. We do not have cable, so I watch Idol and So you think you can dance. What I love about them is that they inspire me. I adore watching every day peeps get a life changing break just by being on the show. I love to watch how they grow and learn through the experience – it literally brings tears to my eyes.
Until today,I never thought about how the shows are affecting me on a
sub-conscious level. As someone who is looking to contribute to people living a life they love, like so many of us out there, I have a very high bar for myself. In my heart, I know that I am doing the best I can each day. Some days I forget and it does not seem like enough. My gremlin gets in there and starts slamming me with questions – why aren’t you more “successful”? why isn’t the book done yet? why isn’t the phone ringing off the hook? why didn’t you get the call back from your Oprah Winfrey Network audition?
Once I get up off of my knees and remember my own definition of success and that everything happens in divine order, I can continue to move forward with inspired action.
That inspired action is what got the winners of Idol, Dance and Who ever has Talent to the shows. So off I go , to do the next right thing.
Thanks Rachelle–I am thrilled that our paths have crossed! Can’t wait for the next video–bravo!
You are natural and yourself and your vlog is fine!
Reality TV – not sure about positive lessons it’s just a guilty pleasure for me. Survivor, Amazing Race, ANTM.
I’m still on my creative journey (at 52) and I gauge my success – if I finish something LOL!
I would like to write a book one day and a children’s book – wish me luck LOL.
You got me thinking about society’s obsession with “making it” or trying to “be somebody” – two pursuits that do more to squash our creative dreams than they do to encourage them. I admit I often feel pressure to be a certain kind of writer, to be pushing for a bestseller or an award-winning novel. It’s a pressure I find soul destroying. I have to remind myself that as long as I’m being creative (in whatever way), as long as I’m being true to myself then I am successful. As long as I enjoy writing, I will continue to write. I don’t have to “make it” to be a person of significance. I already am. And so is everybody else.
I love reality talent shows because they remind me how truely magnificent we are and that we all have our own unique talents.
I do believe, though, that being successful is about honouring ourselves, being true to who we are, and allowing our soul to sing. In that way, we can all be successful, no matter how humble or “small” our dreams are.
Thanks again for your wonderful thoughts.
ps: my latest blog post was about Elizabeth Gilbert and included a link to a speech she made about creativity. I think you’ll find her words as inspiring as I did.
You can check out my blog at http://www.healingscribe.com or the link to the speech is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA&feature=related
Also – just wanted to tell you I love your website and really admire what you’re doing for people with your soulcare work. Thank you!
Best wishes, Erin x
Excellent post – spot on! I couldn’t agree more with your thoughts. I’d like to add how that all plays into the instant gratification – don’t want to work for it – attitude that is prevalent today. Thanks for the great post.
p.s. Please, next time, look at the camera when you talk. :)
Wow and Thank You!
Living in the instant messaging, instant coffee, and instant gratification world, it is nice to be reminded that things aren’t necessarily so instant. Art and life, by their very natures, take time to evolve and grow and flourish. We are beings of nature. Everything has its season. Time allows us to bloom and savor each moment. The real trick is to be present and in those moments.
I am very taken with reality television as well. What I love most about shows like Project Runway, Shear Genius, etc. are the unique and creative solutions that the artists come up with. I find the finished products amazing and the creative processes very inspiring.
More please!
Pennie
Fabulous post and congrats on the first video. I think this is a really important topic and something that is defining the way that so many people see themselves. The unhealthy idea of the one “big break” puts this idea into people’s heads that they can get away with not putting in the work to be successful. We seem to be addicted to this notion of overnight stardom with no real authenticity to the cookie cutter artists being pushed at us.
I also think these shows are irresponsible in how they treat their contestants, making them profoundly anxious and placing them under immense personal stress. The ideas of ” I want it so badly I’ll kill myself if I don’t get to the next round” or “if I don’t get through, it’s all over for me” are extremely unhealthy for both the contestants and for our collective consciousness.
I absolutely believe that if you pour all your heart and soul into something you will be successful at it, but that doesn’t mean that success looks like a platinum selling album and a bunch of grammys. It means that you will be living a life that fulfills and inspires you, even if that’s a smaller, more modest form of success. We need more people to understand that, when you do it because you love to do it and when you pour all your love into your creative outlets, that resonates with the soul of everyone you come into contact with and inspires them. I think the flood of American Idol and X Factor performers is saturating the market and we see less of those inspired and inspiring artists as a result.
Wow… yeehaw…woohooooo!!! YOU GO!
thank you for this frank and heartfelt video! For a first timer you not only did well, but were articulate and compelling. I enjoyed this. Keep up your vids!
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