The Life We Want

A friend walked into my house the other day and caught me watching one of Bravo’s fashion-related reality shows. Again.  “So, Bravo-shows are your guilty pleasure”, she commented. Very well, I admit that’s what I veer towards when nothing else is on.

This week I found out that there is a reason for it: I am targeted!

Lauren Zalaznick is the woman behind the success of Bravo TV. Under her direction Bravo has turned into a network that attracts young working women and gays. Their reality shows about fashion (Project Runway, The Rachel Zoe Project), cooking (Top Chef), design (Top Design) and the endless shows about hair salons (Tabitha’s Salon Takeover, Shear Genius) appeal to this young (me) and affluent (not me) audience.

The people cast in the shows are young, pretty, fashionable, wealthy if not smart (The Real Housewives of OC/NYC/Atlanta) and steel bodied (Work Out). As you watch these shows you live the more or less glamorous life of a stylist, gym owner, young real estate star (up-and-coming) or even the woman who match makes millionaires.

I had been wondering how these new reality shows keep on coming on Bravo about  any profession or lifestyle that might be glamorous. Well, the reason is, as always, money. These shows appeal to a market, a market that has money to spend.

I guess it is an escape from your job as teacher or accountant. You just want something pretty to look at, so why not watch Bravo instead of buying the latest Vogue or Elle. You’ll identify with the ones that are fashionable, with-it and full-filling their fashion designer dreams. The question is do these shows make you feel better about yourself or not?

I think I watch them for the same reason I like to watch people at the airport. Maybe someone has an interesting outfit, hair style, friend, dog, bag and on it goes. On TV you get to hear part of their story, when at the airport you have only your imagination.

Read the NY Times Magazine article here.