Keeping up with the Geordie Way is Chelsea

I got in trouble with my sister the other day for asking a 12-year-old if she watched Geordie Shore.  Until I saw the shocked look on her face, I’d thought this was a reasonable question to ask.

The first time I saw it myself, I had a full on ‘Shocked of BN1’ reaction to the whole thing.  You know, the piles of vomit, the ‘f*** hut’, the weird slang (worldy, tash on, mint, etc).  All of it.  Then after a few episodes – yes, I’ve watched that many – I started thinking it was all rather… sweet.  Charlotte’s my favourite – I think she’s hilarious and a lovely girl, if a little misguided (especially in her love for Gaz and her belief that they’re like ‘two otters on a log’ when he really doesn’t agree).  I also like Vicky, as she seems quite sensible, considering (not so keen on Ricci, though).

As you can see, I’ve been quite drawn in.  The thing is, now that I’m writing YA fiction in my spare time, I feel like I ought to keep up with this sort of thing.  That’s what I tell myself now that I just can’t tear myself away.  Must.  Keep.  Watching.  (Yes, this is *fine* – it’s research, practically work.)

I’ve never really been into Big Brother or particularly The X Factor or any of the big reality shows.  However, I’ve got quite keen on some of the more ‘niche’ (shall we say?) programmes.  It started with The Simple Life, which I still kind of adore (yes, I love Nicole Ritchie) – haven’t been so keen on Paris Hilton’s solo efforts since, and am fairly disgusted with myself for having an opinion on her at all.

These days, I really, really love Keeping Up With the Kardashians (my world has genuinely been rocked by the recent news that Kris and Bruce Jenner may split up – I am keeping all my fingers crossed that they won’t; I bloody love Bruce Jenner).  I am also grudgingly very fond of TOWIE and Geordie Shore.

I tried Made In Chelsea and couldn’t sit through an episode.  I think the difference is clear: the kids on that show have been chosen because their parents are well-off/well-connected; the casts of Geordie Shore and TOWIE are there because they are the most glamorous/funniest/most disgusting of anyone else in their town.  It may be a weird meritocracy, but it’s a meritocracy all the same.

Although, I read an article recently that I loved.  It said that the more people become famous through shows like this and other such ephemeral media, the less famous they will be.  It’s constantly being diluted.

There are so many channels now that it would be impossible for everyone to watch all of them, so we are no longer all looking at the same thing – none of these people are ‘famous’ to all sectors of the population.  In fact, a large percentage of people would not know who they were.

Thus, it would be impossible now for anyone to be as famous as, say, the Beatles or even Michael Jackson.  There’s simply too much stuff going on.

Which is why all those people complaining about reality TV (while wearing Boden and eating their organic cous-cous and never having watched it in their lives)  should actually be encouraging it – the more of it there is, the sooner it will die out.

Yes, it’s true: pop will literally eat itself.