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What if watching a reality show is more than just entertainment, but our sister guide to looking good and living our best life?
From The American Sportsman, which ran from 1965 to 1986, making it the first televised reality show to air and the longest-running outdoor TV show in history, to Basketball Wives, Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian and The Kardashians, reality shows are a drawcard for TV channels.
READ MORE: Study finds that TV shows promoting the high life make us less empathetic towards poor people
The quality of the shows has evolved over the decades, however, one thing remains: the common lessons each reality show has for viewers who are willing to look past the drama and draw inspiration from these often-outrageous shows.
Ex-basketball wife, Shaunie O'neal, is an entrepreneur and the lying executive producer of VH-1’s reality TV series, Basketball Wives LA. Women across the globe look to her for inspiration on becoming independent.
On her show, Revenge Body, Khloe Kardashian helps fans who have gained weight get revenge on people who discouraged them during their weight gain. Inspiring millions to fight their insecurities, she promotes body positivity and healthy living.
READ MORE: The real reason we're suckers for reality TV shows
The queen of the Kardashian castle, Kris Jenner, is a producer and actress, known for The Mindy Project and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. She has inspired women to run a household, make billions and look smashing while doing it.
It goes without saying that past all the drama, the women on these shows can teach us a thing or two about being a girlboss.
Here are four areas of our lives that can be positively influenced by reality TV stars and their shows:
1 - Style - Reality shows have influenced our style since the 60’s. We find out what the latest trends are through the characters on the shows - like the simple casual looks that were worn in the first reunion shows compared to the red carpet gowns worn in newer shows. We take inspiration for outfits for parties and other events from the self-styled cast members.
READ MORE: Khloe Kardashian coped with Caitlyn Jenner's transition by hitting the gym
2 - Beauty - The beauty industry continues to evolve, from the 90’s eyebrows to the overly concealed thick brows in 2018, and cast members manage to keep up. Remember how we were convinced that African-American female cast members all had long natural hair, only to find out they had been on point with the latest extension installation techniques?
3 - Self development - We gain a deeper understanding of ourselves through the behaviour of others. Reality show cast members have proven that working on yourself assists you in handling tense situations - even if reconcilliation only comes after an outrageous brawl. We have seen a couple of therapy sessions, proving that even the rich and famous sometimes need a helping hand, so we're more comfortable to reach out to experts ourselves when the going gets tough.
READ MORE: Entertaining shows that don’t rely on the struggle hook to tell a good story
4 - Financial management - To be a reality star, you need a steady financial income to keep up with the lifestyle so if you are imagining having a similar lifestyle you need to think along the same lines. Managing finances is by far one of the biggest lessons we can learn as cast members are often not shy to speak about how they handle their finances.
The next time you tune in to your favourite reality show, be sure to keep in mind these pointers and notice how your choice of style and actions are influenced after.
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