Reality TV and The Coliseum: Are We Back In Ancient Rome?

Feb 19, 2008

Nudity in the streets! Live sex acts on stage! Men fighting wild animals! Men fighting each other to the death! High speed racing in wheeled vehicles! These are just few forms of entertainments offered in ancient Rome, Italy, at the turn of the first millennium. In order to keep a rapidly growing population of largely uneducated people happy, the rulers of ancient Rome devised a variety of forms of entertainments for the masses. The Roman Empire was the center of Western civilization for almost 1000 years. Its stability and prosperity meant leisure time for the masses. With no TV, movies, or Internet available, they invented other ways to entertain themselves.

We’re talking about a period in history that included the birth of Christianity. The arts flourished but weren’t exciting enough to hold the attention of a very large and restless audience. Thus, entertainment for the masses became a necessity. The chariot racing in Ben Hur and the bloody battles in Gladiator and Spartacus are examples of the kinds of mass entertainment to which the public had access. Sounds just like TV, right? Maybe it involved a walk to the stadium rather than the flick of a switch, but it was popular culture at its best. Or worst.

People were maimed and often killed for the sake of entertainment. The crowds, safe in their seats, took pleasure in watching others risk their lives. Sort of like NASCAR or extreme fighting today---let’s stick some guys in an arena designed for optimum thrills. Maybe someone will crash and burn! Hopefully someone will get beaten to a bloody pulp! But let’s encourage the viewer to enjoy the experience. Who will survive??

Many of today’s reality TV programs offer the same vicarious thrills as the coliseum offered in ancient Rome. The success of Survivor! has spawned countless shows where the audience is allowed to sit safely in their seats while watching other human beings endure various forms of humiliation and defeat. Popular entertainment at its best. Or worst.

When generations to come look back on the kinds of mass entertainment we enjoy today, what will they think? What are we leaving behind? Can the arts even survive in a culture devoted to mindless thrills?

George Bernard Shaw, British playwright and critic, defined a good work of art as something that elevated one’s level of thinking and somehow significantly contributed to a better understanding of humanity. Reality TV programs seem to do the opposite—and take us right back to the days of the gladiators. Shouldn’t we be able to evolve?

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