When you see somebody acting like a jerk in real life, it’s only natural to want to step in and intervene. But when you see a horrible person acting the same way on TV, it’s sometimes hard to look away because you’re able to suspend a healthy amount of disbelief. It’s also a lot of fun to see people act on their worst impulses, and bring out the worst from everybody they interact with. There’s just something so satisfying about watching horrible people do their thing, and we’re going to try to get to the bottom of why TV shows that glorify horrible people are so addictive.
It’s a Form of Wish Fulfillment
In the real world, having a conscience, and going with the flow is paramount. The best way to approach life is without confrontation, and trying to stir the pot as little as possible. Because why would anybody want to deal with the consequences that come from acting out of pocket? One of the reasons shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm are so popular is because we get to see humans interacting without fear of consequence. And if the consequences of one’s actions do backfire, there’s often a payoff.
Imagine how quickly you’d get punched in the face if you acted like Larry David at the grocery store. The simple fact of the matter is that nobody likes a nitpicker. But when you’re removed from the situation entirely, it makes for compelling television. And let’s be real here; how many times have you gotten a subpar cup of lemonade from a lemonade stand run by children, and wished you could get your money back? In the case of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is our spirit animal in a lot of ways, because he does just that.
Drama Is Fun When it’s Not Your Drama
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about reality television, it’s that we love conflict when it doesn’t directly affect our own lives in adverse ways. And reality television comes in so many different flavors! If you want to see affluent women tear each other down for personal gain, then tune into Real Housewives.
If watching young and confident individuals from different walks of life knock each other down a couple of pegs, then tune into MTV’s The Real World. There’s nothing quite like watching people you don’t know go at each other’s throats for an hour, turning the TV off, and getting back to your own life without conflict.
Keeps Your Conscience Clean Because it’s Fiction
If you’re a US resident, then you know all too well how abysmal the healthcare system could be at times. Premiums are expensive, deductibles are high. And then you need an ambulance, but the hospital you’re transported to is out of network, so you have to pay out of pocket for your stay. It’s a total mess. But in the world of Breaking Bad, we get to see Walter White become a meth kingpin, so he can pay off his medical bills, and things escalate quickly.
At the end of the day, Breaking Bad is a scripted show. But we’d be lying if we said we weren’t rooting for Walt the entire time as he took matters into his own hands, and became the horrible person he was always destined to be. Okay, so maybe things went south after season four, but it was still a wild ride, and we had to finish the series.
It’s Fun to Root for the Bad Guy Sometimes
At the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun to root for the loathsome people we see on TV. One of our favorite examples is Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. One of his most egregious acts of awfulness was when he tried to skin 25 puppies that he kidnapped, so he could make a greyhound fur tuxedo that he’d probably only wear once.
And as gruesome as something like this would be to visualize (don’t worry, they stopped him), he had to break out in song and dance as he described all the different animals he’s killed in the past for the sake of having a snappy outfit. It goes without saying that we don’t want to see dozens of dogs get murdered, but Mr. Burns certainly won us over with his stellar rendition of “See My Vest.”
Lets You Know Actual Warning Signs to Look Out for in Real Life
For those of you who can’t stop watching shows like South Park, it’s safe to say that you know exactly what a toxic friend group looks like. And if you’re self-aware, and smart enough, you know that hanging out with people like this in real life is not the way to go. But on TV it works so well because toxic friendships are an excellent source of comedy when you’re not actually a part of the group.
In other words, if your friends seem sincere at first, but stab you in the back at the first given opportunity, it’d make for a great television show. But in real life, you’re going to have a terrible time. We think that it goes without saying that if you ran into a real-life Eric Cartman, you’d know that running away is the best way to handle the situation.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
