Stay At Home Moms & Trash Tv – Who is Watching This Stuff?


Stay At Home Moms & Trash TV – Who Is Watching This Stuff?

The Bachelor, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Vanderpump Rules… Reality TV has some of the best – and worst – entertainment options. Which, all depends on your opinion of it. Call it a ground-breaking series, or just Trash Tv, but for every Chopped, and America’s Got Talent fan, there’s someone thinking, “Who watches this stuff?”

This post contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

The Stay At Home Mom is To Blame?

My husband actually made this skewed observation one day, as he caught me nursing our son and engrossed in an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. “You’ve gone full-blown stay at home mom, watching soap operas and stupid reality shows.”

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I have a few guilty pleasures. I never used to watch The Bachelor, or any “Real Housewives.” But, when you’re stuck at home with the kids, and you can’t stand another minute of a nursery rhyme or cartoon, trust me. During nap time, any kind of adult stimuli is better than Sesame Street. And I eventually fell into the trap – watching the epitome of Trash TV (Keeping Up With The Kardashians), still in my pajamas, eating ice cream right out of the container. Because the kid is finally napping, and that’s my self-care time.

They’re called “guilty pleasures” for a reason  but should we feel so guilty?

There’s something for everyone…

While you might not want to think of reality TV of any sort to be real entertainment, the fact remains; there is literally something out there for everyone. DIY shows, series for Foodies, comedy featuring slightly (and/or very) dysfunctional families…of course, that’s only pertaining to Reality shows. Plain old fiction is for another post. There’s still a story-line, Heroes and Villians, and something that keeps viewers watching. But does so-called “Reality Trash TV” get the frowny face? Why do we feel so guilty about it?

Maybe old school reruns of Real World isn’t exactly making us learn something. Or watching Kim Kardashian go on another lavish vacation isn’t inspiring us to do something with our lives. But who says all forms of entertainment have to be intellectual?

Reality shows aren’t really reality. Ever wonder why there’s always a cast of Producers, Directors and *gasp* Writers?  That’s because it’s all scripted to a point – just like any other television series. because in truth-reality is boring. If our own lives were worth recording, we’d all have a show. But then no one would watch… because, you know. They’d have their own show to be busy with.

It’s the entertainment industry, and there’s many forms of entertainment.

Only difference? Reality shows are labeled Trash TV, and anyone who admits to watching them, is looked down on.

[ctt template=”12″ link=”83XYU” via=”yes” ]3.19 million “Kardashians” Viewers can’t be wrong…[/ctt]

And I guarantee you, that real statistic isn’t all Stay At Home Moms.

No, SAHM’s aren’t to blame for anything…

The very notion that all forms of undesirable entertainment (which is in the eye of the beholder) must be popular because of housewives and mother’s, is ridiculous. Trash TV isn’t an actual genre – it’s a label people use to describe a television show they don’t like. Therefor, a target audience and demographic doesn’t exist.

This kind of thinking only furthers the myth and untruth, that Stay At Home Moms don’t have real responsibilities, and a long day’s work in the house. That we don’t really do anything.  And that simply isn’t true.

“But I’m a SAHM…and I just binge watched a season of Teen Mom OG…”

So what? Whatever you choose to indulge yourself in for a few hours before bedtime, when the kids are asleep, is your business. Guilty pleasure or not. I don’t think any more or less of you if Dr.Who was your television favorite. Spoiler alert: I actually can’t stand Dr.Who and don’t get the show. But hey, all new season of The Bachelor starts in January, and I can’t wait to see some scripted, catty drama and fancy ball gowns.

And you can think that’s stupid, and not believe why anyone would want to “waste their time watching that” and that’s your opinion. It’s also your television. And I’ll bet anything you have something on your Hulu watch list, you don’t want anyone knowing about. Only difference? I’m not judging your watch list.

Guilty Pleasures Don’t Have To Feel So Guilty…

Whatever you decide to spend your own mommy time watching, doesn’t need to be defended. Wanna see what walls Chip and Joanna are knocking down? Can’t wait to see which Housewife gets a drink thrown on her in New Jersey? Go for it. There’s nothing to feel shamed about. It’s entertainment, for Pete’s Sake. It doesn’t have to be their entertainment. Just yours. There’s really nothing wrong with it.

And if anyone calls your favorite show “Trash TV,” just remember… somewhere on their Netflix profile, is a TV show so boring, so mundane, and gut-wrenchingly bland, it’s literally the reason you avoid those “watch parties” and retreat to your own bedroom. With a pint of Breyer’s, and Kim’s latest drama. After your own, very long day.


Stay At Home Moms & Trash TV - Who Watches Reality TV Shows? #sahm #television #realitytv

Author: Jasmine

SAHM to one little boy, and wife to a former member of the USMC. I blog about parenting, relationships, brands I love, and product reviews!

6 thoughts on “Stay At Home Moms & Trash Tv – Who is Watching This Stuff?

  1. You are definitely right in the sense that it’s not just a sahm thing! It really comes down to the question, “why exactly am I watching this?”. If the answer is to laugh at someone else’s life to feel better about my own or to escape my own reality out of resentment and frustration, then yes, I would have to admit that what I have chosen to watch now qualifies as” trash”. And that could include sports, HGTV, or even the hallmark channel! If that’s my reason for watching, then it does nothing to benefit my life. Lately, I’ve found it hard to admit that, turn it off, and choose to finish reading a book instead. But always glad I do!

  2. This is so funny! When I was single, I used to watch The Hills when I wanted to feel like my life mattered. :’) Now that I have two very active little boys, my form of self care is no tv (or documentaries if I decide to watch tv). Mostly just silence. How the times have changed.

  3. Lol. Binge watching tv is what I do all day to destress from working all night. I doing have a baby yet but working remotely has made me know almost all tv reality shows. Now, I have a partner, no one is guilt tripping me. It’s called SELF-CARE says one momma at lovelifelaughmotherhood.

  4. Real Housewives or anything Bravo are our guilty pleasure… we usually watch it at the gym (or at least that’s what we tell ourselves- LOL).

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