Madam, - Marie Murray (Health Supplement, August 9th) voices her concern about the effects of the "quasi-psychological interjections" of reality TV. She points out the use of "Machiavellian tactics" by both the housemates and the programmes' creators.
She makes the important statement that the "watchers may be more psychologically significant than the watched". She also observes that tendencies towards qualities vital to the maintenance of a civilised human society such as "reticence, self-control, courtesy and calmness", are "classified as boring".
Her points are well made. The message from reality TV is that arrogance will get you everywhere and the more contempt you demonstrate for your fellow human beings the more successful you will be. Presenting the degradation and humiliation of people as entertainment has to be questioned.
The only object of the exercise is to sell more advertising time in order to make a small number of people multi-millionaires. The effects in terms of the brutalisation, yobbofication and moronisation of our society are incalculable. - Yours, etc,
A LEAVY, Shielmartin Drive, Sutton, Dublin 13.