Love it or hate it, reality shows have now become an addictive part of our lives that you can’t afford to ignore any longer.In this side of the world it first started with the Coca Cola Pop Idols, then came the BBA.
These were soon followed by more indigenous shows such as Bongo Star Search, Tusker Project Fame and even Maisha Plus joined the band wagon.
Several young men and women every year struggle to get into these shows for a multitude of reasons. Talent hunts, especially for music and dance like the TPF and BSS, are the ones that seem to attract more entrants.
As the young men wonder which route to navigate to the ultimate glory, the question that many ought to be asking, is what does it take to get on TV and once you are there what does it take to win?
Reality shows are a huge platform for ordinary people from all walks of life to test their worth against other competitors and to show the world what they are capable of.
They also get the opportunity to be groomed and trained by celebrity judges who are established professionals and heavyweights in the field.
Winning any of these shows as either Big Brother’s Uti or Richard will tell you may mean ticket to riches, fame and stardom. No wonder several thousand youngsters aspire to be get on the show and win.
Is there anything that you can do to ensure a window seat to the ride to success? What are the qualities that you need to cultivate and how will you catch the eye of the judges? How do you impress the public who have a huge say in who wins and who gets thrown out of the show every week?
As we have seen in recent time especially in the contest between Mwisho, Uti and Munya, it is evident that there is a lot of taunting and bullying that goes on among the contestants.
It is no exaggeration to say that a reality show contestant experiences some pretty intense and almost life changing experiences during the course of the show. But whoever is the strongest shall survive.
“Once you know what happens behind the scenes, the reason why audiences are so fascinated by the entire concept of reality shows and what unfolds on-screen, as a contestant you will be in a better position to plan for your victory,” one commentator claims.
You might have decided to jump into the bandwagon because of the glitz and glamour of the shows, the opportunity to be a star, for 15 minutes of fame or just because you are blind and you felt like it. To win a show it takes certain personality attributes and clever strategizing.
It helps if you have something that sets you apart from the rest. If what one sees on TV is anything to go by, the special quality need not even be positive. It could even be obnoxiousness, narcissism or the fact that you are an aspiring astronaut who studies Literature. The point the audience must be led to associate you with this quirk.
Make sure that you don't go overboard with obnoxiousness. Sure, the audience is forgiving and to an extent even desensitized to softer human emotions by virtue of constant exposure to the bullying that goes on in reality shows but they aren't completely dead. Ensure that you have potential to be liked, to be endearing even.
“I think winning in a reality show also goes with luck because sometimes one can be good but still the audience does not see anything in the person, so it is a bit unpredictable,” says Nancy Kilango, a Reality TV Show fan living at Msasani in Dar es Salaam.
Nancy gives an example of how the 2008 BBA winner, Rico from Angola who was so stubborn and very unserious sometimes but still the audience chose him to win.
Where possible be controversial because it sells and keeps the audience awake just like in Tatiana’s case.
Pick an act of your choice, either follow it through completely or make it look like you have followed it through.
The controversy must be juicy enough for the producers and the audience to keep you on air.
Display sportsman spirit and be a showman too, while you are at it. The important point here is that even though you may not actually have sportsman spirit you must appear to. This is where showmanship comes into play.
“Being real is the best tool for one to win, most of the reality shows takes time so it is very hard for someone to pretend life for all these days so myself as a part of the audience I prefer someone who is real, if he drinks let us see that whenever we watch,” says Baraka Kisuu, a student at UDSM.
Baraka says that pretending life seems to cost many contestants and that ifcontestants would appreciate their being and live accordingly then these competitions would be more stiffer than expected.
“I think going in the reality shows with the winning mentality is not working, one needs to go in with the total submission without thinking about the money or something because thinking of winning may make one to pretend life in the house,” says Baraka.
