Certain cultural critics may view reality television as a frivolous and unchallenging art form, but several series in the genre provide commentary on universal themes and experiences in addition to offering viewers easily digestible entertainment. Some reality shows illustrate the difficulty of seeking romantic love with a precision that more respected mediums are not always able to achieve, while others display the nuances of group behavior with a simplicity that furthers the viewer’s understanding without condescension.

The most effective of these programs touch on substantial concepts with a subtlety that allows the entertainment value to take precedence.

The Circle

Sophia standing, hands on her cheeks, looking happy from The Circle season 3.

This Netflix phenomenon shamelessly embraces the light and the trivial (as evidenced when producers instruct contestants to wear absurd costumes or play lighthearted games), but the driving force of the show is its examination of the virtual interactions that have become so integral to modern life.

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Players are given the option to enter the competition either as themselves or under disguise, highlighting our inability to know another person’s authenticity when we are communicating with them online. In addition to offering carefree entertainment, the series examines the internet’s influence over young adults in the 21st century.

Survivor

Jeff Probst and Rocksroy Exile Island

Survivor, one of the first reality competition series to achieve widespread relevance, is perhaps one of the most intellectually-minded of the genre’s most notable programs. Devoted fans of the show appreciate its raw portrayal of human behavior, and they watch it to understand the finer details of group dynamics and to observe how relationships are formed in critical circumstances.

Those interested in fields such as sociology and psychology would benefit from viewing this widely beloved and phenomenally-successful series, both to broaden their knowledge base and to enjoy the relationships between the contestants.

Too Hot To Handle

Cam Emily Too Hot To Handle

Despite being based on an episode of the iconically unserious sitcom Seinfeld, this Netflix reality series analyzes human sexuality with a depth that many may not attribute to it upon their initial viewing. The show instructs attractive and hedonistic young adults to refrain from all sexual contact and instead spend their time bonding on an emotional basis.

While it is not clear that many contestants permanently alter their behavior after filming (which fans can discern from where the Too Hot to Handle cast members are now), attentive viewers will learn more about their own romantic and sexual tendencies by observing the tortured cast members.

The Bachelor Franchise

serena pitt and joe amabile bachelor in paradise

ABC’s three Bachelor programs have developed reputations as lowbrow, intellectually-draining farces, but their long-lasting success is arguably owed to their reflection of our own romantic desires and interpersonal behavior. Each season’s “lead” is often forced to decide between contestants who are best suited for their personal growth and those whom they are superficially attracted to, and residents of the Bachelor Mansion often struggle to remain civil toward one another under the weight of competition.

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The franchise has notably produced a select number of successful relationships (with recent Bachelorette Michelle Young and her chosen partner, Nayte Olukoya, being the most prominent example from recent seasons), and fans of the franchise often attribute such victories to the tenacity of the involved parties.

The Amazing Race

Contestants receive their instructions in The Amazing Race (Season 29)

This long-running CBS series thrusts its contestants into unfamiliar environments rather than containing them in a single location, and it broadens the perspectives of its participants as a result. At-home viewers’ horizons are expanded in tandem with those of the competitors, rendering the show more substantial than its more simple and lighthearted challenges suggest.

The Amazing Race’s emotional weight and intellectual components contradict the shallowness that much of the general public ascribes to reality television, even as the show adheres to many of the genre's customs.

Are You The One?

Are You The One full cast promo picture by the pool

Are You The One? combines the wholesome search for love central to shows such as The Bachelor and Love Is Blind with the dogged pursuit of financial reward on which series such as Survivor and The Amazing Race are centered. Many of the activities with which the contestants pass the time are hedonistic and insignificant — a noteworthy number of scenes involve cigarettes and swimming pools — but the determination with which the participants attempt to identify their professionally-selected “perfect match” occasionally rewards them with relationships that are more meaningful than those that they normally engage in (as evidenced by the best couples from Are You The One?).

Despite its outward appearance as an avenue for carefree young adults to socialize and earn prize winnings, the show teaches contestants to seek life partners based on personal characteristics rather than on superficial traits.

Love Is Blind

Jarrette down on one knee, looking upset in the pod on Love is Blind.

This Netflix series initially drew attention for its unique premise — unlike other reality dating shows, it requires participants to select their partners prior to seeing or meeting them — and it has maintained its viewership by proving its unconventional methodology to be occasionally effective (although certain Love Is Blind cast members deserve better than the outcome they receive).

Because those who participate in a season of Love is Blind are unable to select their partners based on physicality, the relationships that form are often more stable and rewarding than those that more conventional dating shows produce. This series' efforts to encourage mature, well-considered dating choices render it more impactful than mere entertainment.

The Kardashians

Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian

The Kardashian family has dominated the American cultural conversation for over a decade, but much of the respect and influence that the family now enjoys was earned through projects outside of the E! series that established their fame (the most notable among these being Kim's efforts to secure the freedom of innocent Death Row inmates). The Kardashiansthe Hulu series that debuted this year and returned the family to the nation's television screens, is viewed by many as being vapid and unintellectual, failing to meaningfully contribute to society to the extent that the family's charitable work has.

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These critics fail to recognize the series' unadulterated portrayal of high-society life and the insight that such footage provides to those attempting to understand the beneficiaries of our highly-stratified economy.

The Masked Singer

The Masked Singer season 3 judges

The NBC phenomenon The Masked Singer, a somewhat psychedelic and decidedly bizarre singing competition in which contestants are completely concealed by costumes and two of the four judges have no experience in the music industry, was primarily created to provide mindless entertainment to those seeking respite from the stress of their routines.

While the show generally avoids serious subject manner and veers away from the philosophical, the practice of judging the singers' performances without being aware of their identities shows audiences that an individual can have worth that is unrelated to their public image.

Impractical Jokers

The main castmembers from Impractical Jokers

This iconic and long-running TruTV series that IMDb regards as one of the best reality TV shows of all time regularly draws more laughs than scripted comedy manages to, with the sharp improvisational skill of its stars and the adeptness of its producers allowing for brilliantly uncomfortable episodes that have spanned over a decade.

The series is primarily intended as lighthearted escapism, but those who wish to derive more meaningful value from it may note that the social norms the Jokers violate are revealed to be more deeply entrenched than viewers may have been aware of prior. The series' humor stems from the surprising delicacy of common social interaction, a depth many would not expect a comedy reality show to contain.

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