RDP Thursday: Camouflage

Camouflage…camouflage…what to say about that? I mean…that’s quite a…militaristic word…right? At least that’s what it brings to mind for me. I guess that’s the stereotypical way of thinking about it. I guess that camouflage can really bring up several different things. For instance, right now I’m watching a certain…reality show…on Netflix; you know, the ones about the kinds of peoples’ lives that you will probably never live; where expensive cars are simply a given in everyday life, where designer clothes are bought at the snap of finger: that kind of show. It’s fun to watch because the thought of being so carefree about money is nice and some of the people are cool, but at the same time I find myself remembering that there is a lot of camouflaging going on. I’ve worked a bit of reality tv before as an actress, and the truth is that there’s a lot about reality tv that isn’t real. TV angles are decided beforehand sometimes, things are lightly decided upon before the cameras start rolling, etc. It’s true, that some of the things that happen are reality, but in truth there’s a lot of camouflage that goes on in order to give the audience a certain perception of reality. It’s the “pretty” reality. Camouflage can be used in the literal sense, like in the military, but it can also be used in plain sight to hide the truth. Camouflage is an illusion. In other words, camouflage can be used in broad daylight. People camouflage themselves all of the time. They pretend to be something or someone that they are not, whether it’s good or bad. I don’t mean all people, but some. The reason I’ve brought this up is because reality tv provides a sense of camouflage for reality. You think that what you’re watching is real…but is it? When you’re watching reality tv shows it’s interesting to see the confessionals compared to what’s said in the group settings. Sometimes people are caught saying one thing to your face and another when they’re “alone” in the confessional…they do a great job pretending…it’s camouflage in broad daylight…