I admit it. I love those crazy TV shows where creative people compete in order to win a prize. I have a few good reasons, to me, for enjoying this guilty pleasure.
However, I have to clarify. I passionately dislike shows where abuse is heaped upon the contestants, or among the contestants, and accepted in the name of winning. Because to me kindness and grace are the keystones to good behavior and happiness, these are not the shows I watch.
However, I do understand that every good story, therefore every good show, has situations and people that test the character of the participants. It is what they do with that test, and how they overcome it in order to express their gifts in a genuine (kind and graceful) way so that others may be inspired by them that interests me.
This is one reason I loved MasterChef 2012. In that season, Christine Ha, a kind, grace-filled woman, who – incredibly – is also blind, won the cooking challenge. Everyone watching that show must have learned of the possibilities of expressing and sharing their gift against all odds. When others excelled, the camera caught Christine smiling in pleasure at their achievement.
However, one of my favorite shows is Project Runway. I love the creativity, and the unfolding of the participant’s gifts and skills. Whether they win or lose doesn’t matter as much as how they grow into their talent.