Pushing the Boundary: are Reality TV Shows Ruffling Feathers in Africa?

The article addresses the viability of Reality TV shows in Africa. It weighs this against the continent’s much acclaimed conservatism. It identifies key differences within African philosophical traditions that could militate against the tenets of this genre. It concludes that the trend towards presenting TV formats where individuals and families are exposed to ridicule and contempt, berated for dysfunctional activities or where homosexuality, incest, infidelity, strange fetishes, or transvestism are discussed, has the tendency to collide directly or indirectly with competing African moral frameworks and could prove polarizing in the African setting.