“There’s something about these shows that makes it really safe to connect with,” psychotherapist and counsellor Melissa Ferrari says. “You’re seeing people throw their feelings into a loaf of bread instead of directing them at another person.”
, and all the drama and controversy it generates, wasn’t the main focus of conversation for reality TV lovers. But with another season done and dusted, the high-intensity screaming matches and smashed wine glasses are about to be replaced with a simpler and more wholesome kind of stress – this time focused around building blocks and groceries.
The Poseidon build in season one of Lego Masters. “The experience of watching something good happen to someone really speaks to our basic wants and desires as humans,” says psychotherapist Melissa Ferrari. It’s the combination of this emotionally safe viewing environment and compelling participant stories that draws so many of us in and sees us coming back every season, Ferrari says.
“We all have our own aspirations to want to succeed, and when you’re watching shows like that and you see someone achieve their dreams we live a little through them.“Even if your dreams aren’t to be a great chef or to construct amazing objects, there’s something about the experience of watching something good happen to someone that really speaks to our basic wants and desires as humans.
This emotional investment also provides us with fodder for what Ferrari calls “the water cooler effect” of engaging and connecting with others.