Don’t Confuse Entertainment With Reality

How TV, viral clips, and hot takes shape opinions about places we’ve never been—and why most real life never makes the cut

This photo was taken on 1/19 in Utah. We have had a terrible snow season this year but in some parts of the trail where it does not get sun, you will find snow in the shade. If you live far away from Utah, this photo will make you think we have a lot of snow this year.

I live in Draper, Utah—a suburb of Salt Lake City. The other day a candidate asked me what I thought about The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I had no answer. I’ve never watched it.

I’m sure it’s entertaining. I just haven’t made time for it. Between work, family, workouts, and the handful of shows I already rotate through, it hasn’t cracked the list. Maybe one day it will.

But the question stuck with me.

This person had never been to Utah. They live in Pittsburgh but I don’t think everyone is walking out of steel or mining plant in Pittsburgh. Yet the show shaped how they thought about where I live—and, by extension, the people who live here. As if Utah is one big reality TV episode.

Yes, I have Mormon neighbors and friends. No, my life looks nothing like what a TV show portrays.

That’s when it clicked: people form strong opinions about places they’ve never stepped foot in, based entirely on content designed to entertain or provoke. A show. A clip. A headline. A viral video.

You see it everywhere—political videos, outrage clips, “you won’t believe this” moments. People assume that one clip equals the whole place. The reality? About 99.9% of people live incredibly normal, boring lives. And if you filmed most of it, no one would watch.

My days look like this: wake up, make coffee for my family, work, work out, take kids to school, work some more, cook dinner, drive kids to activities, go for a walk. If I’ve got energy left, I’ll watch some TV. Lately it’s a rewatch of Breaking Bad with my 16-year-old son.

But I don’t assume everyone in New Mexico cooks meth.

It’s a show. Built to entertain. Just like most of what we consume online.

A few summers ago, I visited New Mexico. I didn’t see chaos. I saw mountains, hiking, great food, and beautiful scenery—nothing like what TV trained me to expect.

That’s the lesson.

Consume less. Create more.

Judge less. Experience more.

And don’t confuse entertainment with reality—because the real work, the real life, and the real progress never go viral.