By “Hate-watching (v): to watch and take pleasure in laughing at or criticizing (a disliked television show, movie, etc.)”
Have you ever wondered why sometimes you’ll find yourself binge-watching a show that’s so obnoxiously terrible, but you can’t look away? You’ll be watching an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians or Selling Sunset and thinking: “I hate every single person on this show”. Heck, sometimes you’ll even find yourself watching interviews of celebrity couples you absolutely can’t stand (Ahem – Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox – Ahem) and just revel in your hatred for them. Fascinating, isn’t it?
The “hate-watching” genre has gained a lot more traction in the last decade or so, given the rise of accessible television via streaming services and through other content sharing platforms like YouTube. Trashy television; reality shows; cheeky sitcoms and a variety of shows and movies that are tailor-made for hate-watching audiences – what is it about these shows and movies that keep us coming back for more?
Each of us will have our own version of a show worthy of hate-watching. The most recent example that comes to mind is “Emily in Paris” – while the show is mediocre at best, viewers will come back to it. Why? There could be several reasons for this:
• Curiosity:
As human beings, we are all born with a certain level of curiosity, and there are times where a show will have just the right amount of allure to keep us interested, even though consciously there is an awareness that the content before us is, in fact, not very good. You might have seen the first episode and thought: okay, let’s see where this goes – and by the end of it, you find yourself consumed by the entertainment value of finding fault in the show.
• Age of Criticism and Anti-fan culture:
• Feeling Superior:
• Hate lights a fire:
• Reflective fascination:
• It’s so bad, it’s “good”:
There is a great deal of complexity that surrounds the world of hate-watching, and each person’s drive and motivations will differ, but one thing we can be certain of is that: it is something that we feel drawn to for some reason or another. It may reveal something about us; it may serve as entertainment, or a way for us to feel strong emotions. Whatever the case may be, it’s worth thinking about what your motivations behind hate-watching are. Did any of the reasons above resonate? Are there any more that come to mind for you? We would love to hear what you think!
The above article is written by Shahrukh Shahbaz Malik who is trained in humanistic integrative counselling at CPDD in the UK and currently has her own private practice in Karachi. The views expressed in this article are those of one expert. They do not necessarily represent the views of Mashion, nor do they represent the complete picture of the topic at hand. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment or therapy.
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