You know America's obsession with Reality Tv is real when....

Donald Trump. Former reality TV host, sitcom guest star, and now, the 45^th President of the United States.  

One may wonder how the world’s most dominant economic and military power elected an individual that had previously been referred to as a ‘retro cartoon.’ What might strike someone as even more concerning is the idea that President Trump’s cartoon-like past may have actually helped him win the election.  My theory? America’s obsessed with reality TV.

“Psychology Today” has conducted studies to assist researchers in theorizing why Americans obsess over reality television. Multiple conclusions can be made from these survey results. The inherent desire for status, competition, and attention in many American citizens is a perfect match for the essential components of most reality television series.  

However what researchers term as ‘hyper-authenticity’ might be an even more useful attempt for explaining the results of the 2016 election. Hyper-authenticity occurs when viewers begin to compare their own lives with those on the reality shows they watch. This ends up having a humanizing effect for the reality stars. Ordinary Americans fantasize about the potentials of their own lives while they watch ‘normal’ people like themselves on the big screen. Viewers get to picture themselves as potential celebrities, while simultaneously picturing celebrities as everyday Americans.

If hyper-authenticity is a natural reaction for viewers of reality shows, it makes complete sense why many Americans felt more connected to a presidential candidate with a media background. Fans of “The Apprentice” and other reality TV shows Trump has appeared on did not view him as a typical Politian running for office. His relatable reality-TV personality outshined his un-relatable Manhattan billionaire reputation. This seemed the perfect match for an America sick of traditional politics.

As the 2016 election proved, winning the presidency has a lot more to do with winning over the American people than winning the political experience category. The Donald knew how to up his reality TV ratings. He translated this knowledge into how to get votes. Trump’s experiences in the media proved more valuable than Hillary’s extensive political background.

Part of the explanation for why a former reality star was elected to office has to do with America’s Presidential system of government. Unlike in a parliamentary system, the chief executive does not have to be the established head of the majority power to become the head of the executive. Even a reality TV celebrity has presidential potential.

To test the theory that Trump’s time as reality star host of “The Apprentice” actually helped him get votes, AMG conducted an online poll of self-identified Republicans. What was most fascinating about the results was the correlation between Trump supporters and faithful viewers of "The Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice." Trump's favorable rating was 62% among "Apprentice" viewers, but 37% among non-viewers.  

His faithful reality show fans could perhaps be one of the most under-recognized support bases of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. At the time of the election, studies showed that 1 in 4 Americans watched some form of reality television.  By sticking to his TV Trump personality, “The Donald” did not let reality show fans become an underutilized resource.

Trump’s role as host of “The Apprentice” was to assign and assess each team’s project manager and how well a task was executed. Trump’s questions to the teams of apprentices fueled conflict. These conflicts fueled ratings. Trump knew that controversy was the key to keeping Americans as intrigued viewers. His tweet last February is just one example of his attempts to keep controversy brewing. “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!”

Controversy brings attention. This knowledge translated well into the Trump administration’s political campaigning. Pew Research reports that 52% of Americans use two or more social media sites. Within that 52%, Trump and Hillary supporters obviously coexist. Yet, Trump’s background at creating a “brand” and sticking to it proved successful. His twitter feed may be fiery, but it was, and still is, highly effective at gaining the attention of an Internet obsessed America. Trump has 42.8 million followers on Twitter. Hillary Clinton presents a lagging, yet still impressive amount with 19.8 million Twitter followers. In contrast, former Texas Senator and candidate for the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz has 3 million followers. Other politicians that were up for the nomination bring even lower followings with 1.4 million followers for Jeb Bush, for example.

Trump’s dominance is characteristic of both his role as host of “The Apprentice” and, now, President.  The show’s catchphrase “you’re fired“ would fit well into Trump’s current Twitter feed. The parallels between Trump the TV host and Trump the President are frighteningly strong. Trump was aware of the necessity of viewership to keep “The Apprentice” on air. He knew his fiery attitude kept viewers tuned in to his show, so why not assume it would keep voters intrigued and to the polls.

The leader-personality that was essential to Trump’s media/campaigning brand was the perfect fit for a change-inspiring platform. Trump’s character as host of “The Apprentice” not only portrayed him as an effective boss, but also a powerful leader; two essential attributes for a Presidential candidate. Which is more convincing of a need for change? “Make American Great Again” spoken with a gentle tone? Or the same catchphrase from a loud, dominate character like Trump.

The election of Donald Trump reveals the necessity of knowing the voter for politicians. You cannot stay on air without enough views, as you cannot win an election without votes.  Trump claimed that “The Apprentice” was the No. 1 show in TV long after it had fallen in ratings. There is no denying that Trump obsesses over ratings.

But is that really something to be criticizing?

His knowledge on how to improve ratings proved beneficial in the 2016 election. TV Trump knew how to draw in viewers so political candidate Trump knew how to attract voters.

Football legend Eric Dickerson returns to SMU for Kid's Camp

SMU and NFL football legend Eric Dickerson returned to campus Oct. 27 for the third annual Eric Dickerson Foundation All-Star Kids Football camp Saturday at Gerald Ford Stadium. 

Eric Dickerson returned to SMU's campus to host a youth football camp. Photo credit: Emmakate Few

Teammates from SMU’s legendary “Pony Express” era of 1980-1982 teamed up to coach approximately 200 of Dallas’s young athletes. Campers were led through a series of drills, inspirational huddles. Each received a T-shirt upon check-in. These campers, largely from Dallas’s inner-city schools, gained the unique experience of playing football on SMU turf under Dickerson’s valued leadership. 

“The most important thing about today is letting the kids have fun,” Dickerson said. “Many of them have never been on a college football field or had the opportunity to meet former players like myself, you know, us ‘old guys.’ At this age, we aren’t going to focus on having them out here tackling. It’s more about them having a good time.” 

Dickerson, an essential component of the Pony Express backfield, played at SMU 1979-1982. He was selected second overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and later earned All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. He became a member of the 2000-yard rushing club in his second NFL season. No one has since rushed for more yards in a single NFL season. Dickerson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. 

Other former SMU Football players from the Pony Express era served as coaches at the camp and were recognized at halftime of the SMU vs. Tulsa game Friday evening, Oct. 27. 

A close friend of Eric Dickerson during their three years playing together at SMU, Michael Carter, was volunteering for the second-time as a coach for the kids’ camp. He was drafted to the Los Angeles Raiders following his time at SMU and has maintained a close relationship with Dickerson ever since. 

“Eric does a lot for the community and giving back. Former teammates want to help him out in giving back and raising awareness for these kids and physical activity,” Carter said. “Lets get them off the couch and put in some work.” 

While many years have passed since sharing the conference titles and national prominence, the teammates of SMU Football’s legendary “Pony Express” still show great camaraderie. Last year, Dickerson even hosted a large group dinner for around 30 former teammates before the event. 

The 2017 Eric Dickerson Foundation All-Star Football camp was a partnership between the Eric Dickerson Foundation, SMU Dads’ Club and SMU Athletics. SMU Dads’ Club president Clint Tomlinson teamed up with Dickerson a few years ago to create this event to teach football and life skills to young athletes from the Dallas inner-city area. SMU alumni as well as different organizations in the Dallas area have the opportunity to sponsor the event in a effort to give more inner-city kids the opportunity. 

The enthusiasm was contagious from the young athletes in attendance. A group of NFL-aspiring 12-year old athletes were ecstatic to kick field goals with Dickerson. Excited shouts ranging from “He’s here and he’s famous” to “He’s my hero” could be heard from the group huddle. 

The Eric Dickerson Foundation works to develop the nation’s youth by providing positive influences through youth sports, education and leadership. The Foundation works to build community partnerships with other non-profit organizations and schools. 

“Its good to see these kids out here having a good time. That’s what today is all about,” Dickerson said.