Characterization

I think the confessionals are popular with reality television shows because it lets the person express themsleves without the influence that comes along with being around other people all the time. It also helps us understand why they are acting the way they are, and lets us "get to know them" on a personal level instead of just grouping them in with the entire cast of the show; it creates more substantial individuality. One of the main shows that comes to my mind when I think of confessionals is "America's Next Top Model." I think the reason that we come to care about specific characters in such a short amount of time is because each episode tends to focus on a different person/people from the last episode, therefore making the audience want to replace the person they cared about in the last episode. The producers also have edit the confessionals to include the most substantial parts of their personality that includes lots of ethos, and usually juicy drama :)