TV and Why It's Weird

Watching TV in the US and Korea is very different from watching in Thailand.

In Thailand, life seems so disconnected from TV life. In America/Korea I feel like what's being depicted on TV is vaguely similar to real life. The homes people are in, the places they visit, etc. I can imagine where those homes are near me, maybe it's even similar to mine.

But in Thailand, the world on the TV seems like a magical place completely unlike where I am. Everyone is dressed up, in nice houses or businesses, etc. Maybe closer to Bangkok or more developed areas, that's what people do live like. But where I am, it's definitely not.

I'm curious if very poor areas in the U.S. experience something similar. I find myself constantly asking "Do people really live like that?" here. And not in the "Look at all the beautiful white people doing amazing things and speaking so intelligently" way.

Hm.