I am of the generation that grew up watching MTV, where the programming was completely different from today, and I remember one day seeing a man dressed in black, arguing with his children, where he babbled and almost nothing could be understood, but when you finished watching the episode you became fond of all the protagonists, especially Ozzy for the contrast of a dark being to an affectionate and clueless father.
So the death of Ozzy Osbourne this Tuesday, who was the leader of Black Sabbath and emblem of heavy metal - in addition to his musical impact - his figure left an indelible cultural mark in an unexpected territory for that time: television.
In 2002, The Osbournes burst onto MTV's screen and transformed the concept of reality TV forever. Throughout its four seasons, the program turned the daily life of a family of rockstars into a global phenomenon, marking a before and after in the relationship between celebrities and the public.
The Osbournes was an unusual proposal for its time, since instead of following young aspirants to fame or showing rehearsed conflicts, the series opened the doors of Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly's home, showing their day-to-day life with a record as chaotic as genuine. The difference between the living rock legend - a wild, diabolical and dark rock star - and his role as a family man, generated instant fascination, so what began as a television oddity became a milestone that changed the rules of the entertainment game forever.
The cultural impact of the show was immediate, as audiences found the Osbournes an eccentric, yet surprisingly lovable family. Whether it was the absurd arguments, the dogs that peed all over the house, sibling fights - typical of adolescence - and Sharon's unconditional love, they were part of a family portrait that was as authentic as it was unusual. At the same time, the show demystified the figure of the "Prince of Darkness", showing Ozzy as a vulnerable man, confused by technology and tired of noise, but also loving and endearing.
In television terms, The Osbournes paved the way for a whole generation of celebrity-centric reality shows: from"The Simple Life" to"The Anna Nicole Show" to "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" . The format stopped focusing only on competitions or romances and became a window into the intimacy of celebrities, erasing part of the distance between idols and viewers, feeding a new form of cultural consumption that was more voyeuristic and closer to the viewer.
However, the success came at a cost, as Ozzy confessed years later that much of the program was filmed under the effects of drugs and that he remembered very little of those years. On the other hand, the constant exposure also affected his children, Jack and Kelly, who faced addictions and media pressures, although despite this, the family managed to maintain an image of unity that became their hallmark, even off-camera.
With the news of Ozzy's death, The Osbournes is re-signified as a cultural document, not only because it showed another facet of a rock legend, but also because it captured the spirit of an era in which television was beginning to mutate, it was an improbable mix between the noise of metal and domestic routine, an unfiltered look that, although often bordering on the absurd, left a deep mark on pop culture.
With his departure, Ozzy leaves not only an immense musical legacy, but also a silent revolution in the way audiences relate to their idols. The Osbournes was, in many ways, the reality show that taught us that behind every star, no matter how obscure or loud their legend, there is also a family fighting for the remote control.
On the youtube platform , you can find all four seasons of the series, although they are not subtitled in Spanish.
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