In Cynthia Frisby’s "Getting Real with Reality TV" she claims that many people revolve their lives around reality TV. I agree with Frisby because of her idea that viewers are using social comparison to find gratification within their own lives. Frisby also explains how reality TV is a big part of how people live and it’s getting harder and harder to get away from it. I agree with Frisby because she states “Data shows that, of all the responses made concerning reality programming, most expressed some type of comparison between themselves and the reality show’s stars.” The American audience uses upward and downward comparison to find self-worth and motivation within themselves. The audience is able to create a deeper connection with the “reality”
Lastly, reality TV shows allow competitors, and the viewers realize this, to break out of their mundane lives for a brief stay in the spotlight before returning to their relative anonymity. In conclusion, the idea that these contestants are normal people, who continue living their lives after the show ends, gives viewers the belief and hope that they too have the chance to become something new. While reality TV is not real, the characters and the hope for change they create are real. Heidecker focuses on the story behind the characters on reality TV, but her reasoning behind the contestants’ lives after the show ends is flawed, which, in turn, makes her strongest point be unsound. As Heidecker states, “They [the contestants] are folks who (probably) want another life--who are taking a momentary swing at something beyond their everyday lives” (144-145).
The selection called “Reality TV: Surprising throwback into the past?” written by Patricia Cohen suggests love and marriage through TV is shallow. Reality TV is mixing relationships with money and that is immoral. Women, like in this article, expect and trust the viewers to choose her true match through a series of bachelors. Ladies feel that if they don’t get married by late 20s, they are to be single for the rest of their lives. They consider going on a TV show because they feel like they have nothing to lose. In the process they might gain lots of money and a true love. When they take this crude way, they don’t realize the risks of divorce. The girls don’t see that this does not guarantee a real marriage.
In the midst of this generation, reality television has become very popular, it has begun to promote stereotypes. TV critics feel that reality television has been developed to entertain or cheer people up. Some reality shows can be good for individuals who like them, while some of them can be bad, depending on the show. As for opinion, television is the greatest invention that has been made because it helps people learn lessons about life, by educating and to experience new things. It helps to encourage people and can lead them to make important decisions about their futures.
Although I agree, I would add that beyond the perceived realism – and therefore relatability – of reality television stars, reality television is gripping because it puts the relatable characters in situations that bring out their amoral qualities. In doing so, the viewer feels morally elevated by getting the sense that, “at least I’m not as bad as these people.” Becoming aware of this “holier than thou” complex that reality television sets up between viewer and character is a form of media awareness. Being aware of this complex, beyond ruining reality television for the viewer, helps to overcome the influence on your morals that television producers are trying to
Throughout this analysis, is a discussion of the real ethics of reality TV and how the current gender, media and popular culture depict a fusion between reality and reality on TV. The writing is based upon the "Real Appeal: The Ethics of Reality TV", Catehrine Lumby and Elspeth Probyn. The idea that anyone can become famous is not fairly evident upon most TV viewers; however it is clear that TV makes the viewer believe that what they are viewing is true and it is for this reason that it becomes reality TV. TV exposes the public to a rather promiscuous vision of reality and this tends to be the apex of reality TV. Quite clearly, as Lumby states, Reality television, as its name suggests, is a genre which attempts to trade off its
The reality TV fad that is not going anywhere anytime soon, no matter how much some of us wish it had never started. As seen through the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives, reality TV has become an integral part of society.
Reality television has become increasingly more popular and appears to be taking over the entertainment business. Psychologist Lawrence Rubin seems to think it all goes back to Aristotle, “The notion of being drawn to drama and tragedy”(Kinon, 2009). The viewer receives a false sense of “real life” and disconnects from their own “real life” by diving into someone else's. The effects these television shows have on society as a whole can be positive or negative depending on the message the show depicts. Shows such as “Jersey Shore”, “16 and Pregnant”, and “Dr. 90210” are a huge success to MTV but could be considered detrimental to society by painting distorted pictures of reality in the viewer’s mind. Shows including
Reality TV is one of the most dominate TV genres of the twenty-first century. Audiences become enveloped in the intertwining and interesting stories of life, but is reality TV really depicting real life situations? In the case of “Big Brother” and “The Real Housewives of NJ” these reality TV shows do not truly depict reality.
From here on, Frisby insists that Reality TV gives people inspiration and the chance to experience positions in which dream of being in. She continues to state that comparison is not avoidable, viewers are loyal to Reality TV. She adds that surveys were done to determine the comparison of the effect on people from Reality TV. The data identifies the gratification of the media, so that they could get a broad idea of the viewings of the programming. Then viewers’ thoughts had to be analyzed to see what kind of comparison the participants had during the shows. Lastly the researched showed that no matter the gender there was not much of a difference in the response gotten from the participants regular and non-viewers experience a notable mood
Reality television is the newest trend that seems to he invading televisions and homes all across the world, but what is it with these shows that are causing people to become obsessed with them? One of the greatest appeals is the low budget production of these shows. You take a group of different strangers, drop them off in the middle of nowhere with no supplies except a few meager items and then let them fend for themselves on national television. There are no sets to attend everyday, no props, and no lines to remember, just unscripted, unedited characters that are supposedly everyday people. Then there is that incentive of a cash prize that is offered, a phenomenon often called “lottery mentality.” Even in this alleged age of economic prosperity, most people no matter how hard they work will never make it rich. These shows produce the illusion of “quick strike” wealth, which makes ordinary people think that it could be them someday striking it rich. The biggest reason though that these shows are so popular is the good old-fashioned competition and conflict. Before shows like “Survivor” and “Big Brother” came about, talk shows such as “Jerry Springer” and “Rikki Lake” were the only shows to provide conflict between people, hut no one would ever know if these were staged or actually real people. With reality shows these days, we know that these are real people
"Fist-pumping beachgoers. Singers competing for millions. Survivors outwitting, outlasting and outplaying. Turn on the television and chances are you’ll see all of these things. Whether you’re watching MTV, OWN or a main broadcast network, nearly every channel is home to reality television," USA Today reports. In the early 2000's, Reality TV began to come into play. It has become one of the most popular genres on television today. Although, for more than a decade, Reality TV has increased in popularity among Americans, the relative effects it has on
An excessive amount of reality TV equals an extreme form of “Trash” television. Reality TV claims to present the “real” human interactions but they are really just being crazy and making fools out of themselves. When people sign up for a reality show, they know that this is not what they do every day. Viewers like you and I, are constantly glued to the TV, when a reality show comes on, why is this? Because it provides a representation of what “real life” is like. We live in a very complicated world and reality TV is garbage and we still continue to watch it
Reality TV is known as exciting entertainment because the audience never knew what will happen next as it is with no strings attached and even have the freedom of speech. Despite the entertainment it can bring, the content of reality shows are actually degrading the society. Our pop culture and civilization have been affected by the reality programs in a bad way. Indeed, reality TV is promoting bad social value to the
Lastly, reality television programs are detrimental to society because they humiliate many of the characters. This is detrimental to the characters because of obvious reasons such as suicide. The effects of this on society are even greater. Many people watch shows such as American Idol because they find it humorous when some of the characters have awful singing abilities, and therefore humiliate themselves. In my opinion, this makes many viewers bullies inside. If an individual watches the misfortune of others to make them feel better about themself, they are a bully. Therefore, reality television indirectly causes people to be bullies. Studies show that if a person has negative thoughts as a result of watching people humiliated on television; they may begin to
“ Reality TV is sleazy, it is manipulative. It is as momentary as anything in popular culture,” according to Morley Safer. Reality TV makes us think that we need luxurious materials to be happy. It also makes us, as a society, behave in a bad manner because that is what we see on tv. (“Is Reality TV making You stupid?”) Believe it or not what we see on tv is not always true, it is sometimes fake ( "Reality TV's Growing Pains: It Can't Be ChildProofed.").