In this article written by Mike Marin, he talks about the level of "entertainment" Reality TV really is. he goes on and talks about saying why do we need to see these peoples lives, why do we care? Why is it entertaining to watch people get humiliated or embarrassed? He also points out that even in competition shows, contestants are encouraged to lie, cheat and do anything necessary to win. I agree with the author is this article because reality TV nowadays is no longer entertainment, its more of an excuse for people to have 15 minutes of fame, so they do anything that will catch peoples attentions even if its ridiculous or stupid. I do like some reality TV shows though, their not all bad, such as Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel or the Ultimate Fighter on Fox Sports 1.
The majority of reality TV shows today are just lame excuses for people to be on TV, one big one comes to mind, Here Come Honey Boo Boo. Do people really care what this hillbilly family does in day? They may say they do but in hindsight they really don't because it wouldn't ruin their day if they hadn't watched the show. But most shows now take the reality out of reality TV, most of them are scripted and have directors tell them what to do. The term reality TV show has been corrupted with fake shows and pointless ones about the most ridiculous people. Most of these shows today make a pretty good case for Mark Marin's argument about how Reality Tv is us at our worse.
It may seem like I 100% agree with what was written in this article but thats not true. Their are still good reality shows out their that capture America's attention in a good way. Such as American Idol, The Voice or America's Got Talent. These shows bring the unknown people out of the darkness and into the limelight and give them a chance at something they would probably never get. Or one of my favorites, Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition, this one not only brings awareness to Obesity but tries to help individuals out that could not do it all alone.
Reality TV is a complicated and ruthless category of television, it could either crash and burn or be a huge success. Not every show will the greatness ever and most won't even be liked by all, but they are a very important part of television today. No matter how bad or insane the shows maybe that come out, people will always watch because reality TV has a interest that no other category can have because it has the feeling of being real. people like to see real people to real stupid things and like to laugh at them or cheer for them like in a competition show. Yes I agree that Mark Marin was right in this article in that Reality TV is nothing more but us at our worst but that still doesn't mean people won't continue to watch them.
I agree. Reality tv is no longer reality anymore, it's pretty pathetic really. Also, I agree that Honey boo bo is ridiculous, they literally will make a show about anything. There's a new show that's been previewed lately, I don't exactly recall the name but it's something like Hollywood Hillbillies or something. WHO CARES about that!? Really?? It is making us our worst and it is all scripted and pointless, if you ask me, it's making our IQ's drop even lower than they already seem to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. "Reality" television is not what it used to be. In most cases, it is heavily manipulated in order to get the outcome that will produce a lot of money. In response to the author of this blog, I don't think that shows like American Idol or even America's Got Talent are very good examples of what real reality television is. In both of those shows, people lie to get their way on the show and the producers still manipulate the outcome. However, shows like Deadliest Catch are still, in my opinion, true reality television. The waves and danger of the ocean cannot be manipulated by the producers which in turn, creates reality television. In response to t.v. shows like Honey Boo Boo, I think that American's watch it because its interesting. We see a side of humanity that most of us don't see on a day to day basis, even if is it manipulated or even scripted. Although we won't die if we don't get our Honey Boo Boo fix, I think that a lot of their viewers see it as a 30 minute escape from their hectic, somewhat boring days.
DeleteI agree with Destiny reality TV is nothing like it used to be. Half of the shows are definitely scripted which how is that even reality TV. The other half are dumb shows like Destiny said "honey boo boo" I don't see any point in watching a show like that. Same with that old show john and kate plus 8. That show ruined that family just like it ruins many families and couples for example Jessica Simpson and her ex husband. Reality TV is starting to get more and more dumb as time goes on
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-green/reality-tv-rewarding-bad-_b_3606641.html
ReplyDeleteThis article is talks about how reality television shows are practically being rewarded for doing things that would be frowned upon if they weren't being done in a show. Shows like jersey shore are a perfect example of this, if everyday of your life you decided to get in fights, get drunk, and act like a moron you would be labeled as a loser in a normal society. Tv shows that promote these kind of things are just sending out the wrong message to its viewers, these tv shows are just giving people the state of mind that its ok to go out and do whatever you want even if its not acceptable in your society.
Jersey Shore is most definitely a show that has no true meaning behind it and I agree with you when you say that these shows (Jersey Shore specifically) are sending their audiences the wrong message. Reality television can be very manipulative towards their audiences and encourage the viewers to act just as the cast on the show does. I can say that from the unfortunate personal experience of several girls from my high school attempting to act like Snooki & JWoww that the influence these shows have on their audience is very strong. But not all reality television shows send out the wrong message. There are still shows that don't encourage bad behavior, such as all the various baking and cooking shows (like Cake Boss). These shows are considered harmless to me as they don't display any wild drunken people fighting each other, but people baking and decorating cakes instead. Not all reality television shows send out the wrong message, but more people watch the shows like Jersey Shore that do.
DeleteI completely agree. Why are we watching something that goes against all of our morals. Its almost discriminating to see that producers think this is the type of show that we can relate to. Yess it is true that most people get drunk, fight, etc but why are we encouraging and laughing at this nonsense. And its obviously focused towards young adults which tries to encourage them to act the same way. They are promoting bad behavior to not only young adults but minors too. But, I don’t necessarily think that it gives people the ok to go out and act the same way. Like we said before its reality TV and everyone knows that its probably altered in some way. Normal people don’t act this way on a daily basis and I don’t think this TV show alters anyones point of view on the way they should/should not act.
DeleteWHY ARE WE WATCHING THIS? Great question. Maybe the most important questions. There is almost as much disgust with this show as there is support. So why would it ever get notoriety?
Deletehttp://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-you-can-get-cast-on-any-reality-show-2012-8
ReplyDeleteReality tv has a specific thing they're looking for when they cast. Which in-turn, creates the results that you seen when the show plays out. They cast a specific criteria of personalities and life backgrounds that make for a hostile environment and ultimately great television. These type of people being cast provide a negative influence on all viewers, especially the younger generation of viewers. As long as we allow reality television to still be a staple in our society these type of people and influences won't be going away.
I totally agree with your point of view. Reality TV definitely type-casts people what they think their views can “relate” to or who they think their viewers would like. I think it’s pretty pathetic that just because someone has a disgusting personality on TV, people are still intoxicated by them and continue to watch their shows. I agree with your point of the cast being negative influences. While Snooki from the Jersey Shore has toned her personality down and become a mom, when you look back at her in the “good ole days”, she was setting a pretty bad example for kids of all ages. However, I don’t think that it’s her fault if a young child thinks that what they see on TV is okay. I think it’s up to the parents of children to decide what they want their kids to believe is real. I watched shows my parents didn’t want me to, but I knew what was okay for me and what wasn’t. I established my own morals and watching a reality TV show wasn’t going to change my point of view.
Deletehttp://edmondlifeandleisure.com/tv-reality-shows-setting-a-bad-example-p6688-96.htm
ReplyDeleteI agree that most reality t.v. shows can be completely ridiculous. Most of them seem to be manipulated to create drama to catch the audiences attention. People enjoy watching other people humiliate themselves because we find it entertaining. Whether it be arguing or fighting, we enjoy it. The best way to describe it is that it is us at our worst just like the article states. One show that I think had the most influence on our population was definitely Jersey Shore. It displayed young men and women going out and partying all the time. I mean who doesn't love partying? Many people enjoyed watching this show especially the younger population. Jersey Shore was entertaining because it only exhibited inappropriate behavior. Partying, drinking, sex and so on. Most of the shows we see today try to relate to Jersey Shore. If all reality shows were like this than what message would be sent to young children. They would start to b believe that this behavior is more appropriate than the way our parents teach us how to act. Reality t.v. can be a bad influence on people but it doesn't stop us from watching it.
I agree and I think reality TV is absolutely pointless and probably lowers the IQ of people that watch it. The people on these shows are encouraged and applauded for making themselves look like complete fools. If these cast members did half of the stuff they do on the shows, in real life, people would label them lowlife hoodlums or just complete ignorant savages. But because it is Hollywood, they are put on a pedestal for all of the wrong reasons. These shows set a bad example, especially for the younger generation. These reality shows, make it seem like if you act like an animal, you can become rich and famous. This is very misleading and incorrect. There needs to be more reality TV shows like Extreme Makeover, because staged or not, a lot of good comes out of the show.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. People on TV act like idiots just because it is making them a lot of money. People rarely act like that in real life, and the ones who do are looked down upon. They should not be paying people a ton of money just to set bad examples for younger kids. Kids watch people on TV and want to be just like them. I am guilty of watching some reality TV shows but I prefers shows such as The Biggest Loser or American Idol. Even though they may have issues of their own, they at least are giving off a positive message.
DeleteThe current American media audience seems to be rather air-headed. As long as they are entertained in some way or another, they seem to be willing to watch anything, for immediate comedic or other satisfaction. It is true that there are several decent reality shows that actually carry merit in valid and legitimate entertainment, but they seem to be flooded out by the torrent of terrible, scripted, fake shows. Additionally, these “fake” shows are regarded highly by the general audience, which does not help in terms of shedding light on the shows that are actually good in the first place. However, this is a situation that is rather hard to change, seeing that one cannot control the entire American audience. We simple have to cope with the narrow-sightedness of a large percentage of our people, and stick with our own interests and indulgences. Again, this is a rather dark take on the situation but it seems true in the circumstance of such a large percentage of viewers with narrow interests.
ReplyDeleteAlthough reality TV is not all that it used to be, I myself love to hate on shows like Jersey Shore or Real World, but i constantly catch myself watching them when looking for something to watch on TV when nothing else is on and soon enough I can't figure out why but I'm caught watching it for hours. Even as crappy as its become Reality TV will always be on and there will be people (including myself) waiting to watch it.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Brianna! I won't change the channel and I end up watching with my mouth open in glee. Why?
Delete