Еssay Is reality TV really real?

Reality TV secrets are not a mystery any more. This “real world” is not virtually real.

Modern television programs are diverse and can satisfy even sophisticated tastes, but there are certain preconditions why reality TV dominates and occupies a lot of spare time of a contemporary viewer. Paul Morris emphasized that this reality shows make us think over: “What are the potential effects this kind of shows has on audiences? What problems have there been surrounding Reality TV? Why are these shows so popular?” Reality television is severely criticized by experts, who are sure that “reality” is not just the right, suitable name for such a show. Actually, participants of the shows should not be guided and there behavior is not to be “staged by producers”. A statement of Survivor show-maker is not a revelation but for most of the people it is a common truth. “I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama”. Some participants of reality programs later tell about how they were persuaded to act in the way needed for the show. For example, I. McGee tells public about her experience in The Real World Seattle and the “tricks” used while making it.

It is clear that by definition reality TV should show viewers real people in true life conditions, no matter if they try to survive on a remote island, in poor living conditions or in luxury, if all participants are strangers and have to co-exist for a definite period of time and even to express feelings, fall in love, hate, support and sympathize, etc. But Amber Wearstler in his article points out: “People appearing on Reality TV shows are willing to do many things that most people would never realistically consider doing under normal circumstances. They are willing to eat strange and horrible things ”¦ that could be life threatening, and putting themselves through stress”¦” The characters exaggerate their emotions and fan conflicts.

There are numerous articles concerning the idea if reality TV delusion, which proves it is not quite a reality but a successful substitution, letting viewers see what they are eager to. Lesli Harris and Verge Staff in their article Whose Reality is it Anyway criticize this “real world” and give their arguments, they claim: “The participants of these reality TV shows are fully aware that their actions are being video taped and will be viewed and judged by a jury of millions.

They may not be actors in the traditional meaning of the word, but no matter how hard you may try, it is virtually impossible to be yourself in front of a camera”. They consider such shows as “Real World” and its CBS’s version “Survivor” which are very popular among viewers of all ages. That is why all this real TV production is sometimes called an oxymoron, a kind of a paradox. There were interrogations which touched upon the “reality” of real TV held in Internet and most of the viewers agreed that reality is portrayed vividly in documentary films and historical novels, but exactly not in reality shows.

But still in spite of all the critical judgments, people willingly watch them, as they turn on television to run away from reality, from daily problems and relax from a working-day. By the way, television is a powerful instrument that obviously consciously or sub-consciously affects our mind. Actually, there is something exciting and tempting in reality shows otherwise they would never have existed so long and been so popular, having such high ratings. There are dozens of them, such as Real Rules,TemptationIsland, Joe Millionaire, Hell’s Kitchen, Big Brother, etc. On the one hand, these shows may give wrong patterns of behavior which youth considers worthy, some scenes may offend, incite people, cause racism and discomfort among ladies who watch the shows, as they think, they are not that beautiful and smart. This year there appeared an article by S. Brink who writes that reality TV can “promote plastic surgery”. On the other hand, people are involved in human stories, follow the conduct of show participants and make conclusions of how they should or should not behave, gain some experience in personal relationship, in other words these reality programs may be instructive and as an American producer of numerous television shows,  R. J. Cutler said in his interview: “What people are really responding to on these shows is people pursuing their dreams”. Like most people are curious about what happens there, behind the keyhole, they watch reality shows with pleasure.

So, reality shows entertain and give us points for discussion, and if so then they are rather exciting and special.

Though they preoccupy a lot of time and no matter what theme the real show has the only goal is to make people watch it daily or weekly and get involved in it. It is not easy to say if it is good to entertain oneself, watching other people’s conflicts and quarrels.



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