Apa Format for Research Paper

Entertainment

ENG 121: English Composition II
Instructor:
Week 5 Final Paper
02/04/2013

Abstract
Reality shows is America’s new source of entertainment. Every day there is a variety of different shows that we tune in to, some are bad TV and some are good. Although in today’s society we seek both in one show. In our generation today, young teens and adults copy the moral and immoral acts on TV and act it out on public, not knowing that we can hurt others or people that we love and care about. Reality shows are decaying the minds of the young generation; also it does not help when we are being affected by their acts on the streets.

How Reality Television Effects Teens and Adults In the mid 1900’s reality television began. It was small time shows like, “Alan Funt’s TV series Candid Camera.” Big Brother, Survivor, America’s Funniest Home Videos, and many more, reality began a new era of showing audiences that these were entertainment and how we should seek entertainment through reality. In the early 2000’s majority of teens would watch shows from MTV, popular shows like 16 and pregnant, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore and The Real world, this was when the real world moved the format ahead by staging an environment in which, “reality” became so real. While watching the uphill battles of young and naïve people who are seeking to be famous on the show. Some children at home act the way they see and watch things on TV which makes things difficult for the parents to control. While researching on more information the Parents Television Council examines the good, the bad and the ugly of most watched programming. The questions PTC (Parents Television Council) strive to address what are the messages that are being broadcasted to young viewers through the language of reality television. Studies have shown that majority of teens who come home right after school get there reality fix through reality shows. They watch their favorite role models behave in a manner they would not behave in public and do these behaviors at home. Also some of the commercials that are shown on TV are acts of sexualized languages which is not only accepted, but encouraged by these directors who are producing the show. (Parentstv.org, 2011) As for adults we are able to see the wrong and the rights in a reality show but do not. We try to watch and understand the story of the entertainer is trying to tell us and we laugh and get the idea, but for the most we read into them and we find things very inappropriate if children are around. Some shows that are shown on TV we can relate to and some we just cannot see ourselves doing or going through what the producers are writing. Reality television is supposed to show good things, but instead shows society the wrongs or the reality of what really happens in people’s lives.

During this research there have been multiple goods and bad about reality shows. We live in a world where bullying is a common issue or cheating on your other half is trend. In the series 2009 MTV series, “Bully Beat-down” a college student stands up and calls a reality show and asks for their help. MTV hears out the situation of the young person and seeks out his plead. MTV hires a professional Mix Martial Arts fighter to interview the young man who is being bullied. He explains his situation and shows the host who is bullying him. The host goes up to him to ask about the situation and asks him if he wants to put out his frustrations on a fighter or leave the young man alone. In many situations like these the bully will never back down, so he fights for his title as a bully and spars in the rink with a professional MMA (Mix Martial Art) fighter. (Bully Beat-Down, 2009) Eventually after the spar, the bully backs down after his defeat in the ring and apologizes to the person he has been bullying for the long time. The moral of that show is that the person who is being bullied needed some help and is afraid to stand on his own. Also he wanted to teach his bully a lesson that it is not right to push anyone around or else a professional will put him in his place. Every day there is a young and older person being pushed around and it is wrong. Reality TV like this show moral lessons to young and older adults the wrong about bullying someone who did not do any harm to them. I am glad to know that in different states that there is law against bullying and someone can get arrested or sued for their aggressiveness. Also bullying today is popular in our public schools. Some parents need to address to their children that being bullied is not good and it can happen to them as well. In the 2006 reality series Cheaters, the show deals with couples who have suspected their significant other of cheating. This show shows their audience the events of what couples go through when feeling cheated and lied to by their other half. Cheaters help couples to investigate if their other half has another lover besides the ones with them. Cheaters Reality TV is almost the same as Bully Beat-Down where the victim is calling the show for help. In this situation a person who is in a relationship is calling for help to find out if their significant other is cheating on them. The Cheaters host, “Clarke Gable” and his team investigate on the caller’s situation. They interview the caller and ask questions to why they would think that their lover would cheat on them. After interviewing the caller they ask about what their other half’s daily routine is so that they can follow them around and see their activity. During this show when the accused lover is caught red handed the host comes up to the lover and says who he is and why he has cameras on his face. When he explains who he is he tells the accused lover that his/her lover now has contacted them about suspected cheating in their relationship. When confronted, the accused person is embarrassed he starts cursing and the victim comes out and starts yelling their lungs out. In reality we all go through issues like these and start lashing out on our other half and break up with them. In this series we learn valuable lessons in relationships. If we suspect or feel something is wrong we should seek out the other person and ask. It does not hurt to ask if something is wrong and if the other person denies then that person should just take a break and see where it goes, to see if the other person tells the truth.
Conclusion
My thoughts on this research are that reality TV shows show moral and immoral lessons that we need to learn. Some reality shows can be too graphic and too obscene which both these were. In my personal experience I have been through both, I was a victim of bullying and I was a victim of cheating. This research has opened a lot of issues that America has dealt with. Everyone has gone through a lot of issues in their lives and I think that is why these TV producers wanted to make out a reality show to show others that we all go through the same struggles in life and dealt with the same situations. What reality television has shown us on TV is the same as what we are all dealing with in a day to day basis. I think if we changed our ways in life and treat other people with respect we would all live in harmony, but in this world we cannot. As for teenagers some parents should control what their children can or cannot watch. Every day after work I watch my niece go online on to Youtube.com and see what kind of videos she watch’s because no one ever knows what young children might encounter when typing down a specific word, because there can be really graphic links on the website that can just pop up on the search bar. Also when I watch a TV show at home I have to make sure that it is appropriate for my nieces to watch with me. On certain channels I can be really intrigued by shows that catch my attention. The only thing I am not up for watching is sexual scenes where children are around me and I would not want them to copy what they see is okay to see. I believe every adult has their points of watching something appropriate to their standards, but as a concerned audience I believe in self-control of watching graphic material and certain reality shows. After researching the information that I have found I feel I have to think twice about my actions when turning on the TV. I do not want my family members to think that I allow myself to watch certain shows that can offend them or show that I am a bad example for allowing the show to continue to play on the screen. I think the researchers are right some reality shows have a message to people to harm them or to save them, but in majority the shows that have been said on this paper seems to harm many people. I just wish there were better shows to relate to the real thing. If there were more shows like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Ellen DeGeneres and etc. I think there would be better topics and scenarios we can all relate to. I think we can watch entertainment through talk shows and see what is good and bad that we deal today. If more producers think wiser of what to show on TV maybe many families can actually sit down and watch a show together. As an American we grew to become a diverse country and watching reality television shows us the diversity of what our society can be, because coming from a different background and living the American dream helps us understand the strives and struggles of many different nationality living here today. I think we can all learn from each other if producers can think of another way to pursue watching reality TV. Learning something different is not bad which can be good thing. If a show has a message to their audience they should show it in a write way versus in a negative and un-tasteful way. We are the now seekers not the ugly seekers. Our society strives in new ways to see things differently, but what reality has shown it has really showed the ugly side of what we do not want to see. I think shows can make money if it involves family being together. I do not see many people I know actually watch a show together without saying something and fighting over the remote. I think the producers can do so much better if they find better ways show their audience a great time. I love watching a show that has a story line and makes you wonder what else can they do entertain their audience, but also safely and entertaining. Without television I think people would interact more in person versus on what they see on TV. I think everyone can learn something good if it was put out on TV better. I think we can all enjoy a good story, an experience, an event that occurred if put well out on television. The producers really need to think harder on what is good and appropriate for all audiences. I think we all deserve a great show and something we can all relate to in our everyday lives.

References
PTC Study Exposes. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.parentstv.org/news/releases
Bully Beat-Down. (2009). Retrieved from www.mtvla.com: http://www.mtvla.com/tv/bully-beatdown/
Cheaters. (2006). Retrieved from www.cheaters.com: http://www.cheaters.com/

References: PTC Study Exposes. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.parentstv.org/news/releases Bully Beat-Down. (2009). Retrieved from www.mtvla.com: http://www.mtvla.com/tv/bully-beatdown/ Cheaters. (2006). Retrieved from www.cheaters.com: http://www.cheaters.com/