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Popularity of Reality Shows

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Popularity of Reality Shows
Switch on your television set at any time of the day, you are almost sure to find a reality show on some channel or the other. Chances are that you have watched at least one of these shows and have taken a fancy to following the minutiae of the contestants’ lives as they unfold on the small screen right in front of your eyes. What is it about these shows in which they take ordinary people like you and me, put them on TV, and expose every aspect of their lives? How is it, that by simply exposing a person’s life, producers of such shows are earning millions of dollars? In every show there is only one winner and the rest of the contestants go home usually empty handed, yet every time a new reality is being produced, people enthusiastically participate in it. Why do viewers find these shows so entertaining? What is it that keeps people hooked to watch a new episode week after week? My personal opinion is that Reality TV is so popular because of the curious audience interested in other people’s lives, and the huge margin of profit that these shows make.

Fame and fortune are very enticing elements. These elements can lure everyday people out of their humdrum lives with offers of money as well as adoration by millions of television viewers. Ordinary people from small towns participate and compete against contestants from across the country in reality shows like ‘American Idol’ where there are huge platforms to showcase their talents. “Star Academy” is another example of such reality shows that can change ordinary people to celebrities and help them earn fame. People are, and always will be, obsessed with fame and fortune. These reality show contestants have their mini-celebrity status for the duration of the show and for a short while after. Not only do reality shows tempt people with fame and fortune, but they also attract their...

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Submitted by: Sally000 on April 29, 2011 Category: English Length: 730 words Views: 598

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