Reality Television

The History and Impact of Reality Television

There are times when people wish that they could live the life of someone else. They may choose to do so out of stress, anger, sadness, or from being bored of their lives. In order to flee from their busy lives, they turn toward reality television. However, reality television can be seen in a positive or negative light. Reality television has become a bad influence upon its viewers, an escape from the challenges and difficulties of real life, and a means of privacy invasion. There is much controversy surrounding when reality television first began. Many believe that the genre was first created in 1948 with the television series Candid Camera. According to Charles Slocum, Alan Funt, the creator of Candid Camera, also aired a radio show called Candid Microphone a year earlier in 1947. The show, whose last original broadcast was in May of 2004, involved hidden cameras that caught people in unusual situations, such as drawers that opened themselves. After the prank, the fooled victims would be told the show’s popular catchphrase, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera.” However, to some people, reality programming began with the radio show Nightwatch. This show followed the real-life tasks of police officer, Sergeant Ron Perkins, live on his job, according to “Happy Birthday to Nightwatch.” These shows served as the foundations for the genre of reality television. Pollack 2 There are also other opinions as to where the beginning of reality television really lies. Despite the debate on the beginnings of reality television, it is undeniable that the first hit series was the 1973 show that aired on PBS, An American Family. According to Alice Langholt, the show that gained over ten million viewers featured the daily lives of the Loud family while struggling through a divorce and coping with their homosexual son. According to “History of Reality TV,” the type of reality television that is known today began with MTV’s The Real World in 1992, when it was not even known as reality television. The show took seven people from different backgrounds and placed them in one house to live together. The producers hid cameras to observe their lives. At that time, those kinds of shows were deemed as documentaries, but sociologist Margaret Mead noted that the type of programming no longer fit the documentary genre, and so from then until now it has been known as reality television. According to “The History of Reality TV Shows,” the show that is credited with being the first unscripted reality show is Cops. Like Nightwatch, the show follows police officers in different cities in their squad cars catching criminals in the act. The website also believes that the next big hit after The Real World is the show Survivor, in which a group of people are brought to an island to experience survival situations like avoiding starvation. The show was a huge hit with many viewers and opened the door for elimination-based reality programming. Nowadays, there are many shows that are both unscripted and elimination-based. Over the years, reality television has changed in great ways. “Now, of course, you can’t turn on the TV without seeing some kind of reality show” (“The History of Reality
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TV Shows”). This quote is very true. One way that it has changed is that reality television is everywhere. “History of Reality TV” says that it has exploded into a range of shows that flood almost every channel, as opposed to a few popular shows here and there. Even educational channels like Discovery have aired reality shows like The Deadliest Catch and Monster Garage. There is a wide diversity of reality television shows, ranging from elimination shows to modeling shows to scripted shows to dangerous shows to comedy shows to talent shows. There are many reality shows aired throughout the day, and so very it is unlikely not to come across one. Besides the influx of reality shows, there are other ways that reality television has changed since it began. For one, it is much more intense than it used to be. Another way reality tv has changed is that it is much more graphic now…it has become seven people who are acting as they think they should based on the past sixteen seasons. Sex has become rampant since the Las Vegas season and roommate hookups…is now common place. (History of Reality TV)
It is true: reality television has become more graphic. It is not uncommon to flip through television channels and find an inappropriate or explicit scene. Another way that reality television has changed through its development is that there are many shows that are scripted and fake. As opposed to real-life situations of regular people, paid actors are given scripts and the lines that they say come from the producers, and not from their own minds. The impacts of reality television can be both positive and negative. Reality television can be a bad influence because of its foul language, violence, nudity, and
Pollack 4 inappropriate scenes. Peter Christenson and Maria Ivancin say that it promotes the elevation of money, casual sex, alcohol abuse, and fame. These ideas influence viewers to think of such ideas as important above other important values, such as grades, friends, family, and living life to the fullest. It seems that some parents will do anything needed to obtain fame, even at the risk of their own children’s lives, according to Kate Ward. In 2009, a family reported that their six-year-old son, Falcon, was trapped in a homemade weather balloon that had taken flight. After investigation, the little boy was found hiding in a box in the family’s attic. Apparently, the father, Richard Heene, was seeking fame and attention, and so he created this hoax. It is a wonder that one can find positive aspects of reality television if he or she sees that it puts children at risk. Other negative aspects of reality television can be seen in shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Jersey Shore. In Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the viewer is invited into the lives of the Kardashian family, who are rich and famous for almost no reason. They have not contributed much to society, and they seem to many people to just create drama. On August 20t,, 2011, Kim Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries. The seemingly perfect version of America’s royal couple lasted a mere seventy-five days before settling on a divorce. Many people think that it was simply a stunt to gain attention and money, for pictures from the wedding were sold for a fortune. Likewise, the show Jersey Shore might be considered one of the most negative influences in recent reality television. According to The show is similar to The Real World because it includes eight people living under the same roof during their summer at the Jersey Shore in New Jersey. Although the show has record ratings – it is MTV’s most
Pollack 5 viewed network show in history - it is probably not the best since the show promotes alcohol, sex, and stereotypes. The show will be going into its fifth season despite controversy over its use of the words “Guido” and “Guidette,” which are stereotypical words describing Italian-Americans. At points the show seems to be unscripted, but at others it seems to be completely fake. Shows that are fake are not exactly “reality” television, and shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Jersey Shore send bad messages to viewers. Other shows that promote bad behavior, such as Jackass, Fear Factor, and Survivor, are dangerous and relay bad messages to their viewers. They depict people in dangerous situations and reward risk-taking behavior. There have been incidents where teenagers allegedly tried to copy stunts from the show Jackass and have gotten hurt. Some viewers may not properly judge the risks involved and try to copy the actions they see in reality shows. The issue of body image is also badly promoted in reality television. In shows like America’s Next Top Model and The Bachelorette, viewers see competition between people with flawless skin, shiny hair, fancy clothes, and beautiful faces. Shows like these enhance the need to be pretty, thin, and physically attractive. Suggesting that being attractive is extremely important to succeed in life contributes to eating disorders among young girls, according to “The ‘Reality’ of Health,” and it is not a message that most parents would want to convey to their children. However, it is fair to say that reality television does incorporate some positive messages as well. The realm of reality television is not only confined to shows with bad
Pollack 6 impacts. In fact, there are many reality shows that give light to important things like health, charity, and decency: It has the potential to provide inspiration for lifestyle changes such as weight loss or smoking cessation. Reality TV also gives a voice to normal, everyday people rather than stars; provides exposure to a broad range of human experiences not available in other programs; and may also provide viewers a sense of personal validation, an awareness that there are ‘people out there like me with the same kinds of problems I have.’ (Peter Christenson and Maria Ivancin 4)
Indeed, reality television does promote such drastic changes as listed above, whether intentionally or not. Shows such as The Biggest Loser and Weighing In show viewers how eating too much can be seriously detrimental, and they encourage weight loss and health. In these shows, contestants are given the chance to turn their lives around and lose weight, while the viewers see the importance of exercising and staying healthy. Besides for weight loss shows, there are other positive reality television series as well. The show Extreme Makeover shows the value of caring for one another and giving to the less fortunate. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has as much or more heart as Truth or Consequences’ military reunions did decades earlier” (Slocum). The show is about a group of home redecorators that drive around the country to different families with unfortunate situations. They may take their viewers to the home of a poor family, a child with a rare disease, or to the house of tornado victims. Whatever the case, the family is sent on a vacation while the team rebuilds a dream home for them. It is amazing

Pollack 7 what can be done in the course of a week. The show highlights the concept that it pays to give to people that are less fortunate. Another positive idea about reality television is that it can help take away from people’s stress. Reality television helps people escape from their own un-filmed lives. It is useful if one wants to sit down and relax for a bit. Every once in a while, it is great to just grab a seat on a comfy couch, make a bowl of popcorn, drink some seltzer, and loosen up. When stress gets to people, it is not uncommon for them to turn to the television screen to find something scandalous and intense in one of their favorite shows. According to Dan Snierson and Josh Wolk, people watch these programs to see something embarrassing in order to feel better about themselves. “Imagine your worst humiliation…happening three inches in front of your face. Now imagine it on national TV. Enjoy that fetal position!” (Dan Snierson and Josh Wolk). While watching the lives of other people, viewers may possibly wish to be them, and so they would be instantly drawn in to the genre’s charm. On the flip, side they may be thinking, “Who cares if he just lost his entire family? I still have mine!” and viola, they are satisfied with their lives. Yes, it is unfortunate, but that is how reality television works. Unusual and unfortunate situations also help people distract themselves from their own lives. Shows that bring their viewers to the point where they need to continue watching in order to see the result can also be very distracting: More recently, controversial reality TV shows hit the airwaves. Shows such as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Wife Swap, Flavor of Love, John & Kate Plus Eight and Super Nanny put real people into unreal situations…or showcased real
Pollack 8 families with extreme situations, such as eight kids and an impending divorce. These shows get people talking and keep viewers engaged because the drama, emotion, and extreme situations draw them in. (Alice Langholt)
Like movie plots, the more intense the situation, the better. Viewers tend to be more interested in love, divorce, and tragedy as long as it is not in their own lives. No one wants to accept that they enjoy seeing other people being humiliated, but in most cases it is true. If a person is going through a hard and stressful time, is tired, or is bored of his or her daily routine, there is no reason for he or she not to enjoy reality television. It is something for him or her to do that does not involve work or thinking, so he or she automatically becomes enticed in whatever shows will take him or her to an ultimate relaxation zone. Grab the champagne! In addition to dangerous situations, people also like to watch shows involving competition, such as American Idol and The X Factor, because they get to feel the superiority of watching someone else being voted out of a competition. In shows like Fear Factor, the thrilling and grotesque situations that the contestants are involved in enthrall the viewers and keep them interested. Trivia shows like Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader and Family Feud gain ratings because the people watching the show are hoping that they will get the correct answers to the questions asked, and therefore they will feel smart and accomplished. Admittedly, most people would probably say that they would take the chance to be on television if the opportunity arose. They may think that it is a great opportunity to obtain fame and fortune, as it would seem so. However, they may change their minds
Pollack 9 once they get a taste of real “stardom.” Their opinions may change because being on reality television gives almost no privacy. Everywhere that series stars go, they are followed by cameras, paparazzi, and media. They cannot go on a simple date without headlines reading “Star Dating Scandal!” or something along those lines. Nothing is private to them once they agree to be on a show. Once even the smallest mistake happens, the whole world knows, and there is no escape. According to Electa Draper, Psychologists say that even children feel the pressure of a camera when it is turned on their household. It can disturb the dynamics of a family and corrupt their normal routines. Psychologist Jamie Huysman has treated over eight hundred reality show “victims” who have personally experienced the invasion of privacy from being on reality shows. With this idea, one sees that reality television is not ideal if one wants to keep his or her personal space personal. In conclusion, reality television has negative and positive impacts on the lives of people today. It serves as an escape from their struggles and busy lives, even as it influences its viewers to do ridiculous and dangerous acts and invades privacy. It entertains as well as brainwashes, but it can also bring people to the harsh reality that is life. It is important for people to enjoy themselves and relax once in a while, but it is also important for them to realize that their problems will not just disappear. In order to make current situations better, people must reflect upon themselves and find their faults in order to fix their problems instead of watching a television screen to see the mistakes that other people have made.