Reality TV - Creative or Cruel?

Singh 1
Sabrina Singh
Mrs. Gonzalez
Pre-AP English II - P4
21st, May 2013
Reality TV: Cruel or Creative? Why do you watch reality TV? Perhaps it is interesting to see a lifestyle very different from yours. Perhaps it fills a room with your laughter to see how a person on TV can be so ignorant. Perhaps it makes you babble with all the gossip it causes. But just put down your selfish thoughts, and think about the possibility of lies, or humility the protagonist may be crushed under. Although reality TV may bring upon fame that may mean happiness or money to the subject, it should be categorized as a cruel type of entertainment program because of the chances of being socially lacerated through unfair exploitation by selfish producers, and the constant judgment and abuse from the people and media. One of the many wrongs of reality TV is how a subject can get socially tormented through this unfair exploitation. These people usually have no say for what goes on during their show. Typically, reality shows feature “ordinary people who are placed in apparently unscripted – and therefore unpredictable – situations.” This statement written in 2Facts explains how this unscripted technique used in reality TV show the dangers that may occur during the shooting. Without knowing what type of situation in occurring these people become more exposed to greater accidents. Another section in 2Facts states that reality TV has been accused “for allegedly exposing their subjects to emotional strain and encouraging destructive behaviors such as binge drinking.” People who take part in reality shows are not exempt from this human nature. Once in a while, the subject may say or act in a certain way that is not “nice.” Soon, the media is roaring with angry viewers who spit words of hatred. But who are they to accuse the subject? Don’t we all sometimes make mistakes and sometimes be someone that we are not? Rather than kindly and thoughtfully toning down or even deleting these scenes in
Singh 2 reality TV, producers will repeatedly highlight these events to cause more controversy or gain more viewers; simply to make more money. Even though these subjects get exploited, they also receive greater amounts of judgment from the people and media. Along with exploitation, the protagonist of these reality TV shows receive constant judgment and abuse from other people and media. Without having the right kind of knowledge to know what to do, these stunts and actions the person does causes greater flaws towards their character. According to 2Facts, reality TV “exploits 'everyday' people who are typically unprepared for being thrust into the media spotlight. Reality show contestants are often mocked and exposed to mental or physical harm.” These shows influence people negatively by having the 'stars' act so badly and make it seem cool. We do not realize these things are happening, but that seems more reasonable when we see something accidental and spontaneous rather than something deliberately staged for our amusement. Another section in 2Facts states “critics have also charged programs that such as Big Brother and The Real World frequently exposes their subjects to social and mental pressures that are tantamount to abuse.” Big Brother's scenes of raw emotion can be highly damaging to people in the public eye. People stop being polite in these shows influencing others to become rude too. These shows mislead their character because of constant assertion and are voyeuristic and cruel to their subjects. These reality shows do not accurately reflect the 'real life' at all. Rather they just dumb down the television culture and cause their subjects to feel different towards actual reality. I hopefully wish this presentation exposed to you, the substantial possibility of the greedy human hands, onto the true reality of reality TV. My purpose on this platform today was not to declare that all of these entertainment programs are ran by lies. However, it is too much of an injustice to let reality be allowed on international television as it simply lies under the “humour” category, when it creates greater dangers towards their subjects lives.

Singh 3
Sources
-"Reality Television." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 11 Jan. 2008. Web. 21 May 2013. http://www.2facts.com/article/i13000
-"Teens on Television." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 May 2013. http://www.2facts.com/article/i1600160
-"Key Events in the History of Teens on Television (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 21 May 2013. http://www.2facts.com/article/ib160161