The Distorting Impact of Reality Television on Society

Whenever we think of reality television shows we think of Kim Kardashian and her latest boyfriend or the endless drama between the women in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. To remark that women will constantly go from boyfriend to boyfriend or constantly insult and slander other women, which one may radically argue as a concept ingrained into reality; is rather severely stretching it? Could what we see in these “reality” shows morph our sense of what is normal? Why would reality shows be so dramatic if they were trying to emulate reality? If reality shows are so unrealistically dramatic, then why are people are trying to meet the unrealistic standards on the show? We heard frightening stories of women becoming anorexic or even suicidal

No matter where a person goes throughout the United States, they will not walk through the streets of New Jersey or New York for long before they hear the latest scandals with Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus. If a person walks into any public store they’ll quickly hear discussion of the latest stars on American Idol from passersby. While we scoff at the antics of celebrities, but at the same time we can foster an almost fanatical desire to be as if not more famous then the people everyone talks about. It is rather human to feel envy, jealously, and desire; we all want to be looked favorably upon. We roll our eyes when someone repeatedly states how beautiful or intelligent a celebrity is, yet even a skeptic can’t help but desire the admiration that celebrity received. Why do men work out? Why do women use such extensive amounts of cosmetics? Why are people so determined to be revered? The answer to individual’s thirst for fame can vary but it’s unavoidable to assume that individual wanted to be the center of attention. We want to be admired, favored, and loved as much as the celebrities that we worship. Reality television has shifted to show the “perfect” life of our celebrities and how happy they are compared to the common people. Neoliberals and authoritarian realized how our fanatical love for our celebrities can be used against us as to quote Frank Furedi from his academic journal on the topic of celebrity culture in which he has stated in the abstract in his first page: “Often celebrity provides an alternative source of validation. The tendency to outsource authority to the celebrity represents an attempt to bypass the problem of legitimacy by politicians and other figures.” Through celebrities’ neoliberals and