Reality Television: The Phenomenon Of The Reality TV Phenomenon?

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The reality show phenomenon
The first television shows aired in 1948 it was a TV series called Candid Camera by Allen Funt. Have you ever wondered what attracts millions of Americans each week to watch this cultural phenomenon know as “reality TV”? “Reality television episodes have increased to 57% of all television shows that can be found on your TV guides.” Big Brother was one of the first more successful and most viewed reality television show, “When it first started Big Brother would air five times a week and could be viewed on the web 24 hours a day” (Reiss.) So the question many viewers keep asking themselves is should we really be watching reality TV? There are three main reasons that keep viewers entertained in this phenomenon. Some …show more content…

Hidden deep down there may be a particular reality TV star that everyone either loves or hates that you can secretly relate to. Also many people often are able to relate to the stars lifestyle and what types of activities they may do in their typical day-to-day life “Unlike other shows such as news programs or sitcoms, reality TV allows viewers to imagine themselves as actual participants” (Connor). Or, if it’s a documentary about something that happened in history, many viewers can relate to that topic. Simply because viewers like to learn new things about a certain subject or category. “Others focus on ordinary people engaging in common activities such as dating or home redecorating. In both instances, viewers are given the chance to compare and contrast their own lives with those of the shows ' protagonists” …show more content…

“Just like scripted television, writing and producing go hand in hand. The majority of my reality credits are for producing” (How). Reality TV is far from real, but everyone who watches it still wants to believe that they are watching an episode that is about someone’s real life. Also, people want to believe that there are not paid writers who add drama or humor into the script to make viewers more interested in the show. For many viewers not knowing what is going to happen next gives them the thrill to keep coming back each week to watch the latest episode. Many viewers even start determine which star is their favorite and how they can possibly relate with them. The drama and humor that is in most of the reality television shows is what keeps the viewers

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