Enhancement means to amplify, increase, and add to; especially to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness (www.merriam-webster.com). Self-enhancement reality television is any program in which someone is given the opportunity to conquer a personal struggle, achieve a goal or something they truly desire. However, there are versions of the self-enhancement shows for every aspect of life like fashion, weight loss, physical appearance, style and grooming, child-rearing, attaining difficult goals, fashion and grooming, fashion makeover and marriage, relationship building, manners, addiction, mental health and etiquette. In fact, reality television has become so popular that recent statistics indicate, ‘‘there are now more people applying to The Real World each year than to Harvard’’ (Andrejevic, 2003). These facts promote several questions: What do these shows provide participants and viewers that traditional television programming does not? Why are these shows able to draw in viewers better than longstanding, established comedy and drama programs? What motivates their viewers? How are contestants chosen? Are the contestants awarded prizes? What if any is the follow up after the show? Who produces these shows? What are the ratings like? Do they win awards or do as well as other casted programs with actors?
In many cases reality television surrounding the issue of self-enhancement is often in contest format with shows putting teams, or other people in search of self-enhancement, against one another. For example popular self-enhancement reality based television shows such as The Biggest Loser and Swan are competitive based. On The Biggest Loser people, families or friends who have weight loss issues compet...
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• Barton, K. M. (2009). Reality Television Programming and Diverging Gratifications: The Influence of Content on Gratifications Obtained. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53(3), 460-476.
• Barton, K., & Raney, A. A. (2002, August). Disposition and ethnicity in competition-based reality television programming: An examination of the effects on viewer enjoyment. Presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Miami, FL.
• Zappia, C. (20 December 2006). What’s the most popular show of 2006? The Village Voice. Retrieved from: http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/television/archives/2006/12/what_we_watched.php
• Poniewozik, J. (2010). What's Right With Reality TV. Time, 175(7), 92-97. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
• 3 Ball Shows. The Biggest Loser. Retrieves at: http://www.3ballproductions.com/bl.html
Reality shows sent a much-needed lifeline to the television networks industry. These shows have found a new way to bring much needed viewers, and even more important they brought in much needed money. The money came rolling into CBS after premiering Survivor, which brought in a profit of around $30,000,000 to the network. Even though Survivor is the must costly reality show, costing close to one million dollars to produce and hour of programming. In comparison to other shows, which cost far more like CBS’s series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” which cost over 1.6 million to produce per hour. With the amount of money coming in such large sums to networks have had to close monitor how much is being spent. Clearly’ the reality shows have brought in much needed assets to the flattering television networks.
Television viewers have more viewing choices than ever before in deciding how to spend their time with television. In recent years, reality television has become a popular genre for viewing audiences. According to Nabi (304), reality television programs, "film real people as they live out events (contrived or otherwise) in their lives.” One popular subgenre of reality television is romance-based competition shows. These shows typically follow a contestant on their search for love and as they choose between a group of attractive suitors. Over the course of an entire season, the lead contestant eliminates the group of suitors until only one-suitor remains and the couple becomes engaged.
The first wave of reality TV shows (such as Survivor, The Weakest Link and Dog Eat Dog) played on people's collective anxieties about the new workplace culture whereby nothing is secure. The threat of expulsion and humiliation is what draws people to this style of programming. This was followed by the lifestyle programs, which were the once removed cousins of Reality TV. Naturally no one is entirely satisfied with the way they live so these programs played on people's desires to improve their lifestyle and living conditions. The third wave of Reality shows (such as Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor and For Love or Money) plays with people's fears of falsified relationships; are there ulterior reasons behind a `supposed' loving relationship (such as money)? The main appeal of Reality television is that the viewer experiences raw human emotions like humiliation, deceit and rejection from a removed perspective. The ability to inspect and analyse the happenings of others without being seen takes on a god-like perspective. It invokes the fantasy of having access to all that is hidden.
Nabi, Robin L., et al. "Reality-Based Television Programming and the Psychology of Its Appeal." Media Psychology 5 (2003): 303-330.
Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...
The first effect of reality shows is the image it gives viewers. Reality shows give misconceptions of everyday life; the Real World and Jersey Shore show young adults relaxing, having a good time, and partying every day. The...
Reality TV is becoming more and more popular as the years progress, and the options are endless. You can catch an episode of CMT’s Party Down South or to go to the opposite end of the spectrum with MTV’s Jersey Shore with many other reality shows in between. The problem with these programs seem to be that they categorize and capitalize on particular stereotypes. Without even consciously being aware we are allowing stereotypes to develop through these shows on a regular basis. We don’t usually question what we watch on TV or why we enjoy it may just be something we need for stress relief after a long day at work, so watching reality where “real life” people are closely followed by a camera crew. While watching these shows people fail to realize that these “real” people tend to be a little more dramatized
To start off reality shows has become a popular show amongst the younger crowd inducing dangerous stereotypical behavior in America. Reality shows have evolved to a new level of outrages crazy behavior, creating new versions of over exaggerated fake personal lives. For instance, a reality show on television Love & Hip Hop a show that depicts former black girlfriends of famous people and their climb to the top or strive to stay at the top violently and carelessly doing whatever they can by creating a “ghetto stereotype persona”. Targeting the young adults and teens Love & Hip Hop is a very influential show among young female viewers leading these viewers to believe that this is the way to live and make it to the top and in order to do it you have to act like a “ghetto black girl”. Another show that has a similar vibe to Love & Hip Hop but depicts the similar stereotype is Bad Girls Club. Bad Girls Club is a reality show that has a few young adult women living in the same house that party all the time
Reality TV has been a very popular part of American society since its conception, but does it go farther than being simply entertainment? As it has progressed, the content of these shows has become increasingly raunchy on and off screen. The producers and “actors” on these shows are hungry for money and attention, a hunger that grows exponentially as the possibilities of reality TV do. The question, often asked is, does reality TV have a negative effect on our society? The answer is simple: absolutely! Reality TV is produced and directed by people that know exactly how to manipulate the truth. Run by those who lie to the public's face and can legally get away with it. The shows reach out to a very impressionable society and deeply implants immorality, negative self-images and other issues that threaten American society. Reality TV damages those that find themselves in the unfortunate, yet common, situation of being exploited on these shows and it does so purposefully for the sake of money and ratings.
In the most recent ratings report, there were approximately 6.61 million viewers, which ranks second in the time slot, only behind NCIS, which is one of the most popular shows in modern day television. In the season premiere, The Wall surpassed NCIS’s viewer total, which highlights the raw potential of the new game show (Porter). NCIS typically takes the top viewing total, which is most likely a result from the show’s lasting impact and continued popularity. Upon analyzation of trends in the television industry, some game shows have been the longest running television series in history. The Price is Right has run for the last 44 years, while The Wheel of Fortune has run for the last 33 years (Porter).
Papacharissi, Z & Mendelson, AL 2007, ‘An exploratory study of reality appeal: Uses and Gratifications of reality TV shows’, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, vol. 51, issue 2, June, pp. 355-370.
Reality Television has changed television in a way that no one could have imagined. Being the one of the most talked about genre in history, it is seen by millions of viewers. It has more ratings than any other kind of show (Breyer 16). From its start, there have been many Reality Television shows. Shows like The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, and Jersey Shore. All of these give off a negative portrayal of reality. While Americans watch these shows, it seems that the show is real life, but in reality, no pun intended, before the show is even filmed, it’s written, edited, and produced (Breyer 21). Writers humiliate and degrade people just for the plot of the show, making their private lives public (Breyer 16).
Here we have to think, how we can make use of technology in the prevention and treatment of obesity and other related problems Recently it seen that many reality shows are used as therapy for obese people. In the article, “Reality TV as therapy,” The author discusses the therapeutic potential of reality shows used for therapy. For example, the author explains how Dr. Phil's show, the biggest loser, and the Celebrity rehabilitation shows used for th...
In this day and age, there isn’t hardly a person who doesn’t watch some form of reality television. Whether it is an adrenaline pumping baking competition, a talent based show with singing and dancing, or the pure entertainment of a day in the life of celebrities most everyone watches some form of reality television. There seems to be a few different sides of reality TV that make it so entertaining for people to watch. There seems to be the shows that lure people in because of the motivational aspect, the drama, or the deep down genuine appearance. However, most people are oblivious to the fact that the screen they are watching isn’t usually what actually happens in real life. James Poniewozik explains the manipulation going on behind the camera
Have you ever wondered why people are so addicted to watching their favorite shows on TV? Have you ever wondered why reality TV is so popular? This paper is an explanation of why large numbers of people watch reality TV shows. Proof and facts will be provided showing that reality TV provides entertainment, inspiration, the stirring of emotions, vicarious living, and a substitute for social life for many who watch. Here are a few examples of these statements.