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The effects of reality TV
The effects of reality TV
The effects of reality TV
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When the concept of reality television was first introduced, there were only 4 reality television shows that were aired. In 2010, that number soared to 320. Reality shows have become one of the most promising industries in media entertainment. Although there are many people who snicker at the idea of reality shows, the truth is that most of us still take pleasure in watching them. Among the most popular shows include the American Idol, The Biggest Loser, and Jersey Shore. These shows cover a range of topics, from focusing on aspiring singers to aspiring dancers, from avid partygoers to sexy housewives, and from teen moms to child beauty pageants.
Statistics have shown that reality television shows seem to appeal to females more than males. From the chart below, it is clear that when it comes to the frequency of watching reality television, females consistently outnumber their male counterparts in every category except for the 25-34 years old age group.
While many of these girls and women think of reality television shows as merely mindless entertainment, they are unaware that they might still be negatively impacted. Take for example the ever-popular show “Jersey Shore”, that had 6 seasons of airtime. The program is one where the audience follows the lives of a group of carefully chosen people with big personalities, much of which involves snotty arguments, promiscuous activity, and party-going. The female stars, with their diva attitudes and brassy fashion is, always a topic of conversation among teenage girls who watch them at home.
Reality television shows do, in fact, have the potential to damage a woman’s self image. Many reality shows perpetuate a mean-girl stereotype and influences young girls and even older women to...
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... desperate housewives, or socialites. In addition to that, reality programs such as “The Bachelor” are indirectly telling girls and women alike to be more shallow-minded. They become accustomed to the idea that money is everything; such that for a man to be worthwhile, he must be rich and ‘hot’.
To sum it all up, reality television shows have negative effects on women; they damage young women’s self-image and destroy their moral values. Women today are bombarded with the media, be it reality television, social networking sites, or otherwise. They are consumed by the pop-culture of obsessing over fashion and fame, when in reality we need more Hilary Clintons and J.K. Rowlings in our society. While it would be inappropriate to tell girls and women alike to avoid reality shows completely, it would be wise for them to know what they are getting into when they watch it.
It is clear that in the world of reality television, personality and popularity are everything. Popularity on reality TV shows can translate into commercial viability and an unreal life beyond reality television.
The majority of romance-based reality television programming is geared towards the individuals under thirty- five years old. It is important to note, some reality shows like Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice target a wider demographic. These shows typically target eighteen to forty-nine year olds. The re...
How Reality TV affects the audience and the characters who were participating into it? Does it really give knowledge to people who were watching and supporting? Or is it just the sake of money and exposing their appearance on television? When it comes to watching television, people at home can choose which types of program they want to want for many reasons. Some people look to television for inspiration; others want to be kept informed about their surroundings and the world. In the article entitled, “Reality TV and Culture” by Jack Perry, he argues, there are some good points to how reality television are formed and offered. Perry explains that, not all of the shows are designed to encourage and promote dangerous and unrealistic. However,
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 television shows dominate many television networks today. There are reality television shows enjoyed by virtually every age-group. However, many people are unaware of the truth behind reality television shows. They are unaware of the planning and prearranged situations that occur in most "reality" shows. Reality television shows pose some important detriments for society, which include presenting contrived situations as reality, promoting unethical values, and presenting humiliation as a form of entertainment.
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 these programs are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre’s shows provide audiences with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which creates resonance among viewers because they feel like they can relate to the characters on screen (Hasinoff, 2008). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality television have essentially bought into the belief that they too can achieve overnight fame by appearing on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation i...
middle of paper ... ... This makes teenagers and other young adults do unruly things to try and gain their own spot in the limelight. Even though reality television is supposed to be this great source of entertainment and may make us happy at the moment, if not watched carefully and really thought about it could ruin someone’s life with its negative values. Works Cited Ann, Oldenburg.
The “Bad girls club” has gained much success in rating, because of the negative aspects shown in women. Every Tuesday millions of watcher tune in to watch these women make a fool of their self, partying and getting intoxicated until losing control or black out. A woman who is a part of this show consider their self as a “bad”. The Bad Girls Club shows the stereotypes women deal with currently. Fight for no reason, making everything a competition, bring one another down and giving each other labels. For example: if two of the girls didn’t get along , they would try to get rid of them by fight each other, throw all their stuff out onto the street and putting their bed in the pool. Meanwhile, many reality shows continue the traditional race and gender based stereotypes. The “Bad girls club” is a product of this misleading format that supports profit-making and negative stereotypes under the appearance of reality television. If people use stereotypes to understand an issue, the decision they make in their life may have negative consequences for the group being stereotyped, whether people intend it or not. In this way, portrayals in the media might help perpetuate discrimination and negativity (Gorham
I think many of reality shows today are giving impression that a women 's value is based on their appearance, and have influence them to go under knife, to look prettier. In the other way, reality shows may have also have upward effect, as the author mentioned. People can learn from people in reality tv, they can select them as role model , learn rom their experiences and be inspired by their life and get motivated to reach their
Reality television has been around since 1948. Over the past decade, reality TV has seen a dramatic rise in popularity. Today, you can turn on the television and there is a chance that a reality TV show will be on. Reality television is a big part of American’s lives today. There are reality shows starting from relationships, drama, entertainment, to cooking, fitness, sports, and many more. According to a recent study by the Girl Scouts Institute, “Forty-seven percent of girls and young women say they are regular viewers, with thirty percent saying they sometimes watch it." It also reports, “eighty-six percent believe these shows often put girls against each other to make the shows more exciting, and seventy percent say they make people think it is ok to treat each other badly.” Reality television has affected society greatly by encouraging violent behavior, it elevates imprudent personalities, and depicting women of their values.
Print. The. Douglas, Susan J. - "The 'Standard'" “Young Women Learn Harmful Gender Stereotypes from Reality TV.” Reality TV. Ed.
I also found that the age of the viewer is not always a direct tie to their answer either. A nineteen year old college student had the exact same favorite reality TV show as a fifty two year old consultant. “The Voice” seems to be a very popular show recently among those of all ages. For some, like the two in the study, they love music and a good laugh, and that’s why this happens to be their favorite. The majority of the people in my study seemed to find the shows they were watching comical. They also either had a passion for the people in the show or it gave them a motivation to participate in something bigger than themselves. A very popular answer among my question about a favorite reality television show was “Teen Mom.” The Four participants that said “Teen Mom” was their favorite were all girls from the age of eight teen to twenty two. When asked why is was their favorite, the most popular answer was because of the entertainment they got out of it. The drama is so intense and it’s interesting to see how different their lives are now because of it. Although the girls that watched “Teen Mom” said they did it because of entertainment, there was a very general answer from every person when asked why they like to watch reality television. The most popular answer was that they find it strictly
Reality television has become nearly unavoidable and American society is more affected by reality television than they realize. Society can be shaped from reality TV in many ways like the way people act, and also the way people can perceive a problem. I never really could have thought just some of the stuff we watch on television like Big Brother, could be impacting us in any way. I always thought the reason people said reality television is bad for us was because we would get addicted and not want to leave the couch. I started to research reality television by looking up what could be the potential impact and I was shocked by the results that were good and bad. Coming from the article by John Perritano he says “Many say reality TV has put
“Real To Me: Girls and Reality TV.” www.girlscouts.org Girl Scout Research Institute, 2011. Web. 29. Nov. 2013.