Reality Television For Dummies
You’ve possibly noticed that your favorite TV channels are featuring more and more documentary-style programs. Referred to as “reality shows,” these types of programs document real events happening to real men and women who find themselves in a range of circumstances. There is now a reality show about virtually everything, from amateur fashion designers competing for the opportunity to launch their own line to single celebrities trying to find love.
MTV’s “The Real World” is among the very first reality series to be shown on Television. The program follows the lives of 7 strangers when “people stop being polite and start being real,” as the show’s tagline suggests. And that’s certainly not an exaggeration; every season, the quantity of drunken brawls involving meatheads or promiscuous Jacuzzi conduct grows. Boasting nearly twenty seasons, the program’s popularity seems only to grow.
How real is reality TV? Although the characters are real, the authenticity of events portrayed in reality programs is heavily debated. You can find significant speculation that many reality shows are at least partially scripted, with producers and “story editors” prompting cast members to debate volatile topics or to appear at the very same gathering as their arch nemesis. Arguably, many of the scenarios cooked up for reality TV are far from normal, but the way the participants deal with their circumstances and interact with one another is often strikingly genuine, even with the persistent presence of a camera crew to capture every word, facial expression and expletive deleted.
Regardless of how genuine it actually is, what do we find so captivating about reality Television? Movies and sitcoms often have much nuttier plots and striking special effects. Yet a growing number of individuals are choosing to tune in each and every week to “Joe Millionaire, a series in which an average Joe searches for “the one” in a group of women who believe that he is a billionaire mogul. Perhaps witnessing the day-to-day drama and trials faced by reality show characters are much easier for us to relate to than, say, snakes on a plane.
Quite a few reality shows have swiftly developed a cult following. Many reality series are released on DVD, allowing fans to enjoy their favorite episodes whenever they want and growing an already mushrooming audience. Reality series “stars” have become overnight celebrities and a number have gone on to author books, star in their own TV series, and have become regular guests on TV talk shows. The growing influence of reality TV on society is undeniable. Important questions remain: Will the genre endure? Will the scenarios become more and more outrageous? How will history reflect on this period in TV entertainment?
While it’s difficult to predict where reality TV is headed, it’s become clear that reality shows are a piece of history. They document our culture at its current stage, building a record of what was important to us at that time, be it merely documenting the airing of dirty laundry on Television or demonstrating how our peers react under extraordinary circumstances.
Ellen R. Miles has authored numerous articles about TV series on DVD and Blu-ray. She is a contributor to GreatTVonDVD.com, and has authored articles on Reality TV Series on DVD. GreatTVonDVD provides the largest offering of TV series on DVD, ratings, reviews, news and advice. The TV classics you loved, the modern quality of DVD and Blu-ray from GreatTVonDVD.com. Copyright (c) GREATTVONDVD.COM
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