Reality TVThe rise of Reality Television

Figure 1: MasterChef Judges (April 14, 2011)

What is Reality TV?• A definition of Reality TV:

– “television programmes in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.” (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Documents unscripted situations and real-life occurrences. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Highlights personal drama and conflict significantly more than most other television shows. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 2: Geordie Shore suited and booted (n.d.)

The history of Reality TV• Candid Camera aired in 1948 - pioneer of Reality Television.

(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Explosion in popularity throughout the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• The success of Survivor and Big Brother made Reality Television into what it is today. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 4: Big Brother Australia 2013 housemates (n.d.)Figure 3: survivor-logo (n.d.)

Genres of Reality TVDocumentary

Style

Reality Game Shows/Reality “playoffs”

Hidden Camera/Video Camera Style

Figure 5: teen-mom-show-emag (n.d.)

Figure 7: The Duncans on the Biggest Loser (n.d.)

Figure 6: thumbnail thumbnail lg wide (n.d.)

Documentary Style

• Follows participants daily personal and/or professional activities.(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Sub-Genres include:- Special living environment- Celebrities - Professional Activities- Subcultures (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• The story is often constructed through the use of editing and planned situations.(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 8: Big Brother Australia 2013 housemates (n.d.)

Hidden Camera Style

• Uses hidden cameras to catch unsuspecting participants confronted by a staged situation. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Candid Camera established the genre back in 1948. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Contemporary variations of this genre include:- Punk’d- Trigger Happy TV- Primetime: What Would You Do?- The Jamie Kennedy Experiment- Just for Laughs: Gags. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 9: cover punkd (n.d.)

Reality Game Shows/Reality “playoffs” Style

• Participants are often eliminated until one person or team remains (the winner).

• (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Usually done through voting and/or elimination challenges.(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Participants will often live together during the competition.(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Examples of this genre include:- Big Brother- The Amazing Race- Beauty and the Geek(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 10: batg logo (n.d.)

Criticism of Reality TV

• Reality Television produces a false sense of “reality” as:- Participants often placed in artificial situations- There is misleading/deceptive editing- Participants told what to do/say- Storylines are often generated ahead of time- Scenes often staged or re-staged(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Humiliate and/or exploit participants (especially on competition shows).(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Make celebrities out of untalented people. (“Reality television ,” n.d.)

• Glamorize vulgarity and materialism.(“Reality television ,” n.d.)

Figure 11: Jersey Shore Cast – MTV Movie Awards (n.d.)

“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”

Andy Warhol(“Andy Warhol,” n.d.)

Figure 12: andy-warhol-985 (n.d.)

The Truth Behind Reality TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFePugOCBew

Reference List - Images• Andy-warhol-985 (n.d.) In The Michael Jackson World Network [Digital Image]. Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http

://www.mjworld.net/news/2013/10/14/michael-interviewed-pharrell/attachment/andy-warhol-985/• Batg logo (n.d.) In Yahoo! [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://au.tv.yahoo.com/beauty-and-the-geek-australia

/about-the-show/article/-/6084704/about-the-show/%7Bcounturl%7D/%7Bcounturl%7D/ • Big Brother Australia 2013 housemates (n.d.) In Big Brother Canada Insider [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from

http://www.bbcanadainsider.com/2013/11/last-day-of-big-brother-australia-final.html • Cover punkd (n.d.) In MTV OD [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://od.mtv.co.uk/shows/punkd • Flo Amber fight bad girls club (n.d.) In Speakeasy [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from

http://pose5925.edublogs.org/2012/04/29/reality-bites-how-%E2%80%9Creality%E2%80%9D-television-is-ruining-television-the-star-system-and-society/

• Geordie Shore suited and booted (February 26, 2013) In TV Rage [Digital Image] Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.tvrage.com/news/5252/geordie-shore-renewed-for-sixth-series

• Jersey Shore Cast – MTV Movie Awards (June 7, 2010) In STYLEITE [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.styleite.com/news/mtv-movie-awards-jersey-shore-photos/attachment/60665308/

• MasterChef Judges (April 14, 2011) In MediaWeek [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://mediaweek.com.au/news/masterchef-2011-the-launch.html

• Survivor-logo (n.d.) In Alden-Hebron School District #19 [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://www.alden-hebron.org/?attachment_id=2200

• Teen-mom-show-emag (n.d.) In EMAG [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://emag.co.uk/mtv-cancels-teen-mom-3%E2%80%B2/8629

• The Duncans on the Biggest Loser (n.d.) In The Sydney Morning Heral [Digital Image] Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/blogs/the-tribal-mind/bogans-r-us--or-soon-will-be-20110210-1anxm.html

• Thumbnail thumbnail lg wide (n.d.) In Vimeo [Digital Image] Retrieved March 29, 2014, from http://vimeo.com/williamsonmike

Reference List - Text• Andy Warhol (n.d.) Retrieved from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol

• How Reality TV Works (n.d.) Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/reality-tv.htm

• Reality Bites: How “Reality” Television is ruining television, the star system, and society (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://pose5925.edublogs.org/2012/04/29/reality-bites-how-%E2%80%9Creality%E2%80%9D-television-is-ruining-television-the-star-system-and-society/

• Reality television (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved 15 March, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_television