User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/analytical writing/group 2

The issue of contemporary reality TV's influence in the U.S. and throughout the world. AndrewChing 10:00, 23 January 2009 (UTC) Gabrielstinchfield 21:19, 3 February 2009 (UTC) Luc M.

Overview

 * 1. Summary

Television today plays a much larger role than it did decades ago. It is a friend, companion, babysitter, an informant and a way to tune the rest of the World out. In the hours a day an average person watches television they are subjected to many things, some of them positive, most of them negative. Reality television is a large part of what is spewed into the brains of tv viewers across the globe. We can’t say that every reality show is full of anger, manipulation, revenge, and inhumane messages, just more of them.

Reality television began as what appeared to be a new media art form, but the fact of the matter is that it was just a way to save some money and circumvent the writer’s strike at the time. Since it’s beginning reality television has erupted into the main stream, with shows such as Survivor, America’s Next Top Model, Fear Factor and The Cougar. A vast majority of these shows glorify the deceit, humiliation, and backstabbing of your fellow man to obtain the goal.

With a large portion of reality television’s audience being children, to young adults it is hard to say what the long-term effect is going to be. But we do know there has been a significant change in the way children of today treat one another. They are raised by television, and with no one there to teach them about right or wrong they can only assume what they see these people do is right.


 * 2. Reflective Assessment


 * 1. Successes

After several weeks of figuring out what our approach of this topic was going to be, and some lapsed time before any information was posted, we feel we really pulled this project together. Our hardest obstacle was finding something we could all happily work on, and get our heads into. We were able to build up a foundation with good information and good writing in a way, we feel, gets our point across. Another success for us actually leads us into the failures portion of this assessment.


 * 2. Failures

We began this project with four people in our group, unfortunately Doug was unable to continue attending class and we were down to three. This presented a minor problem because we had sectioned the paper into four parts, but we knew we would shine in the face of adversity. But low and behold during the start of the second week we were given a forth member to our group, and we were back on track once again, or were we.

Over the coarse of the next couple weeks our newest group member wasn’t showing up, or giving us a sign on the Wiki that he knew what his part was in this paper. The light of hope burned dim for group two as we treaded water in the raging storm. Alas, after several weeks at sea the last remaining members of Group two worked together and began building this gallant ship you see before you today. We don’t know if we’ll ever see the lost member of our crew, we can’t say any of us knew his name. We hear stories of his ghost walking amongst us from time to time, but we can’t say for certain.


 * 3. Future Strategies

Research the topic thoroughly, communicate with group members, and present the material we have in a clear and concise manner that speaks our point and inspires the reader(s) to further their knowledge of the topic and take their own action in a nonviolent way.

History
The abundance of reality shows on TV today is overwhelming. It is this genre of entertainment that has been slowly spreading it's roots throughout the the broad entirety of TV programing more so than any other. Today almost every major television channel has some form of reality show. Is reality TV simply an issue of our contemporary society and culture or has it existed for much longer than most would think?

It turns out that reality TV, in fact, is not just an issue that is taking shape in our culture today. It has existed for more than 60 years, dating back to Alan Funt's Candid Camera and even before then there were similar shows on the radio. It seems that people love to poke their noses into the privacy of others; it sold 60 years ago and it sells today. What stands out is the evolution of reality TV, which is in part due to the evolution of technology (portable cameras and the far reaches of television to an unprecedented audience population). Today reality shows are taking the recipes of the original shows and blending them together which go hand in hand with TV's "bigger is always better". Shows are now adopting much more of a story telling and character development element. By watching the same cast every week for an entire season, today's audiences are now able to become attached to certain characters as they would if they had been watching a long film. It is this ingredient along with the morbid fascination of people's privacy and the unpredictable reality randomness, that has given birth to what reality TV is today.

Ancient Rome, through its days as a Republic and an Empire, is regarded by historians as one of the most advanced and enlightened ancient civilizations. Ancient Romans enjoyed many luxuries that we have today in the 21st century. Sewer systems, hot water. and an empires' worth of traded goods are just a few. As time passed however the citizens of Rome had so much compared to the outside "barbarians" that day to day life in the Empire became boring. The upper classes needed distraction from the plights of the lower classes and the lower classes needed distractions from the plight of being poor. Enter the games. What began during the Etruscan civilization as a ceremony to honor dead kings or fallen warriors, man on man combats to the death became instant entertainment for the masses. Gladiatorial games were free to all Romans, and not a privilege but a right. Why worry about the sick and destitute in the slums when you can go see the games? Some historians have noted a correlation between the decline of Rome as a viable power, and the dominance of bloodsport as entertainment for the Empire. So as the Empire became more fat and lazy, the popularity of watching men and women kill each other for fun went up. However tenuous, this argument can be applied to modern day America. Sure, we haven't resorted to free for all bloodsport, but the quality of entertainment has slipped (arguably) over the country's 2 centuries of existence. Where there once were plays and music written by masters of their craft, there is now reality TV and a youtube generation. Just as the digression of an honored funeral ceremony to rampant bloodlust was the herald of Rome's fall, so too, perhaps, shall reality TV be to our once mighty Republic.

Contemporary Situation
The current situation we would like address and analyze isn't so much that "Reality TV" as a genre is a social problem, but that certain shows that fall under that umbrella are an indicator of deeper problems within our society. If knowledge is power, and a society is an organized group of people that exert power over a given territory, then our society in America today is one of the most powerful in history. Information of any kind is available 24-7 from news networks or with the click of a mouse button. These new forms of media now play a part in shaping and educating our society's social and moral identity. In short, we learn certain behaviors and ethics from watching television the same as we learn from reading books, and those programs offered for viewing are also a mirror for those belief systems. This isn't to say that we are all mindless drones being controlled by "media", just that these newer forms of media do play a part in shaping and reflecting who we are as a people. The forms of reality TV that we are considering for this analysis are those shows that glorify selfish individualism. The idea that "good guys finish last" is a common theme in shows such as Survivor, and therefore the people exalted in those shows are the people who think only of themselves and are willing to hurt anyone and everyone to get to the top. In the past, this type of thinking has been vilified by writers and educators. Morality tales will often demonstrate that characters who act in this way are solid examples of what not to do. Learning at an early age about cooperation and compromise and ideas such as "the golden rule" is one of the keys to having a successful society.

These negative reality shows exploit the base side of human nature. The creators and producers of these shows have taken the instinct that we all have to slow down at the scene of a bad car accident and parleyed that into hours of "entertainment". Some studies have focused specifically on the effect that some of this programming has on teenagers. It is argued that teens today are much more media savvy and far more aware and observant of the underlying themes that these shows present. One writer evaluates the effect on teenage girls specifically, noting shows like "America's Next Top Model" and how the cat-fighting and backstabbing drama on that show affects these girl's real life social interactions. The counter-point to all of this is "hey, it's just entertainment, and it doesn't effect what I do in life". This idea has been the standard defense of any form of controversial media since mankind began writing, and the argument isn't without its merits. Everyone has choice as free agents, and there may be individuals out there that can claim immunity to the influence of environmental factors in the classic nature versus nurture sense. However we feel that claim is dubious at best.

Point
Since it’s birth in 1948 reality television has been a part of T.V. viewer’s lives worldwide. It began with us watching people’s reactions to light hearted practical jokes. Then in the 1970s we began tuning into the life of a family in the middle of a divorce, taken in by this reminder that we are all human, we all can make mistakes. Then the fabulous 1980s gave us the show “COPS”, a series involving real police officers, in real situations, with very real criminals. It wasn’t violence that drew us to this show; it was the fact that it was about people doing a job we never get to see the other side of. Then came 1990, which continued the reality television trend, only stripped of everything that kept it decent: light heartedness, real people in real situations, and the fact that we are all human beings. Starting with MTV’s “The Real World” the past nineteen years of reality television have been a constant stream of backstabbing, hair pulling, and dehumanizing shows that are rapidly showing children that this is how the “real world” works. We would like to think that we have the ability to critically wade through all the trash thrown at us with reality T.V. but according to research done by author Cheryl Dellasega, adolescent brains aren’t wired to process much of what is shown on reality television today, and thus can be a problem. Young girls watching shows like “America’s Next Top Model” don’t realize that the things that are said behind cast member’s backs are hurtful, and not a healthy way to treat others around you. In Dellasega’s book, “Mean Girls Grown Up”, she says, “Competition shows like “America's Next Top Model”, on which a big part of the entertainment is watching the weekly loser get the boot, are causing ripples of social change by encouraging young women to feel "the thrill of being mean.””	Reality television doesn’t just play to young women, the same ideas hold true for young men. There aren’t many shows out there that are cosmetic challenges for me, but there are a few.  Most of the shows that have an influence on young men involve the male cast members playing a dominant leadership role and using almost any means possible to remove unwanted cast members from the show.  This began with “Survivor”, a show about a group of people placed on an island who compete against one another each week in hopes to not be kicked off the show, the end result being a monetary reward for their ability to extort and abuse their fellow human beings. The typical leadership role on this show was a male, manipulating, and bullying others to be a means to his end. This portrayal of men fuels the idea in young men’s minds that, “Man is king”, and others must obey him, a road we’ve been trying to steer off of for a long time. Many of these concerns about the effects of reality television on our youth have been shrugged off with the notion of, “It’s just a phase. Reality T.V. will be gone before we know it.” Unfortunately that is not true at all. According to the Cable News Network, 51 million people tuned in to watch the first-season finale of “Survivor” in the year 2000, which is more than the 1983 “M*A*S*H” special, the top Neilson-rated show of all time. In January of 2003, nearly 85 percent of the most valuable T.V. advertising space in the United States was during reality shows. Now just six years later it is very apparent that reality television is here to stay. We all a have a choice to watch it or not, but for a majority of viewers the shows are too addicting and too good. Why would you possibly want to stop watching? Are we all voyeurs who love to tap into other people’s worlds wondering who is going to stab whom in the back today, or who is going to cheat on whom? After extensive research, Ohio State University psychologist Steven Reiss, says the real reason we tune in is arguably far worse. Based on data collected by Reiss and collaborator James Wiltz, the most significant reason for watching reality shows was social status, which leads to the joy of self-importance. Only slightly less significant was vengeance, which turns to vindication. "Some people may watch reality TV partially because they enjoy feeling superior to the people being portrayed," Reiss said. "People with a strong need for vengeance have the potential to enjoy watching people being humiliated." During a content study of the five most popular reality shows by Central Connecticut State University’s Brad Waite, he concluded another reason we are so tuned in is a desire to view humiliation. Waite refers to this phenomenon as “humilitainment”, the tendency for viewers to be attracted to spectacular mortification. There was another study done of what is called, schadenfreude, the German word for “the pleasures one receives at the suffering of others.” The research was done at a World Cup soccer match, studying people’s reactions to their team’s wins and losses. Still feeling the loss of a competition, schadenfreude, is "a covert form of prejudice that is used in the maintenance of self-worth," wrote the researchers in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. If viewers are truly watching reality shows so that they can feel better at another’s expense, Waite says that regular viewers are in for a maladaptive future, and that the union of reality and fiction could have a severe behavioral impact on our youth. There must be a perfectly good reason why we have all this over exposure of cruelty, morbid competition and distain spewed at us day after day. There are actually two: writer’s strikes, and the cash money, the bling-bling. The easiest way to shoot a television show without a script is to shoot an unscripted television show. You don’t have to worry about actors messing up their lines, or uninteresting content. It’s all interesting! We’re a civilization that gorges on the visible humiliation of others. When it comes to money, what better way to save then not spending any? Most reality television “stars” payment entails the idea that they may be around long enough to win the prize money, and a shot at their 15 minutes in the spotlight. Sure the prize may be one million dollars, but compare that one million per season to the six million it cost per episode just to pay the six stars of the show “Friends”. When you can make almost six seasons of a reality show for the cost of one sitcom episode, and not have to worry about hiring scriptwriters, there isn’t much to think about. Unfortunately in a time where money is power, and power is everything there will be the type of reality shows that enclose the fading light of humanity as we know it. It all started with a concept that was innocent, juvenile and harmless. Today the curse that is modern reality television is personified in the face of almost every young adult today. Humiliation, vengeance, and betrayal are replacing dignity, understanding and loyalty. We are shown, everyday, footage of a woman exacting revenge against someone she called her friend days before, just because she might get to walk down that runway one more time. A person’s word used to be their bond, now it’s just a wet cardboard box full of bad intent. We’ve lost sight of ourselves, our fellow man, and our World. What’s going to happen when we all are having our lives taped, to find out what happens, when people stop being polite, and start getting real? When that day comes, I hope I’m the first one voted off the island.

Counterpoint
Many people would agree that reality TV is a big problem when it comes to the influence it has on American culture. Television is a labyrinth of programs which cater to the young and old, fat and skinny people who watch it and although one should hope that in an ideal world television would be governed by positive intellects who are looking out for the publics best interest, this is simply not the case. Today television is fueled by advertisements and the money behind them and so it is inevitable that there will not be harmony for all. Shows like American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, The Bachelor and America’s Next Top Model are big hits that reach the hearts and minds of millions of people world wide. They may promote selfish competition and portray a false reality, but they are simply a bad piece of the pie.

Let us not forget the other reality shows on television. Shows like ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are shows that encourage selflessness and tell the stories of goodwill in times of need. Bizarre Foods follows an American chef who travels the globe in search for the worlds most “unusual” food. The show dissects the close mindedness that many Americans poses about things outside of their culture. Another show, Little People, Big World documents a real life family of little people who have made amazing accomplishments in a world that is made without them in mind. There are reality shows that have value and pose a positive counterpoint to the mindlessness of popular culture.

With this in mind, it is necessary to understand that there is a time and place for everything. Reality programs that promote selfishness and physical beauty as a way to succeed in today’s world are simply a form of entertainment. They may have no importance or value to some, they may be crude, pointless and negative, but they pose no more threat to our culture than movies and magazines, violent video games and viral videos on the internet. The American culture is one that should promote self expression and choice, even when it goes against someone’s morals. One who feels a need to govern a television program because of it’s self worth, or lack there of, is in turn imposing their own beliefs onto others. With a culture that is so vast and varied what is necessary is an acceptance that balance is two sided.

Solutions
While old fashioned morality tales or fables or parables may not be the answer given the current generation and attitudes in America, a reality show with a different message is in order to offer a counterbalance to the self-serving, egocentric shows that dominate reality TV today. As previously stated, it isn't that reality TV is the problem, just that the messages and themes put forth in the most popular shows of this genre are glorifying the aspects of human nature that used to be shunned with good reason. Therefore, a solution may be to offer programming in a similar format that teaches positive lessons that are more conducive to not only building people up as individuals, but that also offer a model or a reflection of the side of humanity or our society that should be emulated. Some shows already exist with this idea in mind. Shows on The Food Network like Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman is a reality type show that follows one man as he travels the world sampling cuisine in other countries. The audience gets the same type of "gross out" thrill experienced by watching Fear Factor since often bugs and other things of that nature are on the menu, but instead of "dog-eat-dog" competition, the show's focus is education and cultural tolerance. Other positive shows like "Secret Millionaire" and "Extreme Home Makeover" have very moving, in-your-face personal dramas of real people (which satisfies our accident rubbernecking instinct), but the ultimate result of these shows is people coming together to help other people. Those who have, help those who have-not, rather than trampling them under a merciless boot of indifference.