StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Why reality television is so popular - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Reality television is a genre in television programming that features documentation of actual occurrences in the lives of normal people instead of professional actors. The genre is believed to present the unscripted aspect of television programmes, which prove not only to be…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91% of users find it useful
Why reality television is so popular
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Why reality television is so popular"

Reality Television Popularity Reality television is a genre in television programming that features documentation of actual occurrences in the lives of normal people instead of professional actors. The genre is believed to present the unscripted aspect of television programmes, which prove not only to be educational but also entertaining. Reality in this case is illustrated as a provocation of various constrains and compromises that determine the quality of presentation in reality shows. As such, reality television is considered an amorphous category of television since it includes details from other genres to produce a rich presentation (Sanneh, 2011).

The intrigues and richness in presentations of reality television is facilitated by the existence of subgenres within the programming. Such subgenres include documentaries, game shows, social experiments, hidden cameras, makeover shows among others. Popularity of reality television is known to hit an all-time high following the airing of Big Brother and Survivor shows, which lie within the reality genre. As such, reality television has received global recognition with a massive following upsurge associated with the success of presentations put forth.

There are various reasons that explain increased popularity of reality television, which will be highlighted in this paper.The popularity of any reality television show is directly linked to the level audience involvement, and as such the audience should be in a position to relate to the participants. The main catalyst for reality television popularity is money, which is pumped into the industry to produce a rich feature. Reality producers are known to offer large sums of money to participants who essentially may lack career skills, and transform them into productive members of the society (Soong, 2003).

This is evidenced in games shows where participants are expected to indulge in define activities and are rewarded according to their proficiency. The promise of money and the associated excitement have heavily contributed to the unrelenting popularity of rewarding reality shows.In addition, instant fame often associated with participation in reality television shows contributes to popularity of the genre. The production of reality features is known to entail placing ordinary people in unique situations and gauging their reactions.

This works to the advantage of individuals seeking to prove themselves by enduring set tasks in the show. Moreover, reality shows that offer no monetary rewards such as the MTV’s The Real World, receive thousands of participants in their auditions due to instant celebrity tag accorded with participation. Similarly, as norm has it, an appearance on television awards instance fame.The society is known for its curiosity and ability to derive pleasure from drama and controversies that are highlighted by reality television.

Plainly put, most television viewers are nosey and as such, reality television provides most of the content that quenches the thirst for intrigues and controversies. In the same light, reality features provide a platform on which raw human emotion is observed when ordinary people are faced abnormal situations to make decisions based on morals and skills (Cabledealsspecial, 2013). This motivates the audience to question their reaction in the same situation, which in turn creates suspense and thirst for more.

Works CitedCabledealsspecial. 2013. Why is Reality Television so Popular and How has it Impacted the Viewing Public? Retrieved from http://realitytv101.webs.com/apps/blog/show/22330741-why-is-reality-television-so-popular-and-how-has-it-impacted-the-viewing-public-Sanneh, K. 2011. The Reality Principle: The rise and rise of a television genre. The Newyorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2011/05/09/110509crat_atlarge_sannehSoong, R. 2003. Reality Television. Retrieved from

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Why reality television is so popular Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/education/1615530-why-reality-television-is-so-popular
(Why Reality Television Is so Popular Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/education/1615530-why-reality-television-is-so-popular.
“Why Reality Television Is so Popular Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/education/1615530-why-reality-television-is-so-popular.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Why reality television is so popular

Why is Reality TV so Popular

But why have they become so much famous for a short period of time since the first reality TV show was aired in 2000?... The author of this paper aims to explore the popularity of the reality TV.... According to the text, reality TV show is a kind or a genre of TV programs which shows the fortunes of real life people as opposed to the earlier notion where this happened to actors which were used in TV shows.... … Programs like survivor series, Temptation Island, Big Brother, Fear factor and others have been the leading programs which could be associated with the evolution of the reality programs....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

Television Liveness in Ghoastwatch

The paper "television Liveness in Ghoastwatch" says that the television show Ghostwatch in relation to broadcasting's ideology of liveness; its centrality to television.... This will be approached by clarifying the concept by highlighting common analytical perspectives in relation to television shows.... hellip; television liveness constitutes technical and material quality but is not limited to strictly live to the image....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Semiotic analysis of how reality television affects our society

The ratings, blogs and discussion posts about the reality shows give a better view Like any other form of media exposure, the reality television also has certain effects on the society.... The impact of, reality television, is crucial as the reality shows portray the real life experiences of certain people.... The effects of reality television are more severe and long lasting than other shows.... There is, however, a camera effect on the behaviours of the characters starring in the reality television which is, most of the times, ignored by the viewer....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

How could television be used to improve social and political life in the United States

In this day and age, television is often thought of as the downfall of America, providing viewers with negative and false views of the world that can only result in painful reality checks.... However, television has the ability to be put to good use in regard to improving social… Since people of all ages, races, and social and economic backgrounds turn to their televisions for information and allow themselves to become influenced by what they watch, programs on television can be used to educate these people on social Improving Life Through Television In this day and age, television is often thought of as the downfall of America, providing viewers with negative and false views of the world that can only result in painful reality checks....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Analyzing Elasticity of Demand Simulation

The relationship between income elasticity and CRT television is adverse when the incomes of families go up.... The cross product elasticity of complementary products such as cable television is higher for cathode-ray television than for liquid crystal display television sets.... This is the technology that brought the television set into the popular culture and helped the device proliferate among customers worldwide.... In sophisticated economies such as the United States, economy television sets available at very low prices has allowed families to purchase extra television sets so that all family members in a home have their own television....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Perception of Reality through the Influence of Television

Early television stars that were the most popular were the 'vaudeo' these stars were vaudeville based comedians who translated their skills to the small screen.... The author of the essay entitled "The Perception of Reality through the Influence of television" states that television viewing has become a dialogue between viewers and programmers that sets society on different courses that are defined by the associations.... nbsp;… As shown through the discussion of the development of the identity, the way in which television will affect an individual is defined more by the existing character of that individual (Monroe, 2003)....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Digitizing Humanity: Ethics, Identity, and Representation in the Technological Age

These all were because the viewers had a mindset and belief that everything that they watch or see in a reality television show is a clear representation of that individual's real-life personality.... In regards to this, representations that people see on reality televisions have a great impact compared to the ones seen on fictional televisions.... However, this is not who Yaya was the reality show of America's Next Model convinced viewers to have such an image and perspective of Yaya who was an educated and confident black model....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

A Womans Place is in the Home

The issue of equal rights among the genders rose and became even more popular within the society.... … A woman's place is in the homeA statement that ‘woman's place is in the home' was not only a statement in the past but also a fact.... However, this did not mean that women were illiterate; but their hobbies were more placed in home....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us