What’s Real About It? I suppose I don’t understand why it is called reality television. It has been argued that reality television has been a part of television since the beginnings of television programming. Through game shows and daytime talk shows, real people, as in non-actors, have made appearances on television for the entertainment of others. A new genre of reality television that became the new phenomenon, however, was introduced in the year 2000, with shows such as “Survivor.” The idea behind “Survivor” is like many in reality television. There are contestants, they are put in... Show more What’s Real About It? I suppose I don’t understand why it is called reality television. It has been argued that reality television has been a part of television since the beginnings of television programming. Through game shows and daytime talk shows, real people, as in non-actors, have made appearances on television for the entertainment of others. A new genre of reality television that became the new phenomenon, however, was introduced in the year 2000, with shows such as “Survivor.” The idea behind “Survivor” is like many in reality television. There are contestants, they are put in extreme situations, and in the end, someone wins a prize. The other main style of reality television involves cameras following someone around as they live their daily life. My confusion comes from the title of reality. Reality means the state of which things actually exist, but reality television does not display the state in which life actually exists. In real life, not many people will be deserted on a distant island or forced to live in a house with several strangers. Additionally, cameras do not follow people around on a normal day. People live their lives, and exist in a reality that is not meant for entertainment or for masses of people to watch. It is no surprise to discover that most audiences find it interesting to watch people who are not actors on television. There is something intriguing about fame for the average person. It is as if the viewer can relate more to the show that he or she is watching, because it is real people put in fake situations rather than fake people and characters acting in life-like situations. However, there cannot be anything called reality television that would be both an accurate description of life and provide necessary entertainment. Show less
What’s Real About It?
I suppose I don’t understand why it is called reality television. It has been argued that reality television has been a part of television since the beginnings of television programming. Through game shows and daytime talk shows, real people, as in non-actors, have made appearances on television for the entertainment of others. A new genre of reality television that became the new phenomenon, however, was introduced in the year 2000, with shows such as “Survivor.”
The idea behind “Survivor” is like many in reality television. There are contestants, they are put in extreme situations, and in the end, someone wins a prize. The other main style of reality television involves cameras following someone around as they live their daily life.
My confusion comes from the title of reality. Reality means the state of which things actually exist, but reality television does not display the state in which life actually exists. In real life, not many people will be deserted on a distant island or forced to live in a house with several strangers. Additionally, cameras do not follow people around on a normal day. People live their lives, and exist in a reality that is not meant for entertainment or for masses of people to watch.
It is no surprise to discover that most audiences find it interesting to watch people who are not actors on television. There is something intriguing about fame for the average person. It is as if the viewer can relate more to the show that he or she is watching, because it is real people put in fake situations rather than fake people and characters acting in life-like situations. However, there cannot be anything called reality television that would be both an accurate description of life and provide necessary entertainment.
Join 4M+ learners. Unlock unlimited quizzes, wrong-answer tracking, flashcards + reminders, study guides, and 1-on-1 challenges.