Verified Document

Reality Television, Though Often Deliberately Essay

Related Topics:

Individuals watching these types of rejections receive guilty pleasure from something they feel that they shouldn't be watching (Reality television). Also, relating to characters on reality shows helps people to feel better about their own lives and problems (DeWall, 2009). Yes, according to another survey, the ongoing popularity of reality television is due to these shows, unlike other shows such as news programs or sitcoms, allowing the viewers to imagine themselves as actual participants (de Vries, 2005). Some types of people "find a certain fascination in contrasting what they think they would do in a given situation to the actions taken by the "real" participants -- a group of individuals they perceive as their peers" (de Vries, 2005). The author states that the use of ordinary people competing in exotic locales or engaging in common activities such as dating or home redecorating gives viewers the chance to compare and contrast their own lives with those on the show. "The resulting experience is a complexly constructed...

Also, viewers want to be active participants and the use of ordinary people in the shows facilitates this scenario.
Bibliography

de Vries, L. (2005, August 17). Why do we tune in to reality tv? CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/17/health/webmd/main783814.shtml

DeWall, C.N. (2009, January 27). Reality TV: Harmless entertainment or bloodsport? Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/connections/200901/reality-tv-harmless-entertainment-or-bloodsport

Reality television. http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata302.htm

Reiss, S. And Wiltz, J. (2001, September 1). Why America loves reality TV. Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/why-america-loves-reality-tv

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

de Vries, L. (2005, August 17). Why do we tune in to reality tv? CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/17/health/webmd/main783814.shtml

DeWall, C.N. (2009, January 27). Reality TV: Harmless entertainment or bloodsport? Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/connections/200901/reality-tv-harmless-entertainment-or-bloodsport

Reality television. http://www.zonalatina.com/Zldata302.htm

Reiss, S. And Wiltz, J. (2001, September 1). Why America loves reality TV. Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/why-america-loves-reality-tv
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Television and American Pop Culture
Words: 2689 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Cable television also opened up the medium to numerous types of television programming that had previously been excluded, simply because it could never have competed with the demand for mainstream types of programs during the same time slot. Initially, cable television was only available in the largest markets like New York and Los Angeles and it was priced out of the range of most consumers. The technology also required a cable

Social Construction of Reality
Words: 1943 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

INTRODUCTION People are social beings: they seek out others for conversation, support, love, communication, and even for contention. They adapt, conform, criticize, change and reflect and project the values and norms that flow in between and around them, from person to person, society to society, culture to culture. As a result, people and their identities are constantly undergoing revision, which most call natural development or growth—but “we forget that these things

Pop Culture American Idol: Reflection
Words: 806 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The American Idol is "an annual American televised singing competition which seeks to discover the best young singer in the country, through a series of nationwide auditions." The show is engaged with real people with real emotions. Contestants of the show may belong or may come from different age groups or different race, or either they came from different towns or cities, thus defining what culture or way of

Feminist Advocacy of a Social Issue in Contemporary Culture
Words: 1979 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Post-Feminist Society Contemporary Feminist Advocacy Although there is not absolute consensus, popular writings about feminism suggest that there have been three waves of feminism: (1) The first wave of feminism is said to have occurred in the 18th through the 20th centuries and was characterized by a focus on suffrage; (2) The decades spanning 1960 to 1990 are said to encompass the second wave of feminism, to which a concern with

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel
Words: 2361 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

This example from Gilbert's book better illustrates our discussion of "constructivism" in class. As discussed, constructivism suggests that we actively construe much of our experience. The "reality" is filtered through our minds based on our wishes, expectations, goals, and mood. Also, what we believe to be real is a combination of reality (sensation) and how we interpret that reality (perception) ("Social Cognition"; "Constructing Reality: What is and What was"). When

Media Bias Knowledge Is Rarely
Words: 7231 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

The spin that often surrounds war, is fundamentally damaging even if it is intended as damage control for the nation as a whole, or at the very least the leaders of the nation. Public Belief It has been hinted at within this work that the old adage, the public does not necessarily believe what it hears, but it hears what it believes is at play when it comes to media. As

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now