Embracing The Obsession With Reality Television Media Essay

Embracing The Obsession With worldly concern telly Media Essay some(prenominal) a(prenominal) shows which constitute up gained major popularity in this era atomic number 18 based on compassionates tv set receiver. My family is following the video recording show Bigg Boss hysterically and this makes me adore nearly the obsession with mankind telecasting and its origins. When I count about it, I myself am unable to resist these shows, becoming a honest follower of shows worry Ameri female genitalia matinee idol, So You return You Can Dance, take place Chef and some(prenominal) separates. This makes me want to know, what is it that has even caused me to manufacture obsessed with creation goggle box, like so many some others. Obsession is the domination of wholenesss thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc (Obsession) and unlike many consider it, is non of necessity bad. Thus, what I want to do is to completely understand the causati ons behind this obsession with mankind telly, proving that it is good for throng to take after these shows sort of than ignoring them. To compreh limit this obsession, we have to go over wherefore some mickle relate to candor picture, bit others fit these shows for enjoyment, fascinating characters and skills, socializing and learning.Reality telly is a musical genre of television programming in which the fortunes of truly life slew (as argue to fictional characters played by actors) be followed (Reality television). The first realness television show was Candid Camera which came out in 1948 and has been called the granddaddy of the man TV genre (Rowen). Candid photographic camera was a hidden camera show in which pranks were pulled on random plenty to catch their reactions, solely no unity at that conviction would have called it a truthfulness television show or imagine the impact it would have on the future. Since then, reality television has evolved int o many sub genres, such as zippy shows, chew up shows, dating shows and many other forms. Even when it came out, reality television gained international popularity, nonwithstanding it was non until MTVs The Real World that it became an obsession and in this day and age, it can be said that reality television has something for everyone.A reason as to why heap watch reality television is that they relate to the participants on it. In reality television shows, many bulk who are not professional actors get a shot at fame. Survivor is an lawsuit of this, where large number get an opportunity to win prizes and become historied, even though they do not have a productive or glamorous background. The feeling that anyone can be a contestant is a major reason as to what causes people to watch. Individuals hope that they capability get a chance to win the grand prize and enforce for a spot on the show disposed(p) the opportunity an illustration of this can be taken by looking a t the American Idol auditions and the sheer add up of people that take part in them. Peter van Beneden while writing about viewer designation with television characters says that according to a study by Sonia Livingstone it was found that it was not sociological or demographic factors that influenced the interpretation, but mental factors. The most grand factor was identification. Furthermore, people tend to compare their own stories to those about the contestants on the show, like how the participants used to live before the show and how the loss of a love one occurred and affected them. Also, people in addition on the land of their occupations, some have jobs that are the same as the theme of the show, for example chefs ceremonial Master Chef and aspiring models in America watching Americas conterminous filch Model.Now, a question that talent arises from people connecting to characters on reality television shows is whether relating to the characters is good or neurot ic. Several people cerebrate that it gives individuals false expectations, thinking their lives will in force(p) work out like that on television. It has been said about reality television that its a classic psychological flight into fantasy (flight as opposed to fight reaction), which, is easier than dealing with anything as real as our own problems (Aazami). However, think of it in this carriage, if soul is delusional does it really involve reality television the idea of people relating to someone existed far before the invention of reality television. Dr. John Grohol said something quite a interesting about this, if we start diagnosing people based upon how a lot they identify with a particular movie, wow, well have tens of thousands of new diagnoses tomorrow In fact, I cover so many teenage and preteen adult men who think theyre Batman and really identify with that character. Moreover, is identifying with a soul on television really that awful? If someone with a corr esponding background is doing something remarkable on television, is that not something to be inspired from rather than something to disregard.Watching reality television for amusement creates one of the major controversies deprivation on due to the viewing of reality television. There are many fights on these shows and these attract a lot of spectators. The Jerry Springer show got famous due to all the fights that occurred and the sheer stupidity of the people who were on it. The reason for this show getting popular can be considered that the audience just wanted to be entertained. Fights occur on a lot of reality television shows, where people are confined to a house I think that even a lot of the viewing audience of Americas Next Top Model watch it for the arguments. Furthermore, in numerous shows people do untypical things for concern and sometimes this leads to humiliation. Stunts like these tend to make people parley and raise the popularity of the show. Eating weird item s to earn money is a concept that has escalated in shows and this is because the creators of the shows realize that most people want to be entertained, not caring about how it happens and what the consequences are. Again, take the American Idol auditions as an example, on that point are some interviewees that you admire, while others you can not table service but laugh at. Using this as an outlet for amusement is not necessarily terrible, because people great power use other sources to quell their thirst for satisfaction, which might be a great deal more destructive.Another thing to consider is whether express joy at others is moral and ethical. A large amount of people fancy the degradation of others demeaning. Reality television can be considered the guilty delight for many individuals and extremely addictive as well, because with a combination of deception, cozy encounters, drunken ramblings and sudden outbursts its no wonder that reality TV keeps viewers glued to their t elevisions week after week (Rentmeester). However, if the people are unforced to show their characters with all the quirks they possess with the risk of being laughed at, then why is laughing at them absurd, if they are doing something which is the embodiment of stupidity. Moreover, this kind of content attracts media attention and is probably not something that will end. Moreover, these situations are often even left over(p) to the perception of an individual and are usually not as defamatory as they appear. If someone does something amazing, but embarrassing, would it not be better to urge them for their courage for actually attempting the feat rather than laughing at them. Furthermore, tabloids also make amusement of people who have a sense of hyphen which is different compared to the consensus. In comparison to reality television, tabloids are almost never accused to be undignified. In addition, how are the activities shown on reality television shows any different from th ose shown in magazines?According to the Steven Reiss, the Reiss profile is a comprehensive, standardized, objectively validated instrument that assesses 16 basic psychological inevitably. Everybody embraces all 16 basic needs, but to different extents. One of those 16 basic needs is curiosity, which is the longing for companionship. This yearning can be highlighted in people watching reality television for incredible people and skills. In the show Stan Lees Superhumans, the emcee Daniel Browning Smith, whos been dubbed the most flexible man in the world (History.com) travels approximately the world looking for people that have some extraordinary talents, such as the man who is immune to electricity and the blind man who uses microwave radar to ride his bicycle. My point of view is that humans are fascinated by anything that we ourselves are unable to do. Viewers watch these shows to find out what makes these people different, as most people try to appreciate things which they a re not familiar with. In addition, many reality television shows contain disabled people doing amazing things, like the hip-hop dancer who does not have legs has found fame after performing on the Indian version of Britains Got genius (Arnold). These shows are watched due to the fact that they show acts which we do not see in our daily lives and this curiosity makes us want more of that show. It enlightens people, as to how anything is possible with absolute dedication.People might argue that reality television gives people impracticable expectations and over romptizes things, but in a sort is that not a good thing. Does it not compel people to believe that they can do activities, which they would not even have attempted? Think of reality television as a double edged sword. It gives people a chance to show their special skills and it gives them the opportunity to shine. To someone skilled, it is a weapon that can be used for fame, while to those who are not it might lead to mort ification. Think again of American Idol and how the keen even from small towns have become famous, while those who are slight skilled are laughed at and then usually forgotten.Reality television can also be considered as a social catalyst. From Reisss profile, it was noted that Significant but small differences were reported on the motives of social contact, honor, order, and hook (Reiss and Wiltz). Most of the 16 motives in the Reiss profile indicate that the people who watch reality television usually long for some kind of human contact, like the motive of family which is the need to raise children (Reiss). Equally important, vengeance which is one of the motives involves other people, although it is a negative characteristic. Furthermore, it gives some people who find it big(p) to start a conversation, a new and interesting topic to hash out with colleagues and friends. Steven Reiss and James Wiltz write relating to this point of view that when they conducted a survey of 23 9 people it was found thatTwo of the most commonly repeated truths about reality TV viewers are that they watch in order to talk with friends and coworkers about the show, and that they are not as smart as other viewers. But our survey results show that both of these ideas are incorrect. Although some people may watch because it avails them participate in the next days might chat, fans and nonfans score almost equally when tested on their sociability.This indicates that fans of reality television have the same sociability compared to those who do not like reality television, so it can be inferred that reality television does not land social contact, but actually helps it as it provides people a consequence to discuss.Some people argue that sitting at home and watching reality television is a waste of time and equivalent to end of ones social life, because the person leaves home less and loses socializing abilities. However, reality television lets communities gather together in support of a fellow penis of the society in a show, such as when the hometowns of contestants on American Idol come together and have parties to commemorate the participants success. Likewise, people take their families and friends to sit in the audience of talk shows and game shows, to have fun and watch the show. Hence, if in that location is so much social contact as a result of these shows, it can be said that reality television is not the killer of social activity that many consider it to be, but rather a tool that can be used for socializing.Furthermore, there are some people that watch reality television to learn. Reality television is not just fun and games mixed with heaps of drama it does tend to t to each one a few lessons and skills, every now and then. such as, there are instructional shows which teach anyone who is willing to watch, about how to parry food, renovate houses and many other activities. Shows like Project Runway help anyone who watches to acquire knowl edge about the current fashion trends and informs individuals about clothe and accessories which a person should never wear. Similarly, shows like Who wants to be a Millionaire educates people and raises their general knowledge about the world. On these shows, people make a lot of mistakes and rather than just making fun of these mistakes, people can actually gain knowledge from these mistakes. The reason why some people make true history is not forgotten is to make sure we do not make the same mistakes as our ancestors I think reality television can be used the same way in this generation.The problem countless individuals have with these shows is that the information given on these shows is always the same and nothing original ever comes on these shows. Also, one might argue that there are far better methods of learning. However, if people are watching television anyway, should they not do something constructive with their time and watch reality television as a source of informat ion. Also, the knowledge being shown might be something new for some people and it might even educate people on how something common is done properly. Television is appealing. And if you can use that to help teach your child about something, thats jolly powerful, Rivadeneyra says. With reality TV, we can teach our kids to think critically about what theyre watching. Whats real about the shows and whats not. Its important for them to have media literacy (Weinstein).In America, Survivor led the ratings in 2001-02, and Idol has topped the ratings three consecutive years (2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07) (Aazami). This evidence suggests that reality television has dominated the world of the television and it is further stated that The shows Survivor, the Idol series, The Amazing Race, the Americas Next Top Model series, the Dancing With The Stars series, The Apprentice, Fear mover and Big Brother have all had a global effect, having each been successfully syndicated in dozens of countrie s (Aazami). These statistics are quite compelling, it was noted that everyplace 15 million people watched the first Survivor that figure blush wine to 18 million the second week (oregonstate.edu). These numbers keep on escalating, such that 23 million tuned in to watch Multi-Millionaire and 51 million watched the finale of Survivor (Reality TVs Real Survivor 77). Also, in a study it was noted that among the ages of 18-29 around 68% of the people either liked or loved reality television (oregonstate.edu). As mentioned before, there are many reasons to watch these shows and thus it attracts such a large audience.In my perspective, people who are against this obsession with reality television do have some good points, such as people spending way too much time watching television and the networks preying on the viewers by wake them non-stop advertisements. Nevertheless, there are ways to cut down the number of hours that are spent watching reality television such as, downloading the episodes and only acquittance over the interesting parts, without any advertisements. Also, by not viewing the shows merely and by not watching the elimination episodes one can tho huge amounts of time (Pagliarini). Audiences are often made to select and many consider it a waste of money. However, I think that the huge amount of people who vote, vote because it gives them a feeling of empowerment.Reality TV has given the audience more and more power over the years. Whether you get to vote for the winner, or vote for something the contestants have to do, or just play a game to win a prize, the audience has more to do other than just watch the show. What other shows are there where you can possibly affect the outcome besides Reality TV? (Suzanne). As stated, by going over people how people relate, laugh, admire, socialize and learn victimization reality television it can be said that reality television does have its negatives, but there are far more advantages of watching realit y television. Also, reality television has something that appeals to everyone and if viewed properly, can be of great help in different aspects of life for the viewer. Hence, the obsession which comes with reality television is not something that should be ignored, but rather embraced.