Assignment 1:

Reality or Hunger For Fame

Reality Television: Consequences of Reality T.V on Society

Reality television has become increasingly more popular and appears to be taking over the entertainment business. Psychologist Lawrence Rubin seems to think it all goes back to Aristotle and “The notion of being drawn to drama and tragedy” (Kinon, 2009). The viewer receives a false sense of “real life” and disconnects from their own “real life” by diving into someone else's. The effects that these television shows have on society as a whole can be positive or negative, depending on the message the show depicts. Shows such as “Jersey Shore”, “16 and Pregnant”, and “Dr. 90210” are a huge success to MTV, but could be considered detrimental to society by painting distorted pictures of reality in the viewer’s mind. Shows including “Extreme Home Makeover”, “Undercover Boss”, and “American Idol” can be considered to have a positive affect on society. These programs report the positive stories of the average, everyday person, inspiring the viewer. These shows reward well-mannered people doing amazing things around their community rather than rewarding poor behavior that is unacceptable to the everyday norms of our society. This discussion will convey the negative effects of reality television programs as well as the positive effects these programs have on society as a whole. We will also examine the steps marketers can do to take advantage of the high ratings of these reality shows to reach a larger audience of consumers. It is safe to assume that there are both negative and positive aspects of reality television. Do the cons outweigh the pros or vice versa? In our opinion there is much more negativity in reality shows in modern day entertainment than there are positive reinforcements. Reality shows give viewers false sense of reality and unrealistic expectations. The stars of these shows give off the persona of a real person where the audience develops a connection seeming they can relate to them. People seem to think, feel, and act like these characters they see on these programs. The viewers see this poor behavior as acceptable after watching it on television so often. The viewer may develop perceptions that may lead to poor choices including, but not limited to, fighting, cussing, illicit drug use, unprotected intercourse, and binge drinking. Reality programs also make people expect more drama. Kurt Vonnegut describes media as a whole saying, “People expect reality to be much more dramatic than it really is”. He explains that because of the media, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with dramatic ups and downs. When there isn’t any, some people tend to create it. (Kinon, 2009) Shows that enhance the negativity in reality television and put unrealistic expectations in the viewers minds include “Jersey Shore”, “16 and Pregnant”, and “Dr. 90210”. While MTV argues that the reason they produced the hit series “16 and Pregnant” is to educate teens of the consequences and hardships of teen pregnancy, we are not so easily convinced. The show follows pregnant teenagers throughout their pregnancy and after delivery. As viewers sit back and watch the show, we see them struggle with their relationships, marriages, finances and most importantly receiving their diploma. MTV tries to send the message of anti teen pregnancy on the surface, but with the teen mom stars gracing the covers of magazines, signing modeling contracts, obtaining endorsements, and earning six figure incomes, speculation says otherwise. Is this show’s main purpose teaching lessons or receiving high ratings? With all the extra incentives added to being a star on “16 & Pregnant,” There are many negative messages that can be received by the teenage population tuning into the show. Some may believe that if they get pregnant, they will become famous too and get all these great things like the other teen moms have received. These celebrity teen moms have the potential to become role models to these teenage viewers where unfortunately some have not been good role models at all. For example, Amber, was a ticking time bomb when it came to her relationship. She displayed a great deal of abusive language and physical actions toward her significant other, and it was all caught on camera. Amber was rarely able to control her anger and loud voice around her daughter, Leah, when situations escalated. The little bits of abuse that we did see can leave your mind to wonder how bad it is off screen. Amber’s story reveals how difficult it is to be a teen mom, but at the same time she is sending a message that it’s okay to be abusive with words and actions. Even though some teen moms are great parents and love their children to death, most teens only see situations similar to Amber’s on shows such as “16 and Pregnant”. Is this really the way we want to portray how teen mothers should act around their children? Is this what we want teens to believe is acceptable behavior in our personal relationships? While watching “16 and Pregnant”, teens that are lonely, antisocial or bullied in school can see how much happiness a child can bring to those reality stars. They can ask themselves, “Why not get pregnant? I could at least enjoy that”. This is not a valid reason to want to have a child and it is not capitalized enough on the show. At the end of each season, MTV hosts an “After Show” to recap on a season’s highlights, as well as show clips that weren’t shown. Most teen moms are questioned about their experiences. When asked if they are still sexually active, most of them answer, “Yes, but with protection or contraception.” According to the net doctor, if a condom is used correctly, it is about 98% effective. (Dr. David Devlin). “However, some teens don’t have enough knowledge about protection, so we cannot assume they do [use it correctly],” said David S. Rosen, M.D. Contraception, or birth control, includes pills, shots, patches, and implants. Without the proper access to these, people are and will be at risk for pregnancy and STD’s. Although MTV does show some of the struggles and hardships of being 16 and pregnant, some argue that their intentions in the beginning may have been just that, but the show has transformed itself into glamorizing the issue of teen pregnancy. MTV supports this message by sugarcoating the realities of being a teen mom and of the struggles endured. Many teens watching believe that the show depicts real teen pregnancy, which is far from the truth. Jersey Shore has taken partying, fighting, and acting a fool to a whole new level. The Borough of Seaside Heights has stated, “The people on the show are certainly not indicative of the majority of those who visit, and enjoy the Jersey Shore and Seaside Heights every summer” (Leventry,2;010). The show promotes behavior that is trashy, rude, and promiscuous. The ladies wear clothing that is so skimpy it barely covers while the guys are continuously taking their shirts off. This would not be and shouldn’t be socially acceptable. The traditional norms of society seem to be fading into, once considered, unacceptable behavior. Jersey Shore and other reality shows include characters drinking, partying, and obsessing over appearance while engaging in rambunctious behavior. Just like “Teen Moms”, Ron and Sammie’s relationship consisted of nonstop arguing and violent acts. For example, one of their many break ups that were aired showed Ronnie and Sammie screaming and yelling at one another as well as throwing each other’s personal items across the bedroom and out on the balcony. How is that healthy or even safe? While many viewers may think it’s hilarious at the time, they could try that at home and seriously injure someone or themselves. With that being said, MTV rarely shows the consequences that the Jersey Shore cast may face while conducting themselves that way. In fact, they sometimes even get rewarded for it! In July of 2010, Snooki was arrested for being intoxicated in public. After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to two days of community service. Her community service consisted of signing autographs at Seaside Heights Community Center for a fundraising event. The characters are shown binge drinking and going out every night with intentions of bringing home a “hook-up” or a “DTF” which refers to getting drunk and “smushing” as the Jersey Shore crew likes to put it. Bad reputations are also gained from “smushing” random people from the bars and it can lead to pregnancy or sexual transmitted diseases, which could have life long consequences. MTV fails to show that leading a lifestyle of partying similar to the Jersey Shore cast can deter you from leading a successful life. Most cannot pass college courses, keep a good job, or maintain a healthy relationship while leading a lifestyle of partying nightly. Every season the crew gets assigned to a job where they actually get paid for doing “real” work. In the current season, they work in a Pizzeria in Italy. By partying all night into the wee hours of the morning, they go to work hung over, tired, and unprepared for their duties. One afternoon Snooki and Deanna had a customer buy them wine and snuck in the bathroom to drink it before getting caught by their manager. An employee has the duty to ensure the “health, safety, and welfare of persons at work” according to the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974. Why should MTV be allowed to present their television stars as being allowed to consume alcohol at work? Jersey Shore broadcasts constant fighting, drunk behavior, and shows random hookups with no serious consequences. Many people watching start to think that this behavior is acceptable, which is far from the truth. Dr. 90210 is a reality show intended to show viewers cosmetic surgery transformations. According to a study published in July's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, first-time patients seeking cosmetic plastic surgery are directly influenced to have a procedure by the plastic surgery reality television shows they watch (PR Newswire). A new study found that 79 percent of patients who underwent plastic surgery were influenced by television and the media (PR Newswire). This is a scary percentage of patients, given that many of these shows such as Dr. 90210 create unrealistic expectations of plastic surgery. These reality television shows only show the positive results of undergoing plastic surgery and fail to show procedures where something goes wrong or the patient does not like the results. Researchers in a plastic surgery study found that “patients who are dissatisfied with surgery may request repeat procedures or experience depression and adjustment problems, social isolation, family problems, self-destructive behaviors and anger toward the surgeon and his or her staff.” (Dittman, 2005) Whether patients are satisfied or dissatisfied with the work done, it can lead to a plastic surgery addiction, which is relatively new and hasn’t been looked into much. “People who suffer this addiction are constantly trying to change their appearance through surgeries.” (Ohio State University) For example, most people know about the excessive amounts of plastic surgery that the famous artist and entertainer Michael Jackson went through. He is said to have had an addiction to plastic surgery caused by the pressures of looking a certain way. Many viewers never stop and think of the expectations being created by these shows may be far from what really happens in “real life.” Although many reality televisions shows have negative effects on society as a whole, there are still some that uplift, inspire, and motivate the television viewing population. Extreme Home Makeover, Undercover Boss, and The Biggest Loser are a few to name. Such shows demonstrate values and work ethic that are beneficial to the viewers that could have a lasting impact of society. Extreme Home Makeover is a reality show that follows Ty Pennington and his team traveling around the United States remodeling homes of people who need them the most. ABC tends to help families rebuild their homes that have major financial problems, destruction from natural disasters, or health issues. In some cases, families are fortunate enough to have their mortgages taken care of, medical bills paid off, and donations from local businesses to get back on their feet. "It's good to see a reality show with such a positive tone perform so well," said David Goldberg, President of Endemol USA (Reality TV World Stadd, 2003). The lives of these families will be forever changed for the good. Madison had the opportunity to see the Extreme Home Makeover show change The Gaston family’s lives in Pensacola. She worked at The Hilton Garden Inn, located in Pensacola, where Ty Pennington and the rest of the crew stayed. She was lucky enough to be invited on set and experience the excitement and inspiring moment for herself. “I will never, ever forget the smile and extremely thankful look on Mr. Gaston’s face. It was one of the most inspiring and uplifting moments of my life,” Madison stated. Not only is Extreme Home Makeover inspiring and uplifting, the show also creates awareness of certain illnesses and the need to make homes handicapped accessible. For example, during season 6, episode 19, The Extreme Home Makeover cast rebuilt a house for the Bell’s. Their house had been neglected over all the years because of Lizzie Bell’s medical bills. Lizzie Bell is a 14-year old who was born with a rare blood condition where she is unable to produce blood cells and must go through blood transfusions every couple of weeks. This condition is so rare that only 700 people are diagnosed with it. Ten years ago Lizzie and her mother decided to establish the John P. Bell Foundation after realizing how depleted blood supplies were. They were motivated to create awareness for the need of blood donations from everyone. Lizzie was awarded the Red Cross Hero Reward after all she has dedicated to helping others. Extreme Home Makeover remodeled The Bell’s home to give back to Lizzie and her family after all they have given back to the community. The show also broadcasted the importance of donating blood for Americans worldwide. Undercover Boss is a reality show broadcasting top executives of companies posing as entry-level employees to get a true feeling of how hard the lower level employees work. Undercover boss motivates the average hard-working American and shows that sometimes, hard work pays off. The premiere episode of Undercover Boss airing after the Superbowl, featured Larry O’Donnell, president of Waste Management, Inc. Larry went under cover as “Randy” taking on tasks such as picking up trash and cleaning out portable toilets. Larry O’Donnell got to know some of his employees on a more intimate level while learning first hand of changes needed within the corporation. The workers O’Donnell encountered included: 1) Walter, the worker who while juggling dialysis still tends to his job with pride. He even went as far as firing “Randy” for not picking up trash fast enough. 2) The woman who runs across the lunchroom in order to not be docked on her pay. 3) Jaclyn, the hard working office manager who is in jeopardy of losing her home. 4) Janice who confesses she is so busy picking up trash that she uses a tin can as her toilet because Waste Management is not very women friendly place to work. 5) The guy who takes pride in cleaning toilets and tells “Randy”, “It’s not a job, it’s an adventure”. The main purpose for “Undercover Boss” was to “profile the unsung heroes that make a company tick” (Kass, 2010). The show has done just that and more! There have been many positive changes for these hardworking under paid employees. O’Donnell tells his senior staff, “I think the things I’ve learned will change the way we do business forever” (Kass, 2010). After O’Donnell’s undercover interactions with his lower level employees, he immediately changed the time clock policy, gave promotions & raises to those who deserved it, and assigned Janice to a talk force that helps with way to make the company more female friendly. Executives need to realize that every decision made trickles down and can possible be negatively affecting its everyday hard working employees. The producers at “Undercover Boss” hope that the show will have positive impact on the work force in the United States. The Biggest Loser shows the positive aspects reality television can provide society by inspiring the viewer to lifestyle changes of weight-loss. The show helps connect with the viewers in making aware that they are not alone and that there are other people out there struggling with weight-loss. “In a soon-to-be published Thomson Reuters poll of 3,000 Americans, 57 percent of people say weight-loss shows have influenced with what they eat, and 49 percent say they believe the television programs will have a positive influence on the obesity epidemic,” (Davis, 2011). The site for The Biggest Loser has many different tools and weight loss information along with a message board. Many fans are willing to take their weight loss issue into their own hands after watching the show. Many on the message board are going as far as organizing support groups to help each other out through their weight loss adventure. "The Biggest Loser is a positive, life-enhancing show that has resonated with our audience and has created a solid and loyal fan base," said Paul Telegdy, the network's recently hired new reality programming chief (Rogers, 2009). While many opinions on this matter may differ, most can agree with one thing: Reality television series are a huge part of the entertainment industry. According to the Cable News Network, reality shows accounted for 85 percent of the most valuable TV-advertising space in the United States, in January 2003. (Jaffe, Eric 2005) A company could take advantage of marketing while a reality series is airing and reaching a greater amount of potential future customers. Many may argue that viewers record the show enabling them to bypass the commercial breaks, but we believe this is not true for the more popular reality shows. These viewers are so intent on viewing them that they watch them live, not being able to wait to see what is going to happen. By watching the shows live, they are not able to skip over commercial breaks. Although commercials are a great way to reach the consumers, product placement is another technique that could be used to take advantage of the overabundance of viewers tuning into reality series. As of March 2011, Nielsen reported that 8 out of the 10 top shows with product placements were reality television programs (Ott, 2011). Product placement is defined as an advertising technique used by companies to subtly promote their products through a nontraditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film, television, or other media (Business Dictionary, 2011). In January of 2000, forty-four million people tuned into Super Bowl XXXIV (Wikipedia, 2011), compared to the fifty-one million people tuned in to the first-season finale of “Survivor” in August of 2000. (Jaffe, Eric 2005) The companies that placed products in the “Survivor” finale reached seven million more potential customers than the companies that placed products in Super Bowl XXXIV . The amount of future consumers a company can reach while placing products during the programs are endless, not to mention, it is typically easier to place a product in a reality show rather than a scripted show. “For almost seven hours, over 43 episodes, American Idol 4 featured 3,497 brand occurrences, which is not at all surprising. However, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition had about twice as many episodes (73), but produced just shy of Idol’s number, for a total of 3,318. Of those, 847 were ‘audio hits’”(Dehnart, 2006). Product placement has the ability to drive up sales if done correctly.

MAYBE A LITTLE MORE HERE AND A CONCLUSION! Overall this discussion has given you both sides of reality television and the affect it has on society. Historically, we used to be able to sit in front of the TV as a family. However, not all modern shows create a family ambiance. There are still some shows today that are inspiring and can be viewed in a family atmosphere such as Extreme Home Makeover, Undercover Boss, and The Biggest Loser. On the other hand, “16 & Pregnant,” “Jersey Shore,” and “Dr. 90210” display ludicrous and provocative behavior, low values and low self-esteem, and unnecessary surgeries.

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