How real is Reality TV?
Reality television is a genre of television that is highly popular, reality television encompasses television series that focuses on individuals who are placed in exceptional situations with a group of people. The goal of the show for these individuals may be a reward that changes depending on the show. Reality television genres can take on many different forms including game shows, cooking shows, video diaries, talent shows, etc. Despite the many different genres of reality television, they all feature real people participating in real events as oppose to fictional creations. However, the line between reality and fiction has become increasingly blurred leading to the question, how real is reality television.
The truth is that reality television provides viewers a glimpse into the entertaining life, a lifestyle that is extremely exaggerated and does not reflect the real world in any way. It is an unachievable lifestyle for practically every viewer of the programme, nor does it account for the fact that the situations presented are predominately fabricated. What exactly is real is not the appeal of reality television, rather human interest that creates popular reality television.
Reality television was given the name not for its accuracy to average everyday life but rather because it uses real people and focuses on the conflict that arises because of their clashing personalities, despite these real people being in abnormal situations. This is how reality television creates the illusion of reality as it “places an emphasis on the representation of ordinary people and allegedly unscripted or spontaneous moments that supposedly reveal unmediated reality” (Biressi & Nunn, 2005). Reality television also does not use actors, instead using real people which adds to the illusion of reality because the audience presumes that these people are behaving like themselves and not playing a character. The style of cinematography that reality television implores also constructs the perception of reality the audience is shown. Reality television will often use handheld cameras to present most of the footage and lack narration which resembles a documentary, a genre that people know for its accuracy to reality (Murray & Ouellette, 2004). Hidden cameras are also used to suggest to the audience that because the people on screen are unaware, they are being filmed that their behaviour is more real than if a camera was in their face.
Because reality television creates the illusion of reality theorists have suggested that audiences are less concerned with the absolute truth that reality television may occasionally achieve. Instead, they are more interested in the experience that sits somewhere between reality and fiction (Murray & Ouellette, 2004). Audiences of reality television want to view something that will entertain them regardless of how real or fake it is, but the best content that comes from reality television is when that line is blurred leading to the most entertaining moments of a series.
References
Biressi, A., Nunn, N. (2005). Reality TV: Realism and Revelation. London; Wallflower.
Murray, S., Ouellette, L. (2004) Reality TV: remaking television culture. New York; New York University Press.
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