by Christine Song
This summer, America tuned in to CBS as 16 castaways were marooned on a remote island in the South China Sea. The castaways had to sweat, cheat, and maul their way through thirty-nine days as millions watched them through thirteen weekly episodes to discover just who was the ultimate Survivor. “Survivor” is the name of the hit TV show launched by producer Mark Burnett, and also the most popular product of reality TV so far. Its framework looks something like this: sixteen people – of various ethnic backgrounds and age – were selected from thousands of applicants and put in an obscure location – this time a tropical island – to survive without the conveniences of modern life. Competitions are held between teams and individuals. Sometimes there is a prize, awarding the winner a “luxury,” which can mean anything from a hot shower to a phone call home. The thirty-nine days are broken down to three-day cycles, and each cycle is produced into one television episode. At the end of every third day the participants form a tribal council to cast ballots to vote one contestant away, eliminating that individual but further advancing themselves to the ultimate goal – 1 million U.S. dollars. Does this sound fun? Whatever your answer may be, millions of people at least found it fun to watch. Although not the pioneer of reality TV, “Survivor” is certainly what triggered the reality TV phenomenon that is sweeping the American airwaves. Reality TV refers to television in which real people – people like you and me – are taped in their real lives. A well-known example is MTV’s “The Real World,” which televises the lives of seven completely different people living under the same roof for six months. Or the movie, “The Truman Show,” in which Jim Carrey’s entire life becomes a spectator sport. The popularity of reality TV has increased tremendously over the years, culminating in the season finale of “Survivor” – which attracted a total of 51.7 million viewers. So why all the hullabaloo? What characteristics does reality TV posses that it has expanded into the current craze? What makes people want to know what these upstart celebrities’ favorite food or sexual fantasies are, as the individual websites of the “Survivor” participants reveal? Dissecting this phenomenon we find two major factors. One, voyeurism. However you may deny it, there is a mite of it in all of us. You may not even realize it, but perhaps you recall unwittingly perking up your ears at work at a tête-à-tête going on two cubicles away, or casually glancing through the window to see what your neighbors are doing as you stroll by. Reality TV justifies our desires by turning other people’s private business into a public affair. Secondly, there’s tension and contention. A bickering couple making a scene on the street is always fun to observe. Provided that we are not an interested party. Well there’s plenty of that too in any reality TV show. It is, after all, what they thrive on. The essence of reality TV lies in the fact that there are no scripts or actors. Real people; real scenarios. Hence reality TV. But in fact the scenarios are closely choreographed and the participants meticulously selected to ensure “tension and contention.” For example, in an old episode of “The Real World” in which the generation X’ers first meet, they learn that the beautiful loft furnished by MTV has four bedrooms for seven people – and that the group happens to include a bigoted biker and an HIV-positive homosexual. Or in “Survivor,” competitions and rules are devised to encourage rivalry and betrayal. What follows is discord, distrust, and, of course, ratings. Consequently, rather than presenting reality, reality TV is actually a genre in which the script and actors take on a new convention to bring the audience old entertainment in novel form. The result is partakers who gain their fifteen minutes of fame, viewers who are happy watching an island of castaways squabble and deceive, and producers who are laughing all the way to the bank. That, my friend, is the real reality. a
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May 2024
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