Reality T.V. is harmful to watch because it promotes unacceptable behavior and are known to exploit the person or people involved with the show. Shows like "16 and Pregnant" and "Real Housewives" teach children and teens that this behavior comes with little to no consequences. For example, when I was with my eight year old cousin, he hit his sister and called her a "B-word." I asked him where he learned this attitude and wasn't very surprised when he told me "From the Jersey Shore." When kids or teens see something on TV, like drinking, smoking, or fighting, they think "This person does all these things that the teachers and parents tell me not to and is still living a great life with a big house, lots of friends, and money. Why am I any different?" Then they smoke, drink, and fight and find out that their life is not what they saw on the TV. Many kids today, and in the past, live their life with a role model that guides them in their personality, and their actions. In the past, before reality TV, some kids role models were athletes, the president or Neil Armstrong. Today, some kids role models are Snookie, "Mama" from Honey BooBoo, or people that have no significance other than the fact that they are married to someone famous.
But reality TV doesn't only promote bad behavior, it also exploits the people in the shows, and the viewers. In shows like Here Comes HoneyBooBoo, Toddlers and Tiaras and even shows like American Idol, people watch to laugh at others because of who they are. "Honey Boo Boo" is a young girl that got her own show because of her very strange lifestyle. In the show, they talk about how they live in their small southern town, and their weird ways of doing things, like making spaghetti with ketchup and butter, or dumpster diving for furniture. In shows like American Idol or similar talent related shows, it may not seem like it is made to exploit people but if you pay attention, that is what they are doing. This is most common in the early audition stages. The producers chose the worst acts to air on TV for the entertainment of the viewers. These people, who try to sing well and take the time to rehearse and audition are making an attempt at doing something, only to have the entire nation or world, even, laugh at them. William Hung is a great example of this.
He is not a good singer, but they aired his audition on a talent show in order to get views and people talking about their show. William Hung even got signed to do albums with a record company. If people just stopped watching these shows that take somebodies "cool" life and put them on national TV for everyone to watch, then the world would be a better place. If everybody started copying Snookie and drank and partied all the time, or took after Simon Cowell and made fun of others for who they are, then society would eventually crumble.
Some people, on the other hand, might say that some reality TV shows are good, like "The Biggest Loser" or fun to watch like "Survivor." I would say that these shows may not take advantage of the people as much as the others, but could still be found to teach bad behavior. On Survivor, the contestants often talk bad about the others in order to create drama. In general, television would be a lot better if we reverted to the days of sitcoms instead of the modern age of reality.
But reality TV doesn't only promote bad behavior, it also exploits the people in the shows, and the viewers. In shows like Here Comes HoneyBooBoo, Toddlers and Tiaras and even shows like American Idol, people watch to laugh at others because of who they are. "Honey Boo Boo" is a young girl that got her own show because of her very strange lifestyle. In the show, they talk about how they live in their small southern town, and their weird ways of doing things, like making spaghetti with ketchup and butter, or dumpster diving for furniture. In shows like American Idol or similar talent related shows, it may not seem like it is made to exploit people but if you pay attention, that is what they are doing. This is most common in the early audition stages. The producers chose the worst acts to air on TV for the entertainment of the viewers. These people, who try to sing well and take the time to rehearse and audition are making an attempt at doing something, only to have the entire nation or world, even, laugh at them. William Hung is a great example of this.
He is not a good singer, but they aired his audition on a talent show in order to get views and people talking about their show. William Hung even got signed to do albums with a record company. If people just stopped watching these shows that take somebodies "cool" life and put them on national TV for everyone to watch, then the world would be a better place. If everybody started copying Snookie and drank and partied all the time, or took after Simon Cowell and made fun of others for who they are, then society would eventually crumble.
Some people, on the other hand, might say that some reality TV shows are good, like "The Biggest Loser" or fun to watch like "Survivor." I would say that these shows may not take advantage of the people as much as the others, but could still be found to teach bad behavior. On Survivor, the contestants often talk bad about the others in order to create drama. In general, television would be a lot better if we reverted to the days of sitcoms instead of the modern age of reality.
You made some interesting points Ryan. I liked the strong counter examples.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with many of the points you made about how companies exploit people to get more money. I don't get how people can waste their time watching these shows for "entertainment".
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