Spring Break
Realism and reality T.V.
Can you really trust what your favorite show is telling you?
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Opinion
There really is nothing wrong with loving reality television. Everyone needs a reason to relax for an hour or two at night, and anyone who judges someone else based on television obviously needs something else to do. I just wish programs like "Survivor" and "America's Next Top Model" would stop insisting that what viewers are watching is exactly what happens. The genre needs more respect, but the first thing they should do to achieve that goal is to jump down off their high-horse and realize that it's not going to effect the viewership if they just admit that certain aspects (challenges, elimination questions) are at least partially scripted. I'll still watch, and it will put a good many inquiring minds at ease.
For those of you interested in applying to be on a reality show, I'll have more about what you should do to apply in future columns. I just think that it's only fair to warn you that while you'll still have an equal chance of winning if you make it to TV, you might be surprised how little control you really have.
Matt Carter is a senior creative writing, asian studies, and journalism major. He can be reached for comment at mscarter@smu.edu.
For those of you interested in applying to be on a reality show, I'll have more about what you should do to apply in future columns. I just think that it's only fair to warn you that while you'll still have an equal chance of winning if you make it to TV, you might be surprised how little control you really have.
Matt Carter is a senior creative writing, asian studies, and journalism major. He can be reached for comment at mscarter@smu.edu.
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jvzq88
juan
posted 9/07/08 @ 4:45 AM CST
awesome article, glad i found this. i always wondered whether the ridiculousness of "mindless" reality tv is actually an attempt to get tv viewers to wake up about what they think is real and natural. (Continued…)
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