Reality Television: A Genre of Unscripted Entertainment
Reality television is a television programming style or genre which is used to showcase situations that are not scripted and those that occur in life. The reality television programs are not cast by actors who are experienced or professional, the genre has exploded into the limelight in the recent past, and most shows have been gathering a larger fan base as time moves. The competitions are major competition based, and they have become worldwide franchises, and they have been translated into local versions in many different countries. There are some of the conventional features which are characterized by the representation of this genre, the features include; confessions which are made by the actors on the reality show, segments of interview which have been taken from an original interview, and other forms of narration which are used by the members of the cast to present their narration (Boulanger, 554).
The Dynamics of Competition in Reality Television
In reality shows that are based on competitions, one of the primary characteristics is that there is a competitor who is eliminated from the show after each episode ones he or she fails to meet the set targets. There is a panel of judges which is mostly comprised of people who are famous and those that have influence in a particular field, participants are often given immunity from being eliminated in the competitions because fans and the general public are allowed to vote for the participants of the reality television show to state the person who should be eliminated and the one who should remain in the competitions.
The Value of Watching Reality Television
There are several reasons which makes it necessary for an individual to watch reality television shows, some of the reasons include; reminding an individual not to fake things that go on in life and not take the intrigues of life seriously. Reality televisions are cast by people who are not professions and this makes it easier for them to flop at some time, the experience of watching the flops by the cast is fun to watch and people enjoy it. Reality television characters also allow one to understand things that go on in their lives, this makes it one feels the drama of a different person's life. Watching reality television shows is beneficial to the life of an individual as compared to watching other shows on television.
Lessons Gained from Reality Television
By watching reality television makes an individual not to take the intrigues of life too serious or fake things so that he or she can look like someone else. In most cases, ordinary people cannot be able to afford the different luxurious treats that the people on a particular reality television show, even with this case, people are still able to get experiences by watching the events that occur. Through many shows, the concept of family is presented first before any other concept; this makes it easier for people to consider developing families that are strong and which are grounded on strong foundations (Lavie 504). The shows also remind individuals not to take all aspects of life serious, some of the actions that are done by the cast are done on a light manner which the viewers can relate to and make it easier for them to cope up with the acts of the acts and not take life too seriously. Through reality televisions, individuals can also be able to learn from the lives of the cast and not strain to maintain particular standards. For instance, people will relate to the character of the cast more, and one will feel comfortable to exhibit this character, instead of faking their character. This is beneficial to the viewers as it allows them to understand the intrigues of life.
The Role of Reality Television in Understanding Human Drama
Through the reality televisions, people can familiarize with the drama that occurs in the lives of other people. Although it is a fact that human beings do not like drama, somehow people tend to crave for the drama. This is true because human beings do not need to be a part of some drama but love to witness the drama unveiling (Thompson 52). Through reality television shows, human beings can witness the unraveling of drama. This is beneficial for people as they are able to understand the things that are happening across them.
The Thrill of Uncertainty in Reality Television
It is fun to watch reality television shows. In many cases, reality television programs require the cast to show their real character even if it means that other people are hurt. This is the tension that one requires when watching content that is unscripted (Warner130). Unlike watching content that has been scripted where in most cases they can know what might happen next, reality shows do not present such a feature; it represents uncertainty. This element is fun to watch for individuals.
In Conclusion
As noted from the above discussion, reality television is one of the concepts which has transformed the lives of many individuals. Watching reality television shows is beneficial to the life of an individual as compared to watching other shows on television. This is because reminding an individual, not to fake things that go on in life and not take the intrigues of life seriously. Reality televisions are cast by people who are not professions, and this makes it easier for them to flop at some time, the experience of watching the flops by the cast is fun to watch, and people enjoy it. Reality television characters also allow one to understand things that go on in their lives; this makes it one feels the drama of a different person's life.
Works Cited
Boulanger, G. "What can reality television teach us." Contemporary Psychoanalysis 53.4 (2017): 553-546.
Lavie, Noa. "Reality’Television Critique in Israel: How ‘Quality’Became ‘Morality." Cultural Sociology 10.4 (2016): 502-522.
Thompson, Kate. "Spotlight on popular culture (reality television genre)-part 2: Social surrogacy." Culturescope 111 (2017): 52.
Warner, Kristen J. "They Gon'Think You Loud Regardless: Ratchetness, Reality Television, and Black Womanhood." Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies 30.1 (88) (2015): 129-153.
