Reality television shows are presently steadily advancing in the evolution of television content. The switch from reality shows to fiction drama series has made regular television watchers into compulsive voyeurs. Diverse opinions on reality television's impact have been expressed, spanning from support to criticism. In his piece "Reality television: oxymoron," George Will argues that reality television is causing common people to morally deteriorate and behave foolishly in an effort to appease a disinterested audience. Reality TV programs frequently depend on creating extraordinary characters or events that stand out from the norm and grab the audience's attention. Kellner argues that the audience is enticed by “media constructs that are out of the ordinary and habitual daily routine which become special media spectacles” (77). A critical look at all the sub-genres of reality shows in the modern day media reveal a deliberate strategy to attract and retain audience attention using spectacle.
Understanding Reality TV Strategy of Audience Attraction
Bondebjerg believes that there is so much that reality shows are offering to the public which cannot be possible with fictional drama shows (161). He argues that the strength of reality shows is that they develop elaborate characters, events, and sceneries, and automatically triggers the psychology of the audience to aspire the position of the participants. Bondebjerg provides in-depth analysis of the role played by different types of reality shows popular in United States and concludes that they provide a rare reflection of reality using spectacle (172). The viewers get to see life from a unique angle that is not common with other fictional genres such as drama. The fact that the terms “real” is applied increases the urge for people to identify with the events and people from one episode to the next.
According to Rubin (157), the audiences who are attracted to reality television shows believe that they are watching real people doing extra ordinary things without the interference of a script. Papacharissi and Mendelson also established from their research that viewers who often watch reality shows and have limited mobility or social relations tend to gain companionship and a feeling of voyeurism as they watch the reality shows. Greif (par 8) argues that Rousseau, more than two decades ago had stipulated in his Letter to M. D’Alembert that the audience is more attracted to action that they spectators and do at the same time. This idea of ideal entertainment has been achieved to some extent by the emergence of reality shows which allows ordinary people who are identified by their common titles such as teacher, lawyer, plumber, journalist etc. competing against each other.
Papacharissi and Mendelson (361) examine the notion of gratification among the audience watching reality television shows. They establish that apart from the one off entertainment viewers get, they also gratify their psychological and social traits. Reality shows make use of ordinary people in doing extra ordinary things such as surviving in harsh conditions, winning large sums of money, overcoming extreme fears among others. When ordinary people watch the actions of the participants, it becomes much easier for them to relate to them as their own representatives. Aslama and Pantti say that the shows resemble the political arena where the public vote in representatives to act on their behalf in the great stage of the nation (181).
According to Aslama and Pantti, when the participants are placed in the “microcosmic community” they are given instructions and rules which may bear some evil inclination (169). However, just as the real world is filled with deception, the participants use the same deception in the shows in an effort to survive. The reality shows edify the Darwinian theory of survival for the fittest as the participants try to eliminate the others to win the price set before them. This is how life is in reality. You attend a job interview and you want to make yourself appear the best and others bad to secure the employment opportunity. By watching a show like The Apprentice, the same reality is replicated in the show.
Both drama and reality television shows use spectacle and suspense in the plot to intrigue the audience. The same themes portrayed in television drama are present in reality shows and therefore, there is no basis of claiming that only reality shows degenerate society. The only major difference between the two is on the participants. Drama television shows use actors who rehearse for the shows while reality shows have plots acted out by ordinary people. According to Rubin (155), the motives that attract television viewers are also closely related and they include reasons such as habit, arousal, escape, entertainment, pass time, companionship and to seek information.
Media Influence and Commercialization
The bandwagon effect argues that people tend to adopt an idea, a trend, product, a belief, or a call to action if there are many other people doing the same. According to Xu and Fu, the media can cause a bandwagon effect on the public because it brings many people together (221). The bandwagon effect is evident in every aspect of the society including politics, business, culture, and technology. Apparently, people tend to feel comfortable when there are many other people doing the same thing or believing in the same thing. The media plays a role in creating the impression of a mass following by suggesting either explicitly or implicit that many people are already following a particular "bandwagon."
The bandwagon effect has been most instrumental in politics and business. Walgrave andVan Aelst explain that during elections people expect the media to point to the candidates with the largest number of followers so that they too can join the bandwagon (89). In as such, many people will not consider the ideologies or manifesto of the election candidates, but the number of followers each has as suggested by media reports. The manner in which the media portrays the campaign rallies of each candidate and analyzes the opinion polls helps the public in selecting the most popular candidate. The same case applies to business where people will take up a product or service if the media suggest many people are doing the same. For example, research on movie preference by the audience established that people went to watch movies that many people have watched or talked about. The quality of the movie does not determine the viewership or sales of a movie as much as the bandwagon effect.
The bandwagon effect is also evident in socio-cultural issues. People will adopt a cultural change if the media portrays the particular culture as popular. For instance, the western media is gradually getting people to join the bandwagon of gays. After several western countries legalized homosexuality, many movies and television series include gay characters as a way to suggest many people are into the culture. When such once controversial issues are made to look normal by the media, many people tend to join and declare their sexual orientation in public without fear of intimidation.
The influence of the media pegs on the agenda setting theory. With so many things happening in the world, the media has the sole role of determining the agenda for public discussion. Balnaves, Donald, and Shoesmith explain that agenda setting theory describe the role of the media in setting public agenda as opposes to the public views setting the agenda of the media (84). The traditional media, television, radio and print media does not offer the audience a chance to choose their stories, out of the hundreds of stories submitted to a newsroom, the editors will select a few to publish. Even within the selected stories, it is upon the editorial board of the media houses to choose the stories to give prominence and others not to highlight.
Eventually, what the public consumes as top stories is a selection of news items that may not reflect the reality on the ground. For example, significant global issues such as global warming do not often feature as media agenda despite being more threatening than other issues such as terrorism. The media has often been accused of setting negative public agenda instead of focusing on the positive issues happening in the society. Apparently, there are many incidences of heroism occurring all over the world, but the media prefers to focus on the negative side of the story. Nonetheless, the media plays an important role in calling the attention of the authorities to issues that affect the public. Whatever the media chooses to highlight becomes public agenda, and the authorities take it up as their agenda too.
The media is responsible for shaping the culture of the society. Culture is dynamic, and the media plays a critical role in the process of introducing cultural changes. Hjarvard believes that a significant proportion of the global culture owes its origins or spreading to the media (127). In fact, the act of consuming media content has become part of the social behavior of human beings. Every day, families gather around the television to watch their favorite program or news broadcast, vehicles tune into radio stations and men spend the morning going through the newspaper. Sharing information on social media has become part of people's lifestyle. However, the most significant impact of the media on the social lives of people is the change in cultural practice.
The media has a direct effect on the creation of a global society where cultural practices are shared across the world. Balnaves, Donald, and Shoesmith claim that the western media outlets have so far being most influential in propagating the western way of life (76). People watch movies, TV programs, and music videos to learn about the lifestyle of other people. Reality TV has been instrumental in presenting rare spectacles of foreign, exotic culture from different parts of the world. For example, shows such as Survivor and Amazing Race attract viewers because of manner they present life beyond the normal. When a particular cultural practice is repeated several times over the media, it becomes popular culture to the masses. For example, aspects of culture such as music, dressing and language have been highly influenced by the media. Popular cultures such as Hip hop and Rastafarian cultures emanated from one region of the world but spread across the globe courtesy of the media.
Some people believe that the media is responsible for much of the social ills witnessed in the society. According to Hjarvard, moralist argues that harmful media content such as sexually explicit video, vulgar language, and violence have been picked up by the society (125). As a socialization tool, the media can influence the behaviors of its consumers. Young people, especially the adolescents, are highly influenced by media content because they look up to the media personality that includes actors, musicians, and other celebrities. The themes conveyed by the media content easily transfers to the society. However, some people believe that the media reflects the situation in the society. The violence, sexual immorality and corruption displayed by media programs reflect how the society behaves. In as such, the media does not influence the media, but the acts of the society determine the media content.
The media industry and the business world have a symbiotic relationship. The media industry depends on the commercial enterprises to earn revenue through advertisements while business enterprises depend on the media to advertise their products and services. Balnaves, Donald, and Shoesmith state that all the 100 most valuable brands in the world owe their success to the positive publicity they received from the media (37). Over 40% of all media, contents are advertisements informing the public about the existence of products and services in the market (Janssens and De Pelsmacker, 117). The amount of sales is set to raise as more business place their adverts on the different media platforms to promote their products and services. Any business in the world can attest that the media plays an influential role in the building of a brand. Advertising and public relations programs use the media to link up the business world and the public. Consumers get a chance to understand about different products, services, and organizations while the businesses get a chance to convince the customers to make a purchase.
Besides playing a key role in the promotion of commercial enterprises, the media industry also employs hundreds of thousands of people directly and indirectly. The industry plays a key role in the creation of employment. Janssens and Pelsmacker assert that the digital media has helped in the creation of informal employment where young people from across the world are earning a living through blogging (122). The money earned by people working in the media industry helps in stimulating economic growth. In most countries, media entities are among the top performing companies listed on the stock exchange. Since the need to inform and entertain the public is a continuous need, there is assurance that the media company will continue to employ thousands of people in the economy. And thus, reality shows have played this critical role of attracting revenues through the use of spectacle.
Case Studies of Strategies Engaged by Subgenres of Reality Shows
Competition/ elimination shows
The concept of these reality TV shows is to create an exciting competition that will involve several participants going through stages of elimination. The ultimate winner of the shows will have withstood diverse challenges and stiff competition from the other participants. Competition shows come in numerous varieties and may include entertainment shows such as American’s Next Top Model, job hunting such as The Apprentice, survival shows such as The Survivor, and Naked and Afraid. In all the different types of shows, the creators ensure that they build on the element of spectacle and suspense that keeps the audience waiting for the next episode. As mentioned by Papacharissi and Mendelson, they use ordinary people from the society to compete in accomplishing spectacular tasks that makes the audience identify with their achievements or failures (141). For example, in the show America’s Got Talent, ordinary people with exceptional skills compete for the top spot. Apparently, the viewers are excited to watch the common people who were not previously celebs rise from their humble background and become household names across the country. The judges of the show are also keen to select items that will build on spectacle. People will see crazy dance moves, magic shows, unique singing, among other items that are bound to grab the attention of the audience. The same theme of spectacle and suspense is evident in the other reality competition shows aired across the world. For instance, in the show Naked and Afraid, contestants compete in surviving in harsh environments without clothes. The mere fact of watching two naked people trying to survive in a remote area creates curiosity amongst the audience. It is not a regular scene to find modern people walking around naked, living like wild animals. Consequently, many people will love to see the show and the revenues will increase form the creators.
Makeover shows
In this type of shows, the producers identify a house, person, or car that is in bad shape them transform it, to the amazement of the audience. The aim is to generate a cathartic feeling in the audience when they see the former compared to the later. For example, in the Extreme Makeover-Home Edition, the creators purposively select a family that needs help in renovating their house. They provide the background story of the family in manner that the audience will feel pity for the inability of the participant to repair their dilapidated home. The program will then proceed through the process of changing the appearance and content of the house to the satisfaction of each member of the audience. In doing so, the audience will watch the spectacle of the luxury features added to the home and also feel a sense of satisfaction. Each episode will have a unique presentation so that the viewers will have the urge to watch and experience the transformation.
The fact that the show targets ordinary people with life problems to participate as participants also helps the viewers at home to rejoice with the outcome. They feel that it is possible for them to have the same “fortune” of living in a luxurious house with all the amazing features such as a heated swimming pool, a mini-basketball court, a tree house, among, other outstanding features. The makeover shows can only work if the outcome is “spectacular”. The common people watching the show must be amazed by the magnitude of the beauty of the house, car, or face to keep them watching the show.
Dating shows
The dating shows are also varied by they all try to thrill the audience by presenting different scenarios of dating and family life. They include shows such as the Bachelor, The Bachelorate, Wife Swap, Dating Naked, among others. Like all the other types of television shows, the producers of such shows capitalize on what is the norm and they make it appear remarkable. For example, in The Bachelor/Bachelorate show, regular people compete to win the attention of an extremely handsome or beautiful celebrity. The show gets interesting when the each of the contestants try to woe the target with unique tactics. Eventually one person wins the heart of the target and gets an opportunity to date the celeb. To increase on the element of spectacle, producers of reality shows have introduced weird dating shows such as the Dating Naked, that pushes the imagination of the audience to the extreme. The aspect of “naked” is a guarantee attraction for most people and thus a large following is created that earns the show good ratings and viewership. The aim is to ensure each episode introduces an angle that makes the viewers want to watch the next. Therefore, the plot and content of the reality show must make the public talk, imagine, and speculate. For example, the Wife swap show is also a form of dating that defies social norms. While the society abhors cheating, the show presents a scenario where “cheating” can be sensational to watch. The thought of couples exchanging their wives makes everybody eager to see what will happen.
Hidden camera shows
People react to life issues differently, and the idea of watching how other people react to their fears or surprises is spectacular. Therefore, such shows use hidden camera to assess how random or selected members of the public would react to diverse situations. For example, in the show Just for Laughs, the producers entertain the audience by “trapping” individuals with awkward scenarios that will make them react in a funny manner. The idea is to create a funny spectacle that will produce random or calculated reactions from the participants. When the audience watch, they are excited and keep on watching the show. The show titled Cheater also use the same strategy of using hidden cameras to capture couples cheating. The spectacle is created when the cheating spouse is confronted by the partner. The viewers get some psychological relief while at the same time becomes thrilled by watching the rare scene of a person getting busted. Such is the kind of video that can attract millions of viewers online because people have that intrinsic motivation to watch other suffer or being rewarded for doing good. The hidden camera shows works by making people laugh at the unfortunate conditions of others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the move towards reality shows by program producers cannot be termed as degeneration of society. The society, even without television and other entertainment mediums is filled with immorality. The content or themes of the reality shows only reflect what is already prevailing in the society. On the other hand, reality television shows have enabled the common television audience to have a rare cathartic feel never offered by drama shows. Just like participating in dancing and singing, reality shows have made the viewers participants and spectators simultaneously.
Works Cited
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Balnaves, Mark, Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, and Brian Shoesmith. Media theories and approaches: A global perspective. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
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Hjarvard, Stig. "The mediatisation of religion: Theorising religion, media and social change." Culture and Religion 12.02 (2011): 119-135.
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Rubin. A.M. “An examination of television viewing motivations.” Communications Research. 8: 141-165. 1981.
Walgrave, Stefaan, and Peter Van Aelst. "The contingency of the mass media's political agenda setting power: Toward a preliminary theory." Journal of communication 56.1 (2006): 88-109.
Xu, Xuexin, and W. Wayne Fu. "Aggregate bandwagon effects of popularity information on audiences' movie selections." Journal of Media Economics 27.4 (2014): 215-233.
