Increase in Reality Tv

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Ashley Dalcourt
Professor Theus
English 102 Sec 07
15 July 2013 Reality TV is a television program that presents unscripted situations and documents actual events. Widely ridiculed as entertaining some shows are celebrity based while other bring on non-celebrities and offer them a chance to be on television. In our culture, reality television has become extremely obsessive and demanding. Within recent years reality television has faced several problems, including being accused of having premeditated storylines, focusing on those only with outlandish behavior, and altering events through editing. These types of shows have varied themes to allure each and every age group. What makes reality TV so popular? The reality of the show makes viewers watch reality shows. Most viewers feel that they can identify with reality stars. While the vast majority of viewers believe that the programs is scripted and doesn’t depict actual events, many still enjoy seeing into the lives of another and watch the struggles and challenges that many viewers can relate to. We may hate to admit it but there is a little of reality TV star in all of us. Who doesn’t want to get paid thousands of dollars to air your personal life on national television? One of the primary reasons that reality shows are multiplying in numbers is the fact that it is much cheaper than to produce an actual television series. Producers have realized that it is

2 much cheaper to hire a non-celebrity rather than hiring a celebrity. For instance according to Wetpaint Entertainment, reality shows like Teen Mom pays their reality stars per show between $3,000 to $5,000 per episode, which totals to about $39,000 to $65,000 for a typical season. That’s a great difference than having an actor like Terrence Howard who requires millions for his work. Another reason reality TV has increased is due to the fact that certain shows produce lots of drama and violence. Shows like Love and Hip Hop, Basketball Wives, Teen Mom, and Jersey Shore have been riddled with scenes of over-the-top anger that have erupted into violence, but those dramatic outbursts have turned into ratings gold. Viewers enjoy seeing other characters on the show make a spectacle of its cast mates. During its final season, one of the stars of “Jersey Shore” could be seen being punched in the face by a man in a night club. Not only did the video go public but that episode doubled the show’s ratings. Things that we once despised in public have now become a fascination. Reality tv has amused , surprised, or offended millions of viewers and yet it remains, the worse the behavior is the more we desire to watch the show. Another reason reality tv has increased is that they provide viewers a glimpse of idealistic world. These shows make viewers believe