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Reality Tv Vs Reality Research Paper

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Reality Tv Vs Reality Research Paper
Kathryn Watson
ENG 3073, sec. 01
Genre TV vs. Reality

Sadly, the days of scripted television may soon be gone. Reality programming is rapidly consuming much of today's entertainment. One of the genres that is taking the reality hit the hardest is the sci-fi/supernatural genre. Shows in this category are th polar opposite of reality TV and are suffering for it. More networks are letting go of quality escapism and are instead churning out cookie cutter versions of reality. The sci-fi/supernatural genre is the purest form of escapism in programming. Isn't that what television was mean for, to escape everyday life (reality) and journey into a fantasy world of hopes, dreams, heroes and happiness?

Shows like Angel, Buffy the Vampire …show more content…
Tru Calling was a redundant show for most of it's first season, someone dies and Tru goes back to save them. Until Jason Preistly came in with the same powers, but used them to keep the people dead. This totally shook up all of the assumptions of the protagonist being the "good," blurring the lines of good and evil. This was a great plot twist and had it been revealed earlier than the last two episodes of the first season, maybe Tru Calling would have made it to a second (and more enticing) season. The show was cut show while filming the sixth episode of the second season, no doubt to make room for some new "reality gem" from …show more content…
Survivor asks a question similar to "Could you survive on an island with 12 other people in extreme conditions?" The "you" in the sentence makes the viewer believe he or she can be the hero of this story, the average person in their La-Z-boy is now the protagonist. This La-Z-boy is now under the impression that he is valued by TV, valued enough that the people on TV are his peers and may one day be himself. In this sense, reality TV appeals to the narcissistic side of human nature, leading people to think they too can win the prize/money/girl/boy. In turn, the viewer feels good about themself and loves reality
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