How Reality Shows Affect Our Lives Essay Example
How reality shows affect our lives
If a person takes a look at the TV guide, they will find that more than half of the shows that are on television right now are some form of reality show. It can be a show that simply follows the lives of people like “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, competition shows like “American Idol” or “Top Chef”, or shows that seek to help people with various issues such as “Intervention”, “Celebrity Rehab”, and “Hoarders”. The reason why shows such as these even exist, especially in such magnitude, is because it has been proven that the reality TV model works, and that is because people want to know what goes on in the lives of other people.
What few people realize however is that there has become a line that is often blurred between a show simply being a show for entertainment, and it being something that actually affects our lives. Although many people may not think that they can be affected in any way by reality television, they are sadly mistaken, because certain aspects of reality television has found itself adopting itself into our everyday lives.
Before the MTV’s hit show “Jersey Shore” premiered, were people really fist pumping, wearing poofs, and using terms such as “grenade” and ” smush room” outside of New Jersey? Did they know who or what “Snooki” or “The Situation” was? Were they performing an everyday routine such as GTL or looking for people who were DTL? Probably not. But now, there are people all around who are wondering what new antics take place on the show and shows will like it, simply for the copycat effect.
Reality television has become a cultural phenomenon because it exposes people to a way of life that often times are unlike their own. It may encourage people to adopt some of the things that they see on TV, while others may form opinions on people and situations, where they may never have had an opinion at all.
Whether or not the effect that reality television has had on our lives is good or bad
If a person takes a look at the TV guide, they will find that more than half of the shows that are on television right now are some form of reality show. It can be a show that simply follows the lives of people like “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, competition shows like “American Idol” or “Top Chef”, or shows that seek to help people with various issues such as “Intervention”, “Celebrity Rehab”, and “Hoarders”. The reason why shows such as these even exist, especially in such magnitude, is because it has been proven that the reality TV model works, and that is because people want to know what goes on in the lives of other people.
What few people realize however is that there has become a line that is often blurred between a show simply being a show for entertainment, and it being something that actually affects our lives. Although many people may not think that they can be affected in any way by reality television, they are sadly mistaken, because certain aspects of reality television has found itself adopting itself into our everyday lives.
Before the MTV’s hit show “Jersey Shore” premiered, were people really fist pumping, wearing poofs, and using terms such as “grenade” and ” smush room” outside of New Jersey? Did they know who or what “Snooki” or “The Situation” was? Were they performing an everyday routine such as GTL or looking for people who were DTL? Probably not. But now, there are people all around who are wondering what new antics take place on the show and shows will like it, simply for the copycat effect.
Reality television has become a cultural phenomenon because it exposes people to a way of life that often times are unlike their own. It may encourage people to adopt some of the things that they see on TV, while others may form opinions on people and situations, where they may never have had an opinion at all.
Whether or not the effect that reality television has had on our lives is good or bad