Assignment 3-1

What is the fascination with reality television? Survivor is one of the better know reality shows today. It is filmed in exotic, remote locations throughout the world. The players are stranded in some remote locale and must survive there. The show features a collection of players from very diverse backgrounds brought together and divided into two or three opposing teams. The teams are required to perform various tests of skill with the winners receiving some type of reward and the losing team being forced to vote off members. Eventually, as tier numbers decline, the teams merge and the elimination continues. The sole survivor receives $1,000,000. That doesn’t sound very realistic for a reality show. Big Brother is another reality show where a group of strangers come together and live in a large house for several months. Cameras placed inside the house record all the activity inside. It highlights the interpersonal relationships and conflicts which develop among the contestants. The list of shows goes on, Temptation Island where married contestants were placed into tempting situations with single members of the opposite sex presumably to test the strength of relationships. The show was cancelled after two seasons. Perhaps there was a little too much reality.
More than 51,000,000 people watched the first season finale of Survivor (Nielson, 2000). Reality television shows have continued to gain popularity and there seems to be no limit to what can be made into a television series. Survivor provides unique scenery and exotic locations while others offer large mansions or travel. They all have some kind of monetary reward for the winner.
So why do people choose to watch reality shows that aren’t very realistic. Viewers are able to identify with the some of the participants which are presented as regular people. The diversity, social and economic backgrounds of the players give the audience a sense of realism and they appear to be just like everyone else. (Reiss, Wiltz, 2004). Everyday life can be boring and mundane. Viewers can feel emotions through the players. There is a sense of being there through the weekly show. It allows the viewer to escape from his or her everyday reality vicariously through the participants.
References:
Reiss, S., Wiltz, J. (2004). Why People Watch Reality TV. Media psychology,6, 363-378. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Neilson Ratings, 2000
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