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RoDreka Linebarger

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

October 26, 2017

Reality TV: Friend or Foe?

Question, do you consider Reality Tv a Friend or Foe? Good question, not everyone is a

fan of reality TV, but I know a group of adolescents who love it, teen girls. Have you ever

wondered if watching shows like Jersey Shore, The Real World, and Kyles Life influence you

in real life? Well for my end of the semester project I chose this interesting topic to argue my

opinion that reality TV does not impact young adults like myself, more relatively to teen girls.

Reality TV is defined in many ways, many older adults and parents believe reality TV to be a

bad influence and can be manipulative. The definition of adolescents is a young person in the

process of developing from a child into an adult, so these young adults are old enough and

should be able to make wise decisions whether to watch such a show that would deceit and

manipulate them. There are many different opinions out there where studies were conducted to

prove reality TV does have some type of negative effect on adolescents. My main point is to

identify the negative and positive impacts reality TV convey on young adults and simply argue

my belief that reality TV is not at all harmful but can be used as a learning tool.

Of course, these reality TV shows are fun and entertaining with lots of drama and

fighting. The real question is, what are these reality TV shows everyone is talking about? Shows

like The Real World, Teen Mom, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and Duck Dynasty are only a

few examples of the portrayed TV shows. Most of the reality shows are viewed by young teen
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girls. Like myself I am 20 years old, a junior in college and I still love a good episode of The

Real World, and personally Jersey Shore's was one of my favorite TV shows. I believed I turned

out pretty good, and I did not let any show define me or impact me in negative way.

Reality TV is very popular and is talked about a lot. There are more reality television

programs than ever before. Some of these programs have emerged as a constant hit. So, why

would anyone agree that reality is harmful to young teens? There are two articles that I will be

discussing that both authors have opposite views on reality programming. The first article is by

the author, Michael Hirschorn titled, The case for Reality TV and he explains all the cases for

reality TV and so many people love watching it. The Case for Reality TV, is a reliable source

that can help validate my argument. The second article written by Elizabeth Larkin, Reality TV:

Should we Really Watch? She challenges that watching reality programming is a terrible idea,

she believes not watching a show just because it is entertaining, and that the show should have

other factors besides being entertaining and interesting.

The case for Reality TV is a great article I could not have said anything he stated any

better. Hirschorn had plenty of say about reality TV as he and I are both arguing the same point.

Even though he is biased to the fact because he is an unapologetic producer of reality shows. He

and I do not believe it is inappropriate or irrelevant nor do we believe that reality tv shows not

always set up a good example on every reality TV program made. Reality TV programs are what

supposed to be a cause of bullying but if you really look at it reality TV is bullied by the society.

Entertainment and news are big issues in the world, everyone is always trying to point fingers at

whats wrong or right or whats good or bad. When it comes down to it who is the judge? Our

self not others? Even television programmers see the genre as a kind of visual Hamburger

Helper: cheap filler that saves them money they can us elsewhere for more worthy programming
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(Hirschorn). Reality TV is not getting a fair trial for one is it being used and exploded so it can

make other shows and movies look better. Do the society really care about the adolescents and

how they are impacted, or do they care about news, media, and/or money? Considering all the

fuse going on reality TV still is the liveliest genre on the set right now.

Is Reality TV all bad? Reality TV can do things to people that other people cannot do.

Reality TV can bring out different sides and emotions of people that can help benefit them or just

help them find out deep inside them. Not all impacts can be affected badly, scripted television

can show ambition, growth and aspiration. Also, reality TV can present some of the most vital

political debate in America, particularly about class and race. ABCs Extreme Makeover: Home

Edition features intensely emotional tales of people who have fallen through the cracks of Bush-

era America- often blue-collar families ravaged by disease, health-care costs, insurance

loopholes (Hirschorn). I agree with Hirschorn when he talks about how reality TV programs can

call on a debate about class and race and how he used the example of The White Rapper Show

clarifying that the society has turned the show into a running debate among the aspiring white

MC. Making a hit show more about politics and whether it is more bestowed by class or race and

not about the importance of his talent and gift.

Some of these reality TV programs portrays more than just a title. Taking on the show,

The Real Housewives of Orange County, but with its lack of budgets still finds a way to chart a

deep and spiritual decay of life in a gated community. Where these women experiences are not

always great and some fear of anxiety, family issues and happiness. Shows like this do things to

the viewers especially viewers who are in the same predicament, enlightening them and letting

them know they are not the only ones having problems and stressors in their life. For married

couples who are having marriage complications and do not have the extra money to get
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counseling can turn to reality shows like ABCs Wife Swap. Where they are taught the value of

love and can remind those couples to have faith in themselves and their partner and that you can

get through anything. Some viewers cannot admit to themselves or others that these shows can

be helpful in a certain situation resourceful. Post-9/11, Survivor became less a fantasy and more

a metaphor for an imagined post-apocalyptic future. The best moments found on reality TV are

un-scriptable, or beyond the grasp of most scriptwriters (Hirschorn). Hirschorn and I both agree

that the resistance of reality programing ultimately comes down to generational variety, people

over 40 years of age.

Elizabeth Larkin author of Reality TV: Should We Really Watch? To me, she appears as

if she writes about how she feels, and how she views these reality shows instead of facts and

numbers. Larkin is more focused on the negative impact reality TV have on people. Although,

we do have some similar thoughts on the society and how they perceive these shows. She

strongly feels that even though these shows are popular and entertaining, that they damaging to

our community and nation. You all know that I dont entirely agree with her, but as I continue to

argue my main point I will also evaluate other professional views as well. For example, these

reality TV shows wouldnt be invented if we didnt watch them, so why we watch them?

(Larkin). There is no right or wrong answer to this question because not everyone watches the

same reality show and not everyone watches for the same reason. Reasons like, entertainment,

advice, help, inspiration, interest can be alternatives as to why people like reality TV and decide

to watch it. To Larkin, she thinks people watch these shows to laugh at others and to deprive

entertainment from watching others hurt, which is totally not true speaking for those who watch

reality TV such as myself. Personally, I believe Larkin supports the theory that Misery likes

company.
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According to Barry B. Langberg, a Los Angeles lawyer, something like this is done for

no other reason than to embarrass people or humiliate them or scare them. The producers dont

care about human feelings or emotions. They dont care about being decent. The only care that is

relevant to them is money (Larkin). In other words, all shows are different and they all hit on

different aspects, some fulfil their purpose, and some dont. The shows that dont are the shows

that producers care less about and are only interested because of monetary gain. To be successful

you must put in work and do what it takes to gain that success. Some of these producers are just

throwing these reality shows together because it is cheaper than drama and crime shows that can

go through with it. Larkin also pondered upon the question wheres the Reality? One of the

ethical problems of reality television is the fact that it isnt as real as it portrays to be (Larkin).

Again, all her questions come down to a million television viewers, not all shows are the same or

are perceiving to be about the same thing, of course reality tv shows are not able to have every

bit of the show to be real, its virtually impossible. Of course, I agree when it comes to racial

stereotypes and assumptions are not character traits that should be idolized. I guess it all depends

on what the show main purpose is and what they are trying to convey. In a few shows theres

always a familiar black female character: aggressive, finger pointing, and always lecturing others

on how to behave supposedly taking on the impression of a modern day black women. MSNBC

has reported on the matter, noting that after so many reality programs, we can discern a pattern

of characters that isnt very far different from the stock characters found in fictional

programming (Larkin).

Elizabeth Larkin came at the viewers and society with several questions; why these

shows are terrible and why hurt and humiliation are encouraged. She is so curious on why we

watch the shows we watch, she basically thinks if we watch reality shows and enjoy them then
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we have a problem. One unique thing about every person on this plant is that we are all unique in

our on special way. It is okay to like different things and watch different genres of television

because its not a crime. According to Larkin, I suspect that peoples ability and willingness to

take pleasure in such things may stem from the increasing separation we experience from others

around us. She believes that we should take some time to reflect on why such programming is

made and why we feel attracted. Shes right thats why we, as young adults have right to choose

what we think is good to watch and not what others think is right for us.

According to ScienceDaily, a new study finds MTVs reality TV programs, 16 and

Pregnant and Teen Mom helped decrease childbearing rates and teen pregnancies in the U.S.

This is great news; teen birth rates fell a great bit between the years 2008 and 2012. Prime

example, not only does reality TV impact teens in a good way but helped decrease unwanted

teen pregnancies and educated young teens on the safety and consequences of unprotected sex.

Despite the negativity and concerns of others that shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom are

turning teen moms into reality stars is now glamorizing teen pregnancy, a new study shows a

humongous impact in a more positive direction. The research finds that MTVs 16 and Pregnant

and Teen Mom led to a 5.7 percent reduction in teen births, which accounts for around one-third

of the overall decline in teen births in the year and a half following the shows introduction in

2009 (Levine, Kearney). The statistics shows that these programs are wonderful ways to educate

the youth in a relatable way. My 15-year-old sister and I watch these shows together and we can

relate on many different levels. We are able to visualize how hard teen pregnancy looks and how

it would change our lives forever honestly, they are one of the best show ideas MTV has had in a

while. I would recommend this show to all young teen girls. This study was a big deal because it

was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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What made teen birth rate ranks decline dramatically over the past 20 years? Researchers

showed that the Great Recession played the biggest role, but coming in second is the introduction

of MTVs teen pregnancy shows. My theory is that these young teens are watching these shows

and are terrified of getting in the same situation at a young age. For example, having to grow up

early and taking on full responsibilities of taking care of a baby when they their selves are still a

baby, which can result in 2 options; option one having an abortion, or option two having the

baby and giving it up for adoption. Comparing those girls from the show to myself, I can say that

is a big decision to make. I understand that sometimes we make mistakes, but I know as a viewer

of those teen pregnancy shows that those girls went through a lot and either way they had to

grow up a lot faster than girls who were abstinent. To determine how much of an impact the

shows have on teens, researchers Kearney and Levine conducted an empirical study, analyzing

several measures of exposure, including Nielsen ratings data and metrics from google and the

social media site Twitter. I really enjoyed reading this article because most adolescents can relate

to the topic and the study since we all love our social media sites. After conducting their

research, they found that searches and tweets about birth control and abortion happened exactly

around the time the show is on and in locations where it is more popular. They of course

hypothesized correctly, their findings were as to be expected 16 and pregnant, teen mom & teen

mom 2 led teens to prohibit sexual activities at a young age that can lead to teen pregnancies.

Studies like theirs, display that reality TV is not all terrible and have no purpose because unlike

drama, crime shows or any other genre, reality TV is the one show that helped and made a

difference by lowering sexual activities from young teens that can lead to teen pregnancies.

As I quote, Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and

Unplanned Pregnancy, The entertainment media can be, and often is, a force for good. She is
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right, I believe that it only affects you if you let it. Everyone can agree on that MTV drew in

these teens who were at risk of teen pregnancies and educated them and fed them important

information that changed their behavior and preventing them from making the wrong mistakes

and dodging the bullet of giving birth at such a young age. I am very appreciative of this article

because it helped prove to society; whose only concern is to negatively expose terrible

accusation about reality TV, but with the information from their study helped some realize

reality TV is not set out to harm or manipulate anyone but to help inspire others, entertain them,

and teach them to live life to the fullest.

On the other hand, everyone is dying to know how real is the Real World? according to

the psychreport and the author, Mark Flynn of this article, Reality TV and Body Image: The

Not So Real World, points out how perfectly fitted the actors were. A world full of lean bodies,

large breasts, and six packs. Basically, stating it was more of a world based in on fantasy than

fact. Knowing that many viewers, that are on the heavier side, and especially teens idealizing

theses cast members believing that the cast reflect normal body types. These misperceptions can

correlate with loads of problems including but not limited to low self-esteem to eating disorders

and/or depression/anxiety. To prove a point, Flynn colleagues and he proposed their own study

by analyzing the most popular MTV shows from the years 2004-2011, which including reality

shows like the Real World, The Hills, and Jersey Shore. Their methods were that they watched

more than 90 episodes, 47 hours of MTV. Taking notes on each cast member body types and

how often they were on display. Their findings were that there was an ideal image these

producers were looking for, women were to be slender with only 69 percent having low body fat

and median to large bust sizes. Male cast members were lean men with 74 percent have low body

fat, these men were the opposite they were big muscular, v shaped body. I dont totally disagree
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with this part I believe that there is always a type of actor or actress that they're looking for to

play that perfect part, with the perfect little body.

Lastly, newswise.com has an article on how realities TV have positive impacts on

viewers. This is the last article which will help sum up my thoughts of how I think reality TV is

of an influence on young adults as many non-viewers and parents may think. According to recent

Nielsen ratings, shows such as Survivor, American Idol, Fear Factor, Big Brother and The

Bachelor are attracting more than 18 million viewers per episode (newswise.com). As I have

been explaining many people believe these shows pose no redeeming value, however Cynthia

Frisby, a researcher at the University of Missouri Columbia discovered otherwise. She says that

these shows have a positive impact on viewers. Entertainment needs are met through reality

television because these shows allow people to make comparisons with media images;

comparisons that ultimately help them feel better about themselves and their personal

circumstances (Frisby).

Frisby study was conducted of participants ranging in age from 19 to 29 years old, which

is like the 18 to 34 age group who are most attracted to reality television. She asked of them to

complete a survey to measure their moods and thoughts regarding reality TV, which 78 percent

were regular viewers. Then they watched a 40-minute segment of Joe Millionaire while

recording their reactions to it, followed by another survey. Results were that the participants

exposure to reality television resulted in a positive increase in mood state, showing no difference

between genders. Results like these can be used to provide new insights concerning

psychological, cognitive and behavioral processes that motivate television viewing preferences

and program choices. She believes that television and other media provide the thrill of observing

danger without allowing people to suffer consequences, which I agree with. Audiences know that
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when the curtain comes down and the lights come on in the theater, everything is back in order.

Thats what reality television does for the regular viewer (Frisby).

In conclusion, everyone has their own opinions about reality television programs and

what kind of impact they believe it leaves on people. I simply argued my opinion and thoughts

toward the outcome of watching reality TV against people who believe reality TV have negative

influences against those who view these shows, especially adolescents aging from 15-30 years of

age and mostly girls rather than boys. I still believe these shows are nothing more than just a

distraction from todays tragic events. It give viewers an outlet for watching others overcome

hardships, escape danger, live in a rainforest, seek success, following their dreams, learn to

survive under the roughest conditions, and find love.