REALITY TELEVISION

AS A POPULAR CULTURE FOCUS/CASE STUDY (PART I)

1. THE CREATION OF REALITY TELEVISION
WHAT IS REALITY TELEVISION? Defining reality television is difficult because it is difficult to draw
a line between the reality genre and other television genres such as documentary/game show/drama
comedy/sport/performance art etc. Charles Parsons, creator of the Survivor format, defines reality
shows as those containing producer created environments that control contestant behaviour (!
"and# $ustralias obsession with reality television by %errie &urphy, '((), p.*)+.
, Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripte
dramatic or sometimes humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features orinary
people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or ot!er situation "!ere a pri#e is
a"are$ ($dapted from -ill, $nnette ('((.+. Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television.
/outledge+
HOW REAL IS REALITY TELEVISION? /eality television fre0uently portrays a modified and
highly influenced form of reality, at times utilising sensationalism to attract audience viewers and
increase advertising revenue profits. Participants are often placed in e1otic locations or abnormal
situations, and are often persuaded to act in specific scripted ways by off,screen 2story editors2 or
2segment television producers2, with the portrayal of events and speech manipulated and contrived to
create an illusion of reality through direction and post,production editing techni0ues.
A)Trace the orii!" o# rea$it% te$e&i"io!
%&'(s ) %&*(s+ 3n the late *4.(s the popularity of elevision amongst westerners meant that 56 and
television networ7s had to diversity the ,enres of television they provided to maintain viewer
interest/engagement and thus elevision as a popular culture.
, Precedents for television that portrayed people in unscripted situations began in the *48(s and became
more popular in the late *4.(s. Debuting in *489, Allen -unt.s !ien ca/era Candid Camera show in
THE 0NITE1 STATES O- A2ERI3A, (based on his previous *48: radio show, Candid &icrophone+,
broadcast unsuspecting ordinary people reacting to pran7s. 3t has been called the 2granddaddy of the
reality ! genre2. REALITY43O2E1Y SHOW
%&*(s+%&5(s+ &ar7ed the beginning of the 0NS3RI6TE14O7SERVATIONAL 1O30SOA6 in ;ritain
and 56$. &any of these docusoaps focused on observing everyday life of children, teenagers and the
family unit.
<.g. Seven Up! (;ritain, *4)8, produced by =ranada elevision, directed by &ichael $pted+
An American Family (56$, *4:8, produced and directed by Craig =ilbert+
The Family (;ritish, *4:8, produced by Paul >atson+
he t!e/es of the above shows often focused on the factors impacting socialisation and related to the
social and cultural concerns of western societies at that time (e.g. changing structure of the family, rising
divorce rates, nature/nurture debate, ine0uality and social classes+.
%&8(s+%&&(s+ Can be divided into two main types of shows
he beginning of unscripted/observational docusoaps in $ustralia#
3n *44' the first local, $ustralian unscripted docusoap called Sylvania Waters was produced by Paul
>atson and the $;C/;;C and shown to $ustralian and ;ritish audiences. he show 6ylvania >aters, a
documentary television series which followed the lives of an $ustralian family. $ *',part co,production by
the $ustralian ;roadcasting Commission ($;C+ and the ;ritish ;roadcasting Corporation (;;C+, the
controversial program chronicled the e1istence of couple ?oeline ;a7er and "aurie Donaher and their
largely adult offspring. he series too7 its name from the wealthy harbourside suburb in southern 6ydney
where ?eoline and "aurie reside. ;illed as a real,life soap opera , 6ylvania >aters was shot over a si1,
month period by a camera crew who lived with the Donaher/;a7ers. $ccording to an agreement struc7
with the family,the crew was allowed to film anywhere,at any time ,e1pect when family members were
using the bathroom or ma7ing love. >hile $;C publicity for the documentary series emphasised the
couple@s new found wealth and lu1urious lifestyle, the tightly edited result ruthlessly scrutinised the
entrenched interpersonal conflicts which lay beneath the surface of the blended family@s easygoing
facade. "i7e its *4:9 ;ritish prototype, The Family, which brought instant infamy to the >il7ins family of
/eading, and the *4:A 5.6. program An American Family ,which chronicled the lives of the "oud family
in 6anta ;arbara,California, 6ylvania >aters focused a national microscope on the values and behaviour
of the Donaher/;a7er family. ?oeline and "aurie@s unwed status, ?oeline@s drin7ing problem, "aurie@s
racism, their materialism, and the family@s routine domestic disputes,all became issuses discussed widely
in the $ustralian media. Contributing to SO3IAL AN1 30LT0RAL 3HAN9E$
o view e1cerpts of the show and social commentary surrounding the show please see the following
footage#
, Sylvania Waters on t!e A73 5$:( Report; %&&<
http#//www.youtube.com/watchBvC:6rmPuD"s(EfeatureCmfuFinForderElistC5"
+ 7yron Hurst criti=uin, Sylvania Waters on t!e A73 5$:( report %&&<
http#//www.youtube.com/watchB
vC-f''nD3uF((EfeatureCautoplayElistC5":6rmPuD"s(ElfCmfuFinForderEplayne1tC*
!ery revealing interview with local &P for 6ylvania >aters, ;yron -urst who is e1pressing concerns
over the social and cultural impact of the show (popular culture+ in shaping individuals perception of the
suburb and its people.
he beginning of formulated docusoaps internationally and in $ustralia#
-or/ulate ocusoaps> involve producers artificially altering participants environment G/ interactions,
usually in order to increase interest and drama.
he construction of formulated docusoaps began in $merica with &!s The Real World in *44'.
producers selected seven very different young people, put them up in a ?ew Hor7 apartment for *A
wee7s to find out what happens when people stop being polite to each other and start being realB
Producers and directors often attempted to artificially manipulate situations and produce drama.
he series was hailed in its early years for depicting issues of contemporary young,adulthood relevant to
its core audience, such as se1uality, preIudice and substance abuse, but later garnered a reputation as a
showcase for immature and irresponsible behavior. Jollowing the original producers death from breast
cancer in '((8, ;unim/&urray Productions continues to produce the program. he show@s twenty,fifth
season, set in "as !egas, premiered on &arch 4, '(**. he twenty,si1th season, set in 6an Diego, will
premiere on 6eptember '9, '(**. he show has been pic7ed up by &! through its '9th season.
Jor short e1cepts of the show see#
2TVs Real Worl> T!e 9olen Years http#//www.youtube.com/watchBvC9esggn."1iH
his format of formulated docusoaps was adapted in a $ustralian conte1t in %&&8 with 6ydneys &&&
(/adio station+ $ndrew Denton and $manda %eller running a radio competition called The House From
Hell$ he show too7 ) people, cast purely to create ma1imum friction, and loc7ed them in a house in the
6ydney suburb of ?aremburn for three months paying their rent and living e1penses. 3t was viewed via
four internet cameras and contestants were subIected to various restrictions deigned to ma7e them
uncomfortable and create conflict. <.g. removing all the furniture and replacing it with childrens furniture,
tying the participants together, confiscating all cutlery in the house. >hoever stayed in the house won
K.((( priLe from loan company &ortgage Choice. (beginning of in?luence o? @usiness; /arAetin,
an4or avertisin,B
Jor short e1cepts of the show see#
Ten %&&8+ House ?ro/ Hell avert http#//www.youtube.com/watchBvC$ltP)MdiHr8
HO2E RENNOVATION4LI-ESTYLE4 1IY AN1 SEL-+I26ROVE2ENT REALITY SHOWS also began in
;ritain at this time. <.g. Changing Rooms
<(((s /eality television saw an eCplosion o? ,lo@al popularity starting in the summer of '(((, with
the successes of Big Brother and Survivor (in the 56+.
3n particular, Survivor and American dol have topped the 56 season,average television ratings on
several occasions.
;eginning of ,a/e s!o" reality television #
6urvivor led the ratings in '((*N(', and 3dol has topped the ratings si1 consecutive years ('((8N(.
through to '((4N*(+. he shows Who !ares Wins" Survivor, the dol series, The Ama#ing Race, the
America$s %e&t Top 'odel series, the !ancing With The Stars series, The 'ole" The Biggest (oser"
The Apprentice" Fear Factor and Big Brother have all had a global effect, having each been
successfully syndicated in doLens of countries.
$ccording to Charles Parsons (a maIor innovator of the genre+, the REALITY 9A2E SHOW programs is
a -H;/3D GJ JG5/ HP<6 GJ 6-G>6#
, /<$"3H DGC56G$P
, /<$"3H =$&< 6-G>
, <"<&<?6 GJ D/$&$
, /<$"3H $"% 6-G>
he above form of reality shows has given $ustralia and the world some of the reality television genres
most PGP5"$/ programs and enduring (ongoing+ series.
Despite their different emphasis (e.g. drama, game show/talent show, tal7 show etc+ all of these reality
series have a few things in common#
, 9LO7AL -OR2AT4LO3AL A66EAL. he reality television show genre revolutionalised the
way television was bought/sold and transmitted around the world. 5nli7e soapies and dramas such as
Home ) A*ay that are e1ported to other countries. /eality ! shows are typically sold in terms of their
?ranc!ise4?or/at rather than a specific show.
<.g. Big Brother is shown around the world under various different names
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from
the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. <ach series lasts for around three
months, and there are usually fewer than *. participants. he housemates try to win a cash priLe by
avoiding periodic evictions from the house. he idea for the show is said to have come during a
brainstorm session at the Dutch production house of Do!n e 2ol 6rouAties (an independent part of
<ndemol+ on 8 6eptember *44:. he first ;ig ;rother broadcast was in the ?etherlands in %&&& on the
!eronica ! channel. 3t was pic7ed up by ;raLil, =ermany, $rgentina, Portugal, 56$, 5%, 6pain,
;elgium, 6weden, 6witLerland and 3taly the following year and became a world,wide sensation. 6ince
then it has been a pri/e+ti/e !it in al/ost 5( countries. he show@s name comes from =eorge
Grwell@s *484 novel ?ineteen <ighty,Jour, a dystopia in which ;ig ;rother can always spy on the
inhabitants of the dictatorship he heads through their television sets, with the slogan 2;ig ;rother is
watching you.2
')O(t$i!e the )e&e$o*+e!t" o# rea$it% te$e&i"io! $oca$$%, !atio!a$$% a!)
$o-a$$%
&any reality television shows have their creative roots in ;ritain and the 56$. Despite their initial
creation in these western countries, the format of the shows is fre0uently sold around the world and local
persons; society; culture an environ/ent alter the show to ensure that there is local an national
"iesprea appeal$
E$,$ Big Brother +Big Bosses, in 3ndia
Bigg Boss is a reality show where celebrity contestants stay in a single house for about three months,
with no connection to the outside world. hey are overseen by a mysterious person 7nown as @;igg
;oss@, whose only presence in the house is through his voice.
>hile all the rules have never been told to the audience, the most prominent ones are clearly seen. he
inmates are not per/itte to talA in any ot!er lan,ua,e t!an Hini. hey are not supposed to tamper
with any of the electronic e0uipment or any other thing in the -ouse. hey cannot leave the -ouse at any
time e1cept when permitted to. hey cannot discuss the nomination process with anyone.
o see various social and cultural adaptations follow the lin7 below#
3ele@rities NOT seC on s!o" on 7i, 7osses Ein Inia ECpressB
http#//www.e1pressindia.com/news/fullstory.phpBnewsidC:)94.
.. ROLE OF /YTHOLO0Y IN THE CREATION AND PERPETUATION OF
REALITY TELEVISION
6ee reality television group case studies.
Despite the reality tag, many of these shows prime purpose is to entertain and construct a
parasocial connection with viewers. his is often achieved through producers and directors
deliberately selecting cast,type contestants whilst artificially altering situations in order to increase
dramaC interest. Gften the /yt!olo,y of the show being reality is created and maintained by#
, '8 hour streaming of the show via internet
, filming contestants in $"" situations (e.g. shower, bed etc+
1. THE CONSU/PTION OF POPULAR CULTURE
, i)e!ti#% the co!"(+er" o# rea$it% te$e&i"io!
Consumption of reality television varies according to the 6P<C3J3C television series. 6ee group case
studies for specific e1amples.
, i)e!ti#% the *roce"" o# co!"(+*tio! o# rea$it% te$e&i"io!
echnology has dramatically altered the genre of reality television both in HOW the genre has
evolved and the INTERA3TIVE ways consumers can gain access to the product.
E$,$ ECtract ?ro/ ne"spaper article TE3HNOLO9YF 3a/corers an 63.s S!ape
Aest!etics o? .Reality. TV
If you think cultural critics are aghast over the social implications of the ''reality'' television crae! listen to
"hat camera#"ielding purists have to say a$out the technical %uality of some of the video v&rit&
programs no" $eing spe"ed into the nation's living rooms'
''Incredi$ly shoddy production values!'' said Alan Raymond! a co#director of an early version of reality
programming: the ()#part ''American Family'' series $roadcast $y P*S in (+,-' .r' Raymond! "ho "ith
his "ife! Susan! made that acclaimed and controversial P*S series a$out the real#life /oud family! "as
recently coa0ed $y his (1#year#old son into "atching the contemporary reality series ''Surreal /ife'' on
2* net"ork' ''The Surreal /ife!'' "hich has no" run its course! monitored a group of past#their#prime
cele$rities "ho shared a house for (3 days'
2atching the sho"! .r' Raymond cared little a$out a$out "hether the group could help *rande
Roderick! a desperate and dateless former Playmate of the 4ear! find a suita$le man' Instead! .r'
Raymond found himself fascinated $y "hat he considered the lo"#rent "ay the sho" "as made'
''I s"ore that half of it "as shot "ith camera sound! not a separate sound mike!'' .r' Raymond said' ''I
said to myself! '5o" cheap this is6 ho" amaing that it's $ecome accepta$le that people "ill "atch it'' It's
almost like the content supersedes everything to do "ith the artistry of the making of the sho"'''
*ut may$e his (1#year#old son! "ho edits his o"n short films on a laptop computer! sa" something that
.r' Raymond! an Academy A"ard#"inning film documentarian no" in his 73's! did not'
T"o decades into the home#video era! the idea of $eing on television and shooting television has
$ecome second nature to an entire generation of vie"ers' That may help e0plain not only the pool of
people "illing to $e televised under any num$er of potentially humiliating circumstances! $ut also the
standing army of videographers ready to capture it all on tape'
The technology of shooting and editing video has $ecome so afforda$le and accessi$le that it almost
seems as if anyone on the street can make a television sho" these days' That may $e "hy! in the vie"
of the auteurs! anyone on the street is making television sho"s these days'
, e2a+i!e the ro$e o# the +e)ia i! the co!"(+*tio! a!) i!teractio!
he mass media (newspapers, radio, television, internet etc+ can have ;G- a 6OSITIVE ) NE9ATIVE
impact on the perpetuation of reality television as a popular culture (consumption and interaction+.
6OSITIVE I26A3TS>
+ Television> as a form of mass media is crucial to the direct transmission of reality television to
consumers.
+ Internet> he internet is enabling people to view their favorite reality television programs online, on
demand (and now with mobile phone technology $?H>-</<O+ he internet also increases the e1posure
of individuals to associated paraphernalia and consumer products. he internet has also enabled
individuals and groups to transmit their own reality to a mass audience. <.g. you tube
NE9ATIVE I26A3TS>
+ Ne"spapers; Television an Raio> ;ecome a platform to voice public criticism and outrage at a
particular show or reality ! series.
<g. 7i, 7rot!er 0G Race controversy
6ince its beginning in '(((, the concept and implementation of 5% edition of the reality game show ;ig ;rother
has regularly been the subIect of controversy and criticism among the ;ritish public and news media. here have
been various investigations by numerous organisations, including ! watchdogs and the police.
he Celebrity ;ig ;rother racism controversy was a series of events related to incidents of perceived racist
behaviour by contestants on the television series Celebrity ;ig ;rother '((: shown on ;ritish television station
Channel 8. he incidents centred on comments made by contestants on this reality television show, most notably
;ig ;rother contestant Pade =oody, glamour model Danielle "loyd, and singer Po G@&eara, which were directed
towards 3ndian actress 6hilpa 6hetty. he screening of t!ese co//ents on 0G television resulte in national
an international /eia covera,e; responses ?ro/ t!e 0G an Inian ,overn/ents; an t!e s!o".s
suspension urin, t!e <((8 season$ &any agencies and corporations cancelled their contracts with the
housemates accused of racism, citing the allegations as the reason for the terminations. $lso, many sponsors of
the ;ig ;rother series cancelled or suspended their sponsorship of the show.
$fter the show, =oody stated that she understood her comments appeared as racist and apologised for any
offence caused. 6hetty later told the media that she forgave =oody. $fter conducting an investigation, Gfcom ruled
that Channel 8 had breached the Gfcom code of conduct, and statutory sanctions were placed on the networ7.
he accusations began when Pade =oody@s mother, Pac7iey ;udden, repeatedly referred to 6hetty as 2the 3ndian2
while she was on the show because, according to her, she was unable to pronounce her name. -owever, during
her eviction interview, hostess Davina &cCall coerced Pac7iey into saying 26hilpa2 and Pac7iey pronounced it
properly.
$fter ;uddens eviction, =oody@s boyfriend Pac7 weed called 6hetty an e1pletive, with the bleeped,out e1pletive
variously reported as 2QQQQ2 and 2Pa7i2 who should remove obIects from the toilet with her teeth.
&any of the accusations were centred on conversations between Danielle "loyd and Po G@&eara. Gn one
occasion, the two women moc7ed 6hetty@s accent, and on another occasion "loyd referred to 6hetty as a 2dog2.
$fter believing 6hilpa had undercoo7ed a chic7en, G@&eara generalised that all 3ndians were thin because they
were 2sic7 all the time2 as a result of undercoo7ing their food. "loyd commented on 6hetty applying facial hair
bleaching cream, saying, 2she@s trying to ma7e her face loo7 white2 while G@&eara moc7ed 6hetty@s accent, saying,
2Goh 3 got a hairy face.2 3n another verbal attac7, "loyd said 2do you get stubbleB2. Pade, Danielle and Po
repeatedly stated, to each other and the other housemates, that they felt 6hilpa was a @fa7e@ and a @loser@.

$fter an argument between 6hetty and =oody, witnessed by a giggling G@&eara and "loyd, "loyd said she thought
6hetty should 2fQQQ off home2. $fter a similar comment by =oody, "loyd laughed and approved saying, 2hat was
fuc7ing fantastic, 3 loved it2 before repeating 23 thin7 she should fQQQoff home.2 6he also said 6hilpa 2can@t even
spea7 <nglish properly anyway2. 6he also mentioned that she didn@t li7e 6hetty touching her food because 2you
don@t 7now where her hands have been2. he ne1t morning, "loyd spo7e to 6hetty about the situation, but did not
apologise. During the conversation in the bedroom, =oody entered, sat in front of "loyd, bloc7ing out 6hetty, and
began doing ma7eup. $s 6hetty left, "loyd told =oody that she 2tried apologising to her2. "ater "loyd said to
6hetty, 23 feel really bad, 3 feel disgusted with myself the way 3@ve treated you and the way 3@ve acted, because 3@m
not li7e that, 6hilpa, really, . . . $nd you can even coo7 me curry and you can pic7 the onions out with your fingers2.
=oody referred to 6hetty as, @6hilpa Daroopa@ and @6hilpa Papadum@. 6he later insisted that she had done this with
no intention of racism. 6he later apologised if her actions had offended anybody. $fter =oody apologised to 6hetty
for her behaviour, weed stated that he was very disappointed with =oody for apologising, and called 6hetty a
2dic72 after previously describing her as a 2wan7er2.
;y '( Panuary, Gfcom received 88,.(( complaints from members of the public, while Channel 8 received an
additional A,((( complaints about racism and bullying by housemates against 6hilpa. Channel 8 initially described
the situation as 2girly rivalry2, but later admitted there had 2undoubtedly been a cultural clash between her and
three of the ;ritish females in the house2.Channel 8 continued to air moments of racism on their show, stating that
the social dynamics of the housemates are part of the story and viewers had the right to see the events portrayed
as accurately as possible.

!arious media outlets initially characterised the issue as @girlish rivalry@ but later blamed it on bullying and racism.
$s time progressed, the maIority of media coverage of Pade became negative, although accusations of racism
were superseded by those of bullying. $n editorial published by he Daily &irror on *9 Panuary '((: called
@;eauty v ;igot@, deplored what they referred to as 2disgraceful racist bullying of ;ig ;rother@s 6hilpa 6hetty2, and
criticised Channel 8 management for maintaining that there was not a racial element to the bullying. he ;ritish
tabloids mostly concentrated on the comments made by Pade, rather than those made by Pac7, Danielle and Po
and the bullying from them. Jor instance, when Pade and 6hilpa were arguing over G1o cubes, 6hilpa pleaded
with Po for assistance by saying RPo, 3 mean, are you going to say something here what is happening hereBS , to
which Po responded by bursting out laughing. Permaine Pac7son, another housemate witnessing the situation, later
said, 2>hen all this was going on 3 saw Danielle and Po laughing and then branded them as @the allies@2.
he controversy generated over A(( newspaper articles in ;ritain, *,'(( in <nglish language newspapers around
the globe, A,4(( foreign language news articles, and '',((( blog postings on the internet.
!anni reves, Channel 8@s former Chairman, urged the station to cancel the show even though ;ig ;rother was
Channel 8@s most financially successful television programme, accounting for around seven per cent of its total
T9(( million advertising income. -owever Celebrity ;ig ;rother was suspended on '8 $ugust '((:.
PART II 3i$$ -e ha!)e) o(t !e2t $e""o! (a!) a&ai$a-$e o! the 3i4i) a!) a))re"" -("i!e"",
+ar4eti!, co!tro$, acce*ta!ce, re5ectio! a!) "ocia$ cha!e
6. CONSIDER THE ROLE OF TECHNOLO0Y IN THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS
7. E8A/INE THE INFLUENCE OF 'USINESS, /AR9ETIN0 AND/OR ADVERTISIN0
>riters for reality television do not receive union pay,scale compensation (award wages+ and union
representation, which significantly decreases e1penditures for producers and broadcasters. &any of the
actors in reality television are compensated for their appearances.

6rouct place/ent; whereby companies and corporations pay to have their products included in
television programming for mar7eting purposes is highly prevalent in reality television.

he following is a list of television shows with the most instances of product placement (**/(:N**/(9U
?ielsen &edia /esearch <ight out of the ten are reality television shows.
he ;iggest "oser ),'89 products
$merican 3dol, 8,)A) products
<1treme &a7eover# -ome <dition@, A,A:*
$merica@s oughest Pobs, ',9(:
Deal or ?o Deal, ','4'
$merica@s ?e1t op &odel, ','8*
"ast Comic 6tanding, *,44A
%itchen ?ightmares *,9.A
-ell@s %itchen, *,9(:
6ee the following newspaper articles for J$?$63C 6P<C3J3C e1amples of the influence of business
and mar7eting#
+ 6rouct 6lace/ent> T!e reality o? reality television (news.com.au+
http#//www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/product,placement,the,reality,of,reality,tv/story,
e)frfmyi,*'')**9(A(4:4
+ 6rouct 6lace/ent in Reality Television> An Investi,ation o? Auience Ienti?ication an
6ro,ra/ 3rei@ility (5niversity of $delaide Pournal article+
http#//digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/'88(/)8**A/'/('main.pdf
:. THE CONTROL OF REALITY TELEVISION
, I)e!ti#% the "ta4eho$)er" i! the CONROL o# *o*($ar c($t(re
/EDIA;
0ROUPS;
0OVERN/ENTS;
FA/ILY;
PEERS;
, Co!"i)er the ro$e o# o##icia$ a!) (!o##icia$ ce!"or"hi* (PO<ER = AUTHORITY)
>. DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF POPULAR CULTURE
, i)e!ti#% the re"i"ta!ce to *o*($ar c($t(re a!) i!tro)(ce e2a+*$e"
, co!"i)er the ACCEPTANCE AND RE?ECTION o# rea$it% te$e&i"io!
@. THE CONTRI'UTION OF POPULAR CULTURE TO SOCIAL CHAN0E
, I)e!ti#% the POSITIVE = NE0ATIVE a"*ect" o# *o*($ar c($t(re that ha&e -eco+e *art o#
"ociet%
, I)e!ti#% 3a%" i! 3hich Area$it% te$e&i"io!B +a% ha&e co!tri-(te) to SOCIAL CHAN0E (co!"i)er
"ociet% a!) c($t(re #(!)a+e!ta$ co!ce*t")