Examples Of Manipulation In The Truman Show

Peter Weir suggests that while reality television fulfils our human desire for a safe haven from the daily struggles we face, our reliance on it comes at a price.

The Truman Show constructs the setting of Seahaven as a picture-perfect and secure sanctuary that the audience can live vicariously through to escape the pressures we are forced to confront in our reality. This is evident from the orderly presentation of the houses to the use of soft of light blue and white aesthetics to position the audience to view Seahaven as innocent and pure, a true safe haven.

Christof exercises his power as the director of ‘The Truman Show’ to manipulate their audiences’ perception of the "truth.” Despite the cracks that unveil Seahaven’s so-called sanctuary,

Christof hides these holes behind the flashing smiles and grace of his actors, commanding them to praise the beauty and wonders of his show. “My life is the Truman Show. It’s a noble life. It is a truly blessed life.” Meryl comments, smiling. In a different scene Marlon grins looking directly at the camera praising the beer “Ah, now that is a good beer,” his words constructing a positive view of Seahaven to their audience.
The audience of ‘The Truman Show’ are able to purchase merchandise to recreate a simulated version of Seahaven and escape their daily struggles. “Everything on this show is for sale. The actors’ wardrobe, food products to the very homes they live in.” This indicates that they foolishly believe the show to be idyllic and can be achieved through material possessions.
From the beginning we are positioned to recognize Truman as the only genuine human with pure and raw emotions, but Truman was never truly a genuine character. Christof manufactured a complex web of emotional manipulation to enforce different characteristics to his personality, therefore forcing him to be caged in Seahaven. “Nothing you see from this show is fake, only controlled,” Marlon states in an interview about ‘The Truman Show’. Truman is a brainwashed, manufactured product whose sole purpose is to be under the spotlight without rightful consent or knowledge. Truman's life is subject to scrutiny from viewers all over the world – and everyone has his or her own opinion on how he should live his life. However, Truman – just like any normal individual – does not have this luxury of perspective.
"Why didn't he just follow her to Fiji?"
"His mother got sick, really sick. He couldn't leave her. He's kind. Maybe he's too kind."
"I can't believe he married Meryl on the rebound." Truman Bar Waitresses gossiped.

This quote is an indication of why so many people watch "The Truman Show." These waitresses can exercise rational judgement on a televised life that they are detached from but still relate to. This is the kind of passionless decision-making that is usually impossible for most people to exercise in their own lives, which encourages people to live vicariously through his own. As a child, Truman wanted to be an explorer and when he shares his dream, his teacher replies, “Oh, you are too late. There is nothing left to explore.” Other examples of the manufactured complex web of emotional manipulation is the scripted death of his father at sea and the many advertisements that discourage travelling and having an adventurous nature. Truman never notices how he is being manipulated and is content to continue living his life. However, once he realises that the world he sees is simply a simulated reality, Truman eventually does go on an adventure. By pretending to be content with his life inside an invented world by Christof, Truman tricks his ‘god’ and the thousands watching his life unfold by escaping when they least expect it. "You never had a camera inside my head." Parallel to ‘The Truman Show’ audience, people are becoming slaves to a fantasy and addicted to pleasure and these dependences is leading to a surge in psychological issues. Perhaps that could explain the recent incident where two 12-year old girls from Wisconsin stabbed their classmate 19 times as a tribute to the fictional horror meme Slender

Man.
At the core, the appeal of reality television stems from how we want someone to blur the lines between reality and fiction to escape from our own problems in reality. Reality television’s successes depends on our yearning for something more than our own dull, monotone lives and our perspective on the stress and pressures that our lives cause us. As long as we are dissatisfied with our lives and choose not to confront our daily struggles, reality television will continue to prosper as a safe haven. People will keep on watching and reality television will continue to grow, even if our reliance on these material possessions and simulated worlds comes at a price.