How Does Reality TV Affect Popular Culture

Media is a powerful tool presented in people's lives. Within the field of mass communication media is a particular medium used to deliver a message to a large and diverse audience. There are different ways in which media delivers a certain idea and one powerful way is through reality TV. It is the foundation and powerful social system for creating a person's sense of reality. Then it is reflected upon popular culture and mass communication. In other words, what we see in reality TV becomes the norm within our culture for a certain period time until a new trend sets upon us, and the imparting or exchanging of information on a large scale to a wide range of people (Orbe, 2013, p. 235). Why reality TV? In the recent years, reality television has become the most popular form of entertainment, and a cheap to produce shows to

attract audiences in many different countries. These shows have been to local and national cultural norms. In my essay I will discussing many different examples of how reality TV exposes the relationship between popular culture and mass communication, and what kind of implications this genre of reality TV has on the audience at large.
Firstly, reality TV has a significant impact on popular culture and mass communication. For example, television shows that showcase wedding themes such as, My big fat fabulous wedding, Platinum weddings and so forth provides a closer look at what a bride should anticipate in preparation for her wedding day. Majority of the shows exhibit fancy weddings, posh style decoration themes, and overall just a very expensive process. For the audience who religiously watch these reality wedding shows get the message of what the process is of becoming a bride, what is expected of a bride’s appearance and how much money needed to be spent. More significantly, what is expected out of a woman in order for them to be independent which reality TV fails to portray. Henceforth, reality television actually created a culture of women to be dependent on men to purchase their happiness (Baltruschat, 2009). This type of message through reality TV is exposed through mass communication because it not only aired on North American channels but in different languages and channels that are targeted to audiences in non-Westernized countries such as Russia, China, Japan, Indonesia are just to name few. This ideology becomes part of their culture as well. Another example would be of American Idol and its many versions, like Afghan star, Canadian Idol, and Indian Idol. The influence of popular culture within reality shows travel at a distance (literally). In Afghan star, Muslim audiences react to female contestants on stage dress and dancing given the cultural norms. The culture that is seen in reality TV shows are exposed in other foreign copy of those shows, and it has such a big influence that it can potentially go against one’s culture. Another significant example of that are cultural groups in reality TV shows such as Snoop Doggs Fatherhood, College Hill and to some extent Keeping up with the Kardashians, which castes predominately African American. These shows mostly have an African American audience. Moreover, the existing perception of African American culture is largely altered.
Some people may ask why popular culture wants to communicate such values, and it’s simple because popular culture has no values, and it's amoral.

There is no sense of social responsibility because there is only one concern, which is money for the producers (Hawes & Kong, 2013). A very important concept to examine is how success which is communicated through reality TV is defined by culture. It is safe to say that not all reality TV exposes negative popular culture. For example; Dr. OZ who is a trusted source of health care information for many people across North America (Bootsman, 2014), exposes popular culture media on health behaviour. After the show gained popularity, sales increased on certain products to do with health, pharmacists and drug information centers received requests for certain terms that were said by Dr.OZ. As much as this positive type of reality shows has on the audience, it is just as much as a negative reality show would have to an audience at large. This type of culture is also mass communicated to different parts of the world to set a trend there, which is also reflective through reality TV in that particular

country.
In conclusion, certain ideologies, social norms and practices in our culture come from reality TV. Society’s values and norms can be formed and transformed through the power of mass communication and popular culture. From the examples that were described throughout the essay one of the most significant examples that we see in today's society and popular culture is "Keeping up with the Kardashians".
Kardashians are the epitome of popular culture because their show and subsequent lifestyles reflect consumerist values, insignificant pastimes and superficiality that largely impact the audience. Overall, reality TV is the most influential medium to be considered of a given culture and everyday life of common people.