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Reality TV and the decline of society
Reality TV and the decline of society
Reality TV and the decline of society
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In today’s society, everything is a debate and argument over what some see as acceptable and others view as worthless nonsense. The entertainment industry, television to be precise, is no exception. From reality television to documentaries, each viewer has their personal opinion on what they crave to see on the screen. Personally when it comes to television, I enjoy a more of a light hearted and comedic show. Given the opportunity to produce a program with no restrictions, I would choose to produce a comedic sitcom. Sitcoms provide a more humorous and entertaining way to look at life. The show would portray the everyday lives from numerous perspectives and would tell about working, friends, family, and dealing with it in the present day. The problems would be those of any individual that they would face in their lives. The program would …show more content…
A half an hour program is perfect for a sitcom because comedies start to become less entertaining after half an hour, due to the fact that they do not have enough action and adventure for a complete hour show that would be aired weekly. By implementing a well known cast with stars such as James Franco, Seth Rogen, Mila Kunis, and Jennifer Aniston. Each of these actors/ actresses have made their name in sitcom television and have a wide audience that follow their names. To draw a new demographic into the show, I would bring a younger set of actors who are up and coming. These unknown stars would draw intrigue to the show. Many people would begin watching the show for the known stars, but will be more likely to stay because of the new and fresh faces that they become attracted to. With the mix of veteran sitcom actors and a line up of fresh faces, the weekly night sitcom would be come an instantaneous American
Younger generations and the more vulnerable in society can be influenced in avoiding peer pressure, but for the individuals filled with wisdom, the shows can reflect based on American modern society. Everybody Loves Raymond and Full House are great shows who faces similar life obstacles a typical person living in the US has today. As a result, most modern family comedy sit-coms are reflecting our society’s generations and the more vulnerable. Based on the success of early family sit coms, American’s adapted to a fast pace lifestyle with the help of modern
Steven Johnson wrote an article for the New York Times in which he argues that back in the days, television shows use to have a very simple plot which was easy to follow without too much attention. It was just an other way to sit back and relax. However, throughout the years, viewers grew tired of this situation and demanded more complex plot lines with multiple story lines that related to recent news topics. He takes the example of the television show “24”. “24” is known for being the first show which its plot occurs in “real-time”, it is also known for not censuring the violence of its topics. It is a drastic change from what Johnson states as an example “Starsky and Hutch” where basically each episodes was only a repetition of the last one. Johnson also believes that there is a misconception of the mass culture nowadays where people think the television viewer wants dumb shows which in response makes them dumber. Johnson does not agree, for him, television shows such as “24” are “nutritional”. He also states that sm...
Seinfeld was a sitcom from NBC that was very popular during the ’90s, and is often referred as “a show about nothing.” It consisted of the life of a fictitious Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City (IMDb). Seinfeld reached a Nielsen rating of 21.7 percent and number one in the United States ranking during its ninth and final season (“Appendix 3: Top-Rated Programs by Season”). It was unique in the way that it portrayed social life during the ‘90s, and this inspired shows such as Friends, Ellen, and Mad About You (Pierson 49). In Seinfeld episodes, the viewer can observe social customs, fads, social standards, and family portrayals of ‘90s semi-young adults.
Over the centuries, the media has played a significant role in the shaping of societies across the globe. This is especially true of developed nations where media access is readily available to the average citizen. The media has contributed to the creation of ideologies and ideals within a society. The media has such an effect on social life, that a simple as a news story has the power to shake a nation. Because of this, governments around the world have made it their duty to be active in the regulation and control of media access in their countries. The media however, has quickly become dominated by major mega companies who own numerous television, radio and movie companies both nationally and internationally. The aim of these companies is to generate revenue and in order to do this they create and air shows that cater to popular demand. In doing so, they sometimes compromise on the quality of their content. This is where public broadcasters come into perspective.
show that got its start in the 90’s and is currently on its 20th season. T.V. shows and
The situation comedy, or sitcom, is a television programming genre that incorporates a narrative of humor within the context of a perception of domestic routine. In some cases the humor is associated with the dynamics of a relationship between a husband and wife, the neighbors, or friends (Roman, 93). The sitcom first appeared on radio and was embraced for its wit, charm,
Cynthia M. Frisby, in her article "Getting Real with Reality TV", analyze reasons why audiences are attracted to reality television programs. According to Frisby, reality television shows have captivate audiences because, apparently people enjoy watching other people 's lives, and they can compare themselves and lives with others. Different people in society see reality tv in different ways: some see it as something to lift it, in either way reality affect society both positively and negatively.
Censorship in television is a very debatable topic in today’s media and social realms. Nowadays what is considered appropriate by many may actually be considered explicit or unsuitable by the people in charge. Some may wonder ‘who is deemed so highly that they can decide what is and is not appropriate to watch. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is ‘responsible for administratively enforcing the law that governs what is and is not appropriate. Within this article I will discuss how the FCC decides what the American viewers are allowed to see.
Reality Television has changed television in a way that no one could have imagined. Being the one of the most talked about genre in history, it is seen by millions of viewers. It has more ratings than any other kind of show (Breyer 16). From its start, there have been many Reality Television shows. Shows like The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, and Jersey Shore. All of these give off a negative portrayal of reality. While Americans watch these shows, it seems that the show is real life, but in reality, no pun intended, before the show is even filmed, it’s written, edited, and produced (Breyer 21). Writers humiliate and degrade people just for the plot of the show, making their private lives public (Breyer 16).
The cast members of each of the shows were put into situations that were constantly enforcing racial stereotypes, done on purpose by the producers. In the essay, the author argues that media makes the viewers have a struggle in what they choose to believe. She also states that society participates
Vande Berg, L.R., Wenner, L.A., & Gronbeck, B. E. (1998). Critical Approaches to Television. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
For example, while soap operas tend to be exceedingly sensational and over the top, most comedies gloss over the terrible things that may befall a family. Gritty crime shows and other dramas try to portray families more accurately, but still must follow certain rules. For this reason, dramas still tend to be unrealistic. The recent rise of popular cable television programs highlight key content regulations that contribute heavily to inaccurate family portrayals and ultimately, the broadcast networks’ decline.
Nightingale, V & Dwyer, T 2006 ‘The audience politics of ‘enhanced’ television formats’, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, vol. 2, no.1, pp. 25-42
In a genre analysis, stories, issues and concerns are explored. Researchers who study genre focus on broad patterns within those texts in the genre (Brennen 204). Since my research involves studying sitcoms, my sample will consist of ten popular sitcoms that aired from the 1980s to the present. These sitcoms include Roseanne, 30 Rock, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, I Love Lucy, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Friends, Will and Grace, Cheers, The Simpson and Seinfeld. The reason why I am choosing this sample is because I believe that it is broad enough to display the growth and evolution of the situational comedy genre and most (if not, all) of its pertinent aspects. Each of these shows all fit the standard conventions of a sitcom, however, the each bring a something different to the program, which allows them to stand out and be successful. I also chose them because they are all listed on the Rolling Stones top 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. This list was gathered by actors, writers, producers, critics and showrunners in the television industry (Sheffield,