How real are reality shows on TV? The way the characters are portrayed, shows no sign of reality in them. Not all reality shows are real is what one seem to conclude at the end of the day. Since its inception in the early 2000s there were certain Reality shows on international arena like the "Survivor." which had implemented with great success, their strategy of reality on TV, but later many channels emulated the same reality shows, In fact most of the shows which are not supposed to be called as a reality shows are also now being called as reality shows. There are n number of shows from the past 4-5 years on almost every channel these days with reality show concepts varying from weight reduction,( remember that Sunil shetty program ! ), Recipes and cuisine preparations for the Tag of Top chef, talent search shows like American Idol and Indian Idol, to Singing competition shows renamed as reality shows,
Some shows have been mistakenly attributed the "reality show" label. Indian Idol, for instance, shouldn't be classified as a reality show in the same vein as "The Amazing Race" or "Big Brother." Why? Indian Idol" is a game show, but it lacks the dense layers of social competition that we saw on such reality shows as "Survivor." Contestants compete. Eventually someone wins. And sure, contestants make some social maneuvers to win votes, and the show has often been accused of being a glorified popularity contest because of such social appeals. But the social maneuvers on "Indian Idol" are still not like those on a true-blue reality show. Contestants aren't forced to trust, back stab, and ultimately play a predominantly social game. Contestants are judged by *outside forces* on a scale of their technical expertise and their overall showmanship. Programs like "Indian Idol" or "Jo Jeeta wahi superstar" are television ratings juggernauts that are not to be dismissed in its television stronghold. But, even if you did consider these as reality television shows, you would still have to ask yourself- What's real about trying out for a talent contest, becoming famous overnight, winning over thousands of fans, and getting a record deal? It's real for some of the people who have been on the show, but for the other 99.9% of humanity, this scenario will never represent reality. It's just fun, mindless television. Further more, when there is a genuine search for a talent, why judge it by the number of votes received? The hunt for the best should be an un biased judgment from the judges which the whole nation agrees to. There might be scenarios where a person Included amongst the competitors might hail from a small town where people cannot afford to send many SMSs compared to City lad who garners many voted from his family and friends, There is every chance of the bucolic losing despite his better performance.
The word "reality" in the phrase "reality television" is really a misnomer. It's the name that happened to stick to a particular genre of script-free, guilty-pleasure TV. But rest assured, reality has nothing to do with reality television. Naturally, there are elements of reality in reality television. We see people interacting on reality TV; people interact in real life. We see people going through joy, anger, and sadness on reality TV; we see people going through joy, anger, and sadness in real life. We see loss and accomplishment on reality TV; and - you guessed it - we see loss and accomplishment in real life. But despite these flimsy connections to reality, reality television just doesn't feel... well, real. Ultimately the catch lies in the set-up. The artificial nature of almost any reality show's premise (putting a hodgepodge of incompatible characters into staged and unusual situations) isn't exactly a formula for "real life." First, there's the problem with reality show casting. The people selected for these shows tend to have a "look at me" attitude and (surprise, surprise!) are usually aspiring actors, models, singers, or some variation thereof. Most tend to hail from Delhi or Mumbai or some other tier one city (although producers are fond of tossing in the occasional house wife from Bhatinda or construction worker from Trichi to round out the cast with an "everyman" feel).As if the casting weren't enough, the specific premise of most reality shows ( as in channel V's Roadies, or AXN's Fear factor) is far removed from any real-world situation. Twelve strangers are trapped on a deserted island, or in a supposedly haunted house, or in a chic mansion... Maybe such conditions represent reality for a few people. But for most of us, these convoluted scenarios are no more realistic than a Disney fairytale or a James Bond movie. Reality television is really a spin-off of a classic and beloved TV genre - the game show. Most modern reality television takes the game show format and places it in a highly social context. It's this social aspect that causes us to put the "reality" in reality television. It’s fair enough to say that this social piece of reality television can resonate with viewers in an authentic way. However, that fact alone does not make reality television reflective of reality. When the social tension has been orchestrated by producers and casting directors, you're not looking at reality. You're looking at entertainment intended to entice viewer ship. It's doubtful that the producers aim to portray reality on most network TV shows.
A normal reality show showcases the remarks of the judges which are most of the time harsh on the ones who did not do well, there is drama, emotion, sadness and a little bit of every thing in it. If the participants are all adults ridiculing of the participants or the harsh remarks of the judges might go well where the participant can supposedly take it given his/her age, but now a days there are many reality shows with very young children coming to perform. while the strategic team and the program organizers say that the reality shows for the young would be the best platform to bring up and nurture young talent, the other side of it should also be considered. when the same kind of treatment is given to children with judges give their harsh remarks to the young participants. the child may feel abashed by the comments given and there are chances of him/her getting mentally hurt as was seen on couple of shows on Indian TV. So, there is urgent need for a regulatory authority to monitor such reality shows and ensure that the programs are run smoothly to facilitate its success and make the organizers understand that there is much more in a reality show than increasing its TRP ratings. The organizers want to make good television (or bad television, depending on your point of view) that will get high ratings and, consequently, make advertisers happy. The social dramas we see on reality television may look like "reality" at first glance. But in the back of our minds we know: The people are a little too pretty, the sets a little too nice, and the drama a little too staged, for the shows to actually feel real. Despite all this fuss, Reality shows, however, seem to stay here.
Some shows have been mistakenly attributed the "reality show" label. Indian Idol, for instance, shouldn't be classified as a reality show in the same vein as "The Amazing Race" or "Big Brother." Why? Indian Idol" is a game show, but it lacks the dense layers of social competition that we saw on such reality shows as "Survivor." Contestants compete. Eventually someone wins. And sure, contestants make some social maneuvers to win votes, and the show has often been accused of being a glorified popularity contest because of such social appeals. But the social maneuvers on "Indian Idol" are still not like those on a true-blue reality show. Contestants aren't forced to trust, back stab, and ultimately play a predominantly social game. Contestants are judged by *outside forces* on a scale of their technical expertise and their overall showmanship. Programs like "Indian Idol" or "Jo Jeeta wahi superstar" are television ratings juggernauts that are not to be dismissed in its television stronghold. But, even if you did consider these as reality television shows, you would still have to ask yourself- What's real about trying out for a talent contest, becoming famous overnight, winning over thousands of fans, and getting a record deal? It's real for some of the people who have been on the show, but for the other 99.9% of humanity, this scenario will never represent reality. It's just fun, mindless television. Further more, when there is a genuine search for a talent, why judge it by the number of votes received? The hunt for the best should be an un biased judgment from the judges which the whole nation agrees to. There might be scenarios where a person Included amongst the competitors might hail from a small town where people cannot afford to send many SMSs compared to City lad who garners many voted from his family and friends, There is every chance of the bucolic losing despite his better performance.
The word "reality" in the phrase "reality television" is really a misnomer. It's the name that happened to stick to a particular genre of script-free, guilty-pleasure TV. But rest assured, reality has nothing to do with reality television. Naturally, there are elements of reality in reality television. We see people interacting on reality TV; people interact in real life. We see people going through joy, anger, and sadness on reality TV; we see people going through joy, anger, and sadness in real life. We see loss and accomplishment on reality TV; and - you guessed it - we see loss and accomplishment in real life. But despite these flimsy connections to reality, reality television just doesn't feel... well, real. Ultimately the catch lies in the set-up. The artificial nature of almost any reality show's premise (putting a hodgepodge of incompatible characters into staged and unusual situations) isn't exactly a formula for "real life." First, there's the problem with reality show casting. The people selected for these shows tend to have a "look at me" attitude and (surprise, surprise!) are usually aspiring actors, models, singers, or some variation thereof. Most tend to hail from Delhi or Mumbai or some other tier one city (although producers are fond of tossing in the occasional house wife from Bhatinda or construction worker from Trichi to round out the cast with an "everyman" feel).As if the casting weren't enough, the specific premise of most reality shows ( as in channel V's Roadies, or AXN's Fear factor) is far removed from any real-world situation. Twelve strangers are trapped on a deserted island, or in a supposedly haunted house, or in a chic mansion... Maybe such conditions represent reality for a few people. But for most of us, these convoluted scenarios are no more realistic than a Disney fairytale or a James Bond movie. Reality television is really a spin-off of a classic and beloved TV genre - the game show. Most modern reality television takes the game show format and places it in a highly social context. It's this social aspect that causes us to put the "reality" in reality television. It’s fair enough to say that this social piece of reality television can resonate with viewers in an authentic way. However, that fact alone does not make reality television reflective of reality. When the social tension has been orchestrated by producers and casting directors, you're not looking at reality. You're looking at entertainment intended to entice viewer ship. It's doubtful that the producers aim to portray reality on most network TV shows.
A normal reality show showcases the remarks of the judges which are most of the time harsh on the ones who did not do well, there is drama, emotion, sadness and a little bit of every thing in it. If the participants are all adults ridiculing of the participants or the harsh remarks of the judges might go well where the participant can supposedly take it given his/her age, but now a days there are many reality shows with very young children coming to perform. while the strategic team and the program organizers say that the reality shows for the young would be the best platform to bring up and nurture young talent, the other side of it should also be considered. when the same kind of treatment is given to children with judges give their harsh remarks to the young participants. the child may feel abashed by the comments given and there are chances of him/her getting mentally hurt as was seen on couple of shows on Indian TV. So, there is urgent need for a regulatory authority to monitor such reality shows and ensure that the programs are run smoothly to facilitate its success and make the organizers understand that there is much more in a reality show than increasing its TRP ratings. The organizers want to make good television (or bad television, depending on your point of view) that will get high ratings and, consequently, make advertisers happy. The social dramas we see on reality television may look like "reality" at first glance. But in the back of our minds we know: The people are a little too pretty, the sets a little too nice, and the drama a little too staged, for the shows to actually feel real. Despite all this fuss, Reality shows, however, seem to stay here.
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