Many people feel that television is a reflection of modern day life and society; this may not be the case with the reality genre. Many producers of these programs contradict themselves by saying how they are putting contestants into real-life situations. In fact some tasks set are clearly not found in civilised society. It has been argued that contestants are just acting as they would at home or in public, except with a camera following them, therefore is a mirror image of the modern community. It has also been said that when celebrities take part in such programmes, they have a greater chance of becoming a positive role model to younger viewers. As reality television is so popular amongst the younger generation, the effects of having a positive role model to look up to could be immense. Issues such as racism and discrimination will be raised and be openly discussed should an incident occur. This way these issues will remain in the minds of the general public and so there will be a greater urge to tackle these problems which linger in Britain today. There was a huge backlash against Jade Goody after her involvement in a scandal in Celebrity Big Brother 6, having made a racist remark aimed at Shilpa Shetty. This is encouraging sign that racism, amongst other problems, is being tackled via the media. It does however show that there is an element of racism lingering today, even amongst celebrities.
Celebrities can provide role models for the public and so when these people appear in reality television programmes, viewers can witness for themselves what celebrities are genuinely like. As some programmes will be broadcasted almost live, anything that is said or done will be viewed by millions. This can make or break the career of a celebrity. Young viewers can find a positive role model in some of these programmes. If a contestant should admit or confess to something that many fans may also be going through, the viewers could have the confidence to also admit to it, particularly if the contestant is famous. For example, when a celebrity confesses to being homosexual, a viewer might feel that they too can “come out”, just like they’re favourite star.
Negative role models can also be found in reality television programmes however. Gordon Ramsay has undoubtedly contributed to the common use of cursing amongst young people with his infamous non-stop swearing. Viewers who look up to people like Ramsay will see this sort of behaviour and feel that if he can get away with it, swearing must be perfectly acceptable. Nobody will question Ramsay as he is well liked and respected and is most certainly not short of fans. This makes his behaviour seem even more “acceptable”.
“Acceptable” is not a word commonly used by critics to describe many forms of reality television. It has been argued that programmes such as Big Brother are just forms of voyeurism, something we would not admit to in everyday life. The fact that we enjoy watching the lives of others, especially when faced with difficult or humiliating tasks, cannot be healthy. Viewer’s lives can be taken over for a few weeks watching, talking and thinking about the latest show. It can be that addicting. Why is this the case though?
Perhaps it is the sense of having a God-like power of controlling the lives of others. Or maybe it is because we find the lives of others so much more fascinating and interesting compared to our own, especially that of the people we look up to. It could just be human nature; the enjoyment gained from seeing into the lives of others.
Although many people would say that they would never take part in a reality television programme, I am quite sure that the lure of a chance of winning a large cash sum would come before preserving dignity.
