get real

"This is a world in which media is not just an observer of events, but an active participant." Douglas Rushkoff, Media Virus! Shows like Jerry Springer are another variety of "reality programming."

There's a growing trend toward reality-based shows like COPS and The Real World, but just how "real" are they? reality-based tv The first reality-based television show was Candid Camera, which peaked in the Nielsens during the 1962-63 season. The show involved staging ridiulous scenarios and taping people's reactions without them knowing. For example, one scenario involved two men at a lunch counter. The first man began taking french fries from the other man's plate, and then continued to take more food until he finally ate everything on the plate. Candid Camera offered viewers a chance to analyze the reactions of real people in different situations and think about how they might react in similar situations. COPS and MTV's The Real World offer a slightly different picture of reality. COPS is a one hour show that allows tv cameras to ride in a patrol car next to real police officers as they go out on the streets and enforce the law. The Real World brings a group of young people together in a large city. They live together for about 6 months and agree to have their lives taped. As the teaser promises, viewers will find out what happens when "people stop being polite and start getting real." Unlike candid camera however, the individuals featured on COPS and The Real World know that they are being taped. Though these shows claim to depict life as it actually is, the presence of a camera and the scrutinizing gaze of an audience affect the actions of the people being taped. "This is a world in which media is not just an observer of events, but an active participant." (Rushkoff. 55.) reenactments and docudramas Reenactments are "reality simulations" used by different programs to illustrate a point. Programs such as "America's Most Wanted" and "Rescue 911" frequently use this technique, using actors recreate a scene for the audience. News programs sometimes use reenactments, but are required to adequately label them, so as not to mislead the audience. Docudramas are entire programs of simulated reality that are usually about actual events. In 1992, all three networks broadcast their own docudramas on the "Long Island Lolita" scandal. Producers like these programs because they are relatively inexpensive and make real events conform to dramatic scrtucture. sources Douglas Rushkoff. Media Virus! Neil Postman and Steve Powers. How to Watch TV News. Donna McCrohan. Prime Time Our Time. America's Life and Times Through the Prism of Television. back