How has the documentary genre influenced reality TV and how it presents the 'real'?
So many shows that we see on television today are dominated by reality television. Reality television is a genre that tries to portray something that is 'real' to the viewer by following a subject through whatever situation whether it be passing time, following day to day life, or following subjects that are in extreme situations . For example if we look at extreme situations in 'Survivor' we follow subjects who have been put on an island. They must compete in intense challenges and vote team mates off the island. However, 'Survivor Tocantins' member Erinn Lobdell said that while she was on the exile island sound crew handed her a lighter to start a fire. She was then filmed by the crew holding wooden sticks as if she 'made the fire herself'. After the release of Lobdells statement CBS, predictably, responded to all of this with a non-answer: “Survivor producers follow a very strict protocol to never interfere with reality, that includes helping or hindering with life on the island". I believe that many reality television shows that we see today are not 'real' at all. I believe they are highly scripted, staged and played out for the camera and we are manipulated to believe something is 'real'.
John Grierson who invented the term documentary described the document process as a "creative treatment of actuality"(p.36). In the 1930s Grierson was one of the first to depict normal everyday people on television. Documentary influenced reality television in the way that we enjoy watching ordinary people on television. It is interesting watching people that we can relate to on television rather than constantly seeing famous people. By watching these people we some how get a little break from our own lives by watching others. For example when Big Brother was on I remember thinking to myself who can I relate to? Which person am I most like? How would I be in that situation? Big Brother was a huge hit internationally and it had such a simple concept. Why not chuck a few people in a house and film them doing everyday things. However, it is not as simple as this. Before going in to the Big Brother house there is a huge process which you have to go through. Matt Hoffman former Big Brother house mate gives a tip:
"You're getting cast on t.v be a character"
This means everything. The producers of the show would not put nice/calm/polite people in a house and film them as this would be pretty boring. Producers cast contestants who have big personalities and are going to create drama as this will give ratings and hook in viewers.
When we watch a documentary we explore the mysteries of actual people in actual situations. Within documentaries there are different modes that are used which reality T.V have adapted into their own genre. Firstly a documentary can be expository where they provide a 'voice of god' or 'evidence'. Reality TV often shows 'evidence' in their shows. For example when Dr.Phill proves guests wrong that come on the show with photographic evidence that they have been 'cheating' etc. The observational mode is another element from the documentary genre which reality television has adapted. There are long takes, no narration and it is present tense. For example in Jersey Shore there is no narration at all the guests are the only ones who talk. Their lives are filmed each day while they are in the house, night cameras are even used. I enjoy observational documentaries but completely disagree with the observational element being used in some reality tv shows. I dont want to see what goes on at night between some guests within the house, but producers must think it is necessary to show to guests getting it on. When I saw this I changed channel and thought how sad that this is what is on T.V today.
Documentary has had a huge influence on some of the very contemporary shows today that are on t.v for example the 'Kardashians'. Firstly I do not even know why they have a show. But thats just my personal opinion, I guess some people love watching a bunch of wana-be famous people doing there groceries and buying nice things. This show is about an American family living their lives, if there is ever a problem within the family it flicks to an interview of them to narrate how the problem will be solved. A very noticeable change referring to this is how reality TV seems to become more fake and scripted. More and more reality TV shows are being made portraying rich people, which moves further away from Grierson's idea of depicting everyday ordinary people.
Biressi,A.& Nunn, N.(2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. In Reality TV: realism and revelation (pp.35-58) London: Wallflower.
Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television.
(pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
I enjoyed reading this post Hannah,I agree with you that reality television is definitely becoming more fake though the use of script. I too think that the Kardashians is one of the most unrealistic reality shows out there yet look at the empire the Kardashians have created through the shows. They have managed to created a clothing line, perfume line and are paid huge amounts of money to appear at media functions. It seems crazy to me that they can become so famous by filming fake drama that happens in their lives, i find it interesting that there is still such a high demand for the show and that they are now up to season 6.
ReplyDeleteI had a good laugh at one of your points about too much information that night cameras capture on shows in observational mode! I definitely agree. It really is crazy how much reality television has changed over the decades. There's really no such thing as privacy any more. Don't even get me started on The Kardashians! They complain about tabloids, but they invite total strangers into their daily lives on reality television. It's also scripted, too; so technically, there's hardly any realism in that show. Good post, Hannah!
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