Formula's of Reality TV

The theory of formula can be applied to the topic of reality TV in so many ways.  First when we define formula in terms of popular culture we think of a plot that is considered acceptable through values and beliefs of the mass audience.  Most reality TV shows all follow the same formula.  They all feature real people living out day to day life activities in real life settings.  All most every single episode features some form of exaggerated confrontation or drama and confessional sessions from those involved.  Most of the time the dramatic episodes are carried out for the duration of the show to keep viewers hooked and coming back for more.  All of this is because we as Americans enjoy watching other’s drama.  We enjoy seeing others problems revealed and seeing how they deal with it.  It’s almost like we take satisfaction in seeing other people hurt and being able to find things to judge them on to make ourselves feel better.  So TV producers having knowledge of American beliefs and values in terms of entertainment, understand this concept and make reality TV shows to fulfill our desires of being bashful and judgmental people. 

The general formula of reality TV shows have been used over and over because it is an equation of entertainment that has been proven to work and continues to work producing the same results every time.  Some reality TV shows may use a different format in terms of how the story of the show plays out in order to differentiate themselves from the other shows.  For instance, Survivor and Jersey Shore are both considered reality TV shows however, they are two shows that have very different story lines.  Survivor is a show that consists of several individuals stuck in the wilderness left to survive competing for cash and other prizes.  On every episode, each member of the cast is asked to vote off one of the contestants for whatever reason they feel until just one of them are left winning the title “Sole Survivor”.  Each episode of the show contains some level of drama whether it be a fight between cast members or the unfortunate elimination of one of them from the show.  Jersey Shore on the other hand, although does not feature much elimination of their cast members, does feature much back biting, fighting and drama filled episodes just like Survivor.  So the general concept of reality TV is to create different story lines but use the same formulas to keep viewers entertained and hooked so that they will continue to tune in to the show every week, ultimately increasing TV ratings. 

After applying the theory of formula to reality TV it has given me insight on how producers use story plots to exaggerate what reality really is, making it almost more unbelievable then before.  I also now have insight as to what it is that I find entertaining and why.  I now understand why people sacrifice their self-image to participate in an industry that produces multi-million dollars every year.