In our reading for this week, there was mention of the start of reality tv and America’s growing interest in filming their own lives. Because cameras are now so easily obtainable, it makes it easier for people to produce their own films and documentaries. I find it interesting that so many of us are entertained by watching the drama of other people’s lives like the Kardashians and shows like the Bachelor, in which some of the drama is probably completely staged to make them seem more interesting. In that case, why do we still label it as “reality” tv, if most of it is not realistic? Some of these shows could be filmed documentary style but not be real at all, like the Megladon film or Mermaids: The Body Found by Animal Planet. It makes it hard to find the line between what is real and what isn’t when so many people are creating this kind of media.
You make a really good point questions the “reality” or reality tv and questioning the interest in other people’s lives. Cameras are so widely accessible and the interest in other people’s lives continues to grow. Snapchat is a good example of people sharing their lives in real time for others to see via videos and pictures. It enables people the ability to capture moments in real time. Perhaps Snapchat is a new form of “reality” media.
I agree with both of you and think you both make interesting points. The ease of accessibility of people to obtain cameras, film their lives, and label it as a documentary, reality tv, or anything else makes it so much more necessary to approach television and film with a much more skeptical eye. Just because something is labeled as reality tv does not mean that it is in fact a real representation of people’s lives. It is targeted towards entertainment, not a real portrayal of life. If real lives were actually filmed, there is a possibility that it would get boring really quickly and would not make as much money. Reality tv is overdramatized to bring in revenue.