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Media matters
4 Read texts A–D quickly. What do you understand by
the following phrases?
&YUSBDU " the cult of instant celebrity
2 blatant self-promotion
a dumbed-down generation
&YUSBDU # operating without scripts
5 cynically manipulated
&YUSBDU $ 6 social glue The ethics of reality TV
7 ‘water cooler moments’
8 a cultural imperative Reality TV provokes a range of different reactions
among commentators and viewers.
&YUSBDU % 9 a meticulous selection process
5 Decide what each of these sentences means. Choose A
either a or b.
Although it’s impossible to ignore their popularity, it
Reality shows promote the belief that we should aspire seems to me that many reality shows send an unfortunate
to be the reality stars we watch on our televisions. message encouraging a cult of instant celebrity. Many
(Extract A) are built around blatant self-promotion and are based on
B Reality shows suggest to viewers that the stars of humiliating others for the entertainment of viewers. These
their programmes are role models worth emulating. programmes suggest that anyone can become famous
C Reality shows want viewers to believe that they are simply by ‘being themselves’ on TV, without working
watching real people. hard or displaying any talent. Children who watch these
The unusual settings of shows like Big Brother do not shows may come to believe that they don’t need to study
reduce the educational value of observing how the conscientiously at school, or train hard for a job. As one
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contestants cope with their situation. (Extract B) commentator points out, ‘We tell kids that what matters is
B There is not much that viewers can learn from Big being a celebrity and we wonder why some behave as they
Brother and similar shows because contestants are do. It seems to me that this addiction to celebrity culture
dealing with such unfamiliar situations. is creating a dumbed-down generation.’ In pretending
C Viewers can learn from watching how contestants to imitate real life, reality shows promote the belief that
manage, despite the fact that in Big Brother and we should aspire to be the reality stars we watch on our
similar shows they are in unfamiliar surroundings. televisions.
The criticism that reality TV shows may corrupt viewers
is not sustainable. (Extract C) B
B Reality TV shows can be justifi ably criticised for
corrupting viewers. One of the reasons so many people enjoy reality shows
C It is impossible to criticise reality TV shows on the is that they feature real people operating without scripts.
grounds that they can corrupt viewers. The fact that characters have been selected to encourage
disagreements or tension and then cynically manipulated
This situation is stage-managed by executives who does not take away from the reality of the programmes;
make money by attracting impressionable audiences.
in fact it adds to it. The unusual settings of shows like Big
(Extract D) Brother do not reduce the educational value of observing
B TV managers manipulate this situation and make how the contestants cope with their situation. In fact,
money because they are able to get naïve viewers to without such shows, most people would have little concept
watch their shows. of how a group of strangers would be able to survive,
C TV managers make money by staging shows which co-operate and develop in such environments. As Time
impress viewers. Magazine describes it, ‘They provoke and offend, but at
least they are trying to do something besides helping
you get to sleep.’ This insight therefore into the human
condition is invaluable, and it is little surprise that so many
viewers are eager to watch these programmes.
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