Background: Since MTV’s Real World debuted more than 30 seasons ago, reality television has become a staple in primetime, on cable shows, and in our popular culture. Whether it’s people trying to outwit and outlast their competitors on a remote island, housewives fighting in various cities, or a group of people competing to stay in a house for an entire summer, America cannot get enough of reality television. For networks, reality television is a cheaper form of entertainment than producing an hour long drama or half hour sitcom. Reality stars are now generating millions of dollars, are being satirized on SNL, and are a part of our daily news. Kim Kardashian, NeNe Leakes, and Snooki are arguably people we would have never known without the power of reality television. Assignment: Discuss reality television and its impact on our culture. Provide your thoughts on how these shows are affecting people’s behavior. Describe the people on the show. How are they portrayed? Is this accurate? Do these shows reflect society or is society influenced by these shows? Can these shows affect young people’s lives? What are the issues presented on the show? Is this how every day people are getting famous now? Are you embarrassed to watch it? If a martian came down and wanted to know what people were like, what would they learn about us? How are minorities represented? How is gender portrayed?
