Should
Reality Television be Banned from American Television Stations?
Reality television has become very
popular over the past decade. Shows such as “Survivor”, “Big Brother” and “The
Apprentice” get big audiences and make a lot of money for broadcasters. But
reality TV is also often a hot topic, with some people believing it is
worthless and bad for our society. Many believe that watching reality telvision is actual harful, which is not all that different to how drugs are thought to be harmful. There have been calls to cut the number of
hours given over to reality programs, or even to ban them completely. The government regulates what age you begin smoking and drinking because they are unhealthy habits. Others
argue that people should be allowed to watch what they like, and that
reality
programs make good TV. This debate asks if we should also stop people from watching reality television because it is unhealthy.
Reality television is hard to define. At its most basic, it means programs that show things really taking place, rather than drama or comedy that follows a script. Typically, reality TV involves a group of people who are not trained actors being filmed in unusual situations over a period of time. Sport and news programs are not considered reality TV.
If you still aren't sure what reality television is, imagine two television shows about PCA. The first show, which is not reality television, has paid actors come in and they pretend that they are students and teachers. This show always has a goal, such as making the audience laugh or cry. This is not reality television because it is a planned fictional story, acted out by professionals. Now, consider this second show, which is a reality television show. When this show comes to PCA, all they bring are cameras and a camera crew because you and I are the only actors they need. The cameras would film us as we went about our every day lives. Once we had been filmed for some time, the editors of the reality show would choose which clips to string together in order to make an interesting show.
Reality television is hard to define. At its most basic, it means programs that show things really taking place, rather than drama or comedy that follows a script. Typically, reality TV involves a group of people who are not trained actors being filmed in unusual situations over a period of time. Sport and news programs are not considered reality TV.
If you still aren't sure what reality television is, imagine two television shows about PCA. The first show, which is not reality television, has paid actors come in and they pretend that they are students and teachers. This show always has a goal, such as making the audience laugh or cry. This is not reality television because it is a planned fictional story, acted out by professionals. Now, consider this second show, which is a reality television show. When this show comes to PCA, all they bring are cameras and a camera crew because you and I are the only actors they need. The cameras would film us as we went about our every day lives. Once we had been filmed for some time, the editors of the reality show would choose which clips to string together in order to make an interesting show.
