Carol of Palmers Green and Southgate u3a
Reality TV - my guilty pleasure
Reality TV - my guilty pleasure
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The world is changing. Remember when the TV programme, Castaway, was aired in 2000? It took a group of people, from different walks of life, and put them together on a remote Scottish island to see how they lived and survived together. We all thought this was an innovative social experiment; the TV-viewing public got to scrutinise the ‘cast’ - ordinary members of the public, people like ourselves - dealing with life challenges, carrying out unfamiliar tasks and interacting with their fellow islanders. We got to see their emotional struggles, as they had to make difficult decisions and depend on each other.
Sound familiar? This was reality TV: ‘television shows that are based on real people (not actors) in real situations, presented as entertainment’, as the Oxford dictionary loosely defines the genre.
Then came Big Brother, also in 2000, which changed everything! As reality TV has evolved, many people deride it, claiming it to be, amongst other things, exploitative and trivial. Before we judge, think back to when we laughed at Candid Camera or Jeremy Beadle, exploiting ‘ordinary people’ by filming them secretly for our entertainment.
Today’s reality shows may be considered exploitative to some extent, but people volunteer to take part, with an awareness of what will be expected of them. What results are programmes that show the audience that everyone faces similar challenges in life, in relationships and how they deal with their emotions and mental health. They open up dialogue about the issues raised, as viewers identify with the ‘real’ participants perhaps more so than they would with actors playing a role in a drama.
According to a survey conducted by MORI and Vox Pops International, 61% of reality TV viewers aged 15-24 agree that programmes such as ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Survivor’ show them how people interact with each other. Qualitative research explored this further and found that young viewers were ‘grateful for the chance to learn important life lessons and skills via reality TV’; they were shocked by some of the bad behaviour on display and could witness the negative effect it had on others.
Some reality TV addresses addiction or health issues, such as obesity, which can provide viewers with the motivation and inspiration needed to deal with their own health issues. It also raises awareness and facilitates discussion about other topical issues, such as racism, women’s rights etc.
For example, according to research commissioned by Channel 4 amongst audiences of ‘The Undateables’, almost 90% of viewers said the programme had improved their awareness of difficulties faced by disabled people.The research also identified increased sympathy with these issues (over 80% of viewers) and 77% said the show helped them appreciate that they had many things in common with disabled people.
In the same report, Channel 4 research also identified that 7 in 10 viewers of ‘The Circle’ were, as a result of watching, now more thoughtful about who to trust on social media and a quarter of 14-19 year olds said they had subseqeuntly ‘unfriended’ someone they didn’t know. This may sound like a strange outcome to the older generation, but it has to be positive for the younger viewers who make up the largest proportion of the audience and for whom social media plays such a large part in their lives.
Some people argue that reality TV can be damaging to the participants’ and viewers’ self image. This is changing and, in fact, one of the more recent forms of reality TV, Traitors, has been praised by viewers precisely for its choice of participants. According to a 2023 article in GQ magazine: “The cast were ‘normal’ people of all ages and body types. Not influencers or gym-goers primed for fame, but the kind of people who might know your mum from Zumba class, or work at the checkout in your local supermarket.”
Reality TV allows everyday people to have their moment of fame. Current programmes typically feature a diverse group of participants, including people from marginalised groups who would not in the past have had such opportunities due to prejudice and bias. Surely then, reality TV is helping to promote equality, rather than perpetuating old stereotypes?
It also creates a sense of unity and ‘belonging’ amongst viewers - a bonus in today’s divided world. It generates conversation, just as TV programmes did when we were younger; remember when we all discussed Saturday night’s Morecambe & Wise Show on a Monday morning? For today’s younger audiences, however, the content of reality shows can be discussed in real-time on social media, creating an immediate and extensive ‘community’ with whom to exchange views as they happen.
Programmes such as Love Island have also proven to be influential in terms of sustainability. For example, its partnership with E-bay raised awareness of buying second-hand clothes via their website, contributing to a growth in the ‘pre-loved’ market. The Guardian cited ITV research reporting increased Google searches for ‘pre-loved’ clothes amongst Love Island viewers when the partnership started. Research conducted by WGSN in March 2024 identified that 40% of Gen-Z shoppers now buy ‘pre-loved’ clothes, influenced by the Islanders’ endorsement of the concept by wearing such clothes in the show, changing viewers’ perceptions of ‘second-hand’.
Reality TV is also economically beneficial, claims an article in the Telegraph - not just for the ‘participants’, but also for local economies and the UK economy as a whole. The portrayal of certain destinations in many programmes helps promote tourism, for example, the TOWIE tours of Brentwood.
In summary, reality TV has had a positive impact on society, contributing to the more open and honest environment that is gradually emerging today, where people feel able to discuss their feelings and emotions. Surely this has to be an improvement, compared to past generations repressing emotions for fear of appearing weak? And, if, at the same time, it can open up opportunities for a broader cross-section of the population, then that must be a bonus? After all, who’d heard of Ben Fogle before Castaway 2000?
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