Page 178 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media
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IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH
redeeming celebrity lives, homemakers, personal makeovers, mommy
switches, wife swaps, marrying a millionaire, being tricked to think you
are marrying a millionaire, dating a Hooters girl, dating five girls at once,
competing in dangerous stunts for money, competing to work for Donald
Trump, becoming the next big pop star, becoming the next top model,
or becoming a well-known name in America.
Reality television is a major cultural phenomenon and exploits the de-
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sires of average people. Reality TV allows everyday people their chance
at fortune, fashion, and fame. Everyday people can become celebrities,
and celebrities can be made to look foolish. Reality TV allows the audi-
ence to participate and choose whom they want to stay on a show. We
can watch the private lives of others without being seen. These shows
make the audience laugh, cry, love, and hate. More important, reality
television provides insight into the belief system or ideas that define the
thinking and behaviors in our culture.
Analysis: The Beliefs
Celebrities: The “Fortunates.” Our culture is obsessed with celebrities.
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We want to know about them, become like them, or be with them.
Shows such as The Newlyweds, The Osbournes, Run’s House, and Meet
the Barkers are great examples of our culture’s fascination at knowing
what celebrities do on their “down time.”
The Newlyweds featured pop musicians Jessica Simpson and Nick
Lacah as they embarked on their journey and life as a married couple.
The audience was able to watch as the couple encountered relationship
problems, bought their first house, celebrated the holidays, managed their
careers, and adjusted to married life. Run’s House and The Osbournes
(both MTV) allow viewers to watch the absurd but luxurious lives ce-
lebrity families lead.
Although these shows provide a glimpse into the lives of our beloved
stars, they also convey messages about fame, success, and status. All of
the stars live in lavish houses, drive fancy cars, and have an abundance of
designer clothes and a plethora of extra cash. Their fancy dinners, exotic
trips, elaborate gifts, and material possessions are vital to the status of
their life and in part define who they are. Audiences (whose lives are less
than elaborate compared to these celebrities) are conveyed the message
that “money can buy happiness” and in this culture, material possessions
are portrayed as having an important, meaningful value.
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