Page 452 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

Real ty Telev s on | 1

Paris, only to be pelted with eggs by a Frenchman from his apartment). This antagonism took
on a humorous political tone in Chicago when 350 activists, artists, and neighbors staged a
“protest” party outside of the building where the show was being taped. Chanting “Free
the Real World 7,” the pranksters closed down the block for hours with their exuberance,
and demanded that MTV surrender its production equipment so that the people “could do
something real with it.”

ThE PoLiTiCs oF rEaLiTy
Criticisms of reality TV have come from many quarters and different sides
of the political spectrum. For some, reality TV is a morally bankrupt phenom-
enon, one that thrives on humiliation, degradation, and interpersonal conflict as
spectacle. Shows like Fear Factor, Are You Hot?, and Flavor of Love highlight the
basest of instincts, while programs like The Swan and My Super Sweet 16 privi-
lege superficial values of consumerism and outward attractiveness.
Other criticisms go beyond moral condemnation to address issues of repre-
sentation and stereotyping. The casting of character types (often with the help
of psychological consultants) designed to cause conflict on a show like The Real
World are cited as promoting stereotypes. At times, programs take racial stereo-
typing as their focus (such as Black.White., The White Rapper Show, and College
Hill). Gender and sexual norms are reinforced in many courtship shows (as in
The Bachelor/ette, Flavor of Love, Joe Millionaire, and Beauty and the Geek), while
others promote typical gay characters (especially the lightning-rod program
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy). Survivor and other island-setting programs (as
well as the globe-trotting The Amazing Race) have come under scrutiny for their
exploitation of exotic imagery and local cultures.
Finally, a number of cultural critics have analyzed reality TV as part of a
broader shift in governing and social control strategies. Reality TV can be seen
as the cultural expression of contemporary surveillance society. By playing on
audience voyeurism (especially in shows like Big Brother), programs often seem
to function to make this surveillance both natural and pleasurable. Monitoring
technologies are a central component of some programs (as in Exposed, Room
Raiders, Spying on Myself, and One Bad Trip). Spy techniques like disguises and
deception are part of the whole prank-show subgenre (see Punk’d, Scare Tactics,
Boiling Points, Girls Behaving Badly, Spy TV, My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, Joe
Millionaire, and Joe Schmo).
Privacy is more than just a single issue in this programming: it constitutes
the very material for the medium. Not surprisingly, a number of reality TV
programs take place in the home, traditionally the seat of privacy. From the
range of home improvement/decoration/organization programs, to the domes-
tic displays of wealth in Cribs, to the experimental homes of Big Brother and
The Real World, private space is increasingly becoming a spectacle. In addition
to private spaces, the very relationships that comprise the private sphere (fam-
ily, courtship, friendship) also find themselves the target of surveillance reality.
The “confessional” (direct-to-camera interview sessions) is a staple of reality TV