Fake is the New Standard
Reality television has completely ruined television’s standards and continues to get worse because of bad acting and forced drama. James Wolcott mentions that fake acting has ruined the documentary; now, what is considered to be a documentary is random people faking some dramatic, life-threatening event. Another problem is that the actors and actresses in the reality shows are given little-to-no pay and are given alcohol to enhance their emotions. The alcohol gives the actors an unpredictable nature, but the drinks make for an entertaining show when the actors do the unexpected. Also, most of reality television is based on angry and spiteful people. Walcott mentions, “Someone says something unconstructive—’That outfit makes her look like a load’—and ping! comes the reaction shot, indicating the poison dart has struck home” (qtd. in Wolcott par. 10). Comments like this cause a wild reaction in the already frustrated stars and can cause an explosion of emotions. In addition, Channels that used to actually be entertaining have become all about the fake drama that reality television shows entail. Wolcott believes that this is because these shows are cheaper to make than shows that need actual sets and have actors that expect to be paid well. Finally, the presence of the cameras cause these usually normal people to act out to get attention and to put on a good show; most of the dramatic events aren’t real. The stars finally get pushed too far and have a breakdown that is taped from every humiliating angle. These reasons, along with many others, are why reality television has ruined the standards of what television used to be.
Works Cited
Wolcott, James. “I'm a Culture Critic … Get Me Out of Here!” The Hive, 31 Jan. 2015, www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/12/wolcott-200912.
Wolcott, James. “I'm a Culture Critic … Get Me Out of Here!” The Hive, 31 Jan. 2015, www.vanityfair.com/news/2009/12/wolcott-200912.