Reality TV shows
Reality television are programs that presents unscripted
dramatic or humorous situations, documents of actual events,
and usually features ordinary people instead of professional
actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize
is awarded. Many reality TV shows now do not have a prize
awarded at the end, the prize is now 15 minutes of fame for
those “ordinary people,” and although it is said to be
unscripted, many believe for some scenes to be scripted that
way providing your audience with more drama or “what the hell”
moments.
According to the American Time Use survey, in 2012 the average American spent 4.8 hours daily in front of
the TV, which accounts for about 50 percent of total leisure time activities. While some cheer for their
favorite celebrity on Dancing With The Stars or cry of joy with watching Say Yes to The Dress, others make
fun of the cast of The Jersey Shore for their excessive use of hairspray and bronzer. Although these shows
target different audience groups and vary in concept, they all share the genre of so-called realty TV.
First introduced in the 1970s, reality TV did not become successful until MTV launched The Real World in
1992, which achieved widespread popularity. Today, realities TV show air during prime time and are fully
immersed within U.S. television culture. However, the more
popular and successful reality TV becomes, the greater the
amount of criticism and rejection it receives.
Psychologist and author Dr. Jim Taylor denies the authenticity
of reality TV and claims that it manipulates the viewer.
Condemning reality TV for worst values and qualities in
people and disguises them all as entertainers.
Reality TV shows serve as case studies discussing specific
problematic issues such as teen pregnancy, obesity, or alcohol
abuse. This spreads awareness of such topics and can lead to discussion among consumers
Over the past 50 years, Reality TV has become more than a phenomenon; it is now one of America’s primary
sources of entertainment. Due to its popularity and inexpensive production value, studios have a deep desire
to maintain and create new reality shows.
In 2001, reality shows of all kinds accounted for 20 percent of TV’s prime-time schedule and today they
account for about 40 percent Not only has society become obsessed with the diverse themes of these
shows, but completely invested in these “real” people.
Reality shows continue to dominate, becoming the main source of entertainment of televisions. Whether it is
from exposing your talents and skills, to plainly degrading yourself, it is safe to say that the demand will
continue to increase because we are constantly seeing every day Joe’s become overnight celebrities.
April 17, 2014 - https://theimpactnews.com
Questions
According to the article, what is reality TV ?
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When was it first introduced ?
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Does Dr. Jim Taylor feel positive about reality TV ? justify you answer.
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"Reality TV shows serve as case studies discussing specific problematic issues". Name 3 issues
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Outline the statistics in the article.
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Find the words in the text that mean:
funny, comical (paragraph 1) genuineness, crediblity (paragraph 4)
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aim, goal (paragraph 2) maneuver, handle physically (paragraph 5)
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the type (paragraph 2) subject, topic (paragraph 6)
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set in motion (paragraph 3) rare occurrence; wonder (paragraph 7)
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Match the beginnings of the sentences to the correct endings.
1 I bought a lovely new dress... A for marking important parts of
documents.
2 A small notebook is useful B so that I could be first in the queue when
the shop opened
3 I ordered an extra loaf of bread... C to say 'thank you
4 . I got up early... D to wear to the party
5 David worked really hard E for painting the best picture
6 Highlighter pens are great F for writing down new vocabulary
7 John won a prize at school. G to pass the final exam.
8 She gave her mother a big bunch of flowers h so that we'll have enough for the
weekend.
Fill in the columns below with the words from above
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
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Pick_______________________ ____________________
out 5 words from above and form sentences. ____________________
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