Why is Reality Television bad for women?

[Burnouts3s3]

Why are women depicted on reality television bad representations of women as whole rather than bad representations of individual women?

Recently, I had the fortune of watching Miss Representation on Netflix and learned a lot. But, I had one issue with the film and it stating that televisions depictions of women in reality tv shows (such as Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Simple Life, The Bachelor, The Hills, Laguna Beach, The Real World, Survivor, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, etc.) are also harmful. This got my curiosity thinking. Why are women on reality TV shows considered depictions of women as a whole rather than a specific woman in a specific situation? For example, say one woman is to get into an argument with another woman and there?s hair-pulling and cursing involved. That being said, why do we say that it sends a bad message for women and girls when it could be a very specific circumstance involving individuals where things have come to blows?

I understand that most reality television is staged, over-produced and fake through the use of editing, camera angles, actors and selective picking of events. That being said, why the individuals in reality television are not held accountable for having the argument instead of simply just the producers and directors?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Depends on the proportions.

Now, I don't watch reality TV, but if the majority of women on it were terrible people, that's not just depicting individuals anymore, that's become a stereotype.

 

[Bobic]

Depends on the proportions.

Now, I don't watch reality TV, but if the majority of women on it were terrible people, that's not just depicting individuals anymore, that's become a stereotype.

To be fair, the majority of every gender, race, social class and clique imaginable are terrible people in reality TV, that's kinda reality TV's thing.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Recently, I had the fortune of watching Miss Representation on Netflix and learned a lot. But, I had one issue with the film and it stating that televisions depictions of women in reality tv shows (such as Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Simple Life, The Bachelor, The Hills, Laguna Beach, The Real World, Survivor, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, etc.) are also harmful. This got my curiosity thinking. Why are women on reality TV shows considered depictions of women as a whole rather than a specific woman in a specific situation?

I haven't seen Miss Representation (I hate documentaries - ugh) but I've seen other arguments like this and can take a solid educational guess.

Because the women on reality TV are all very similar to one another - they fall into a particular stereotype that sells, and therefore it gets exploited for viewing (and therefore ad revenue). The stereotype tends to be harmful to women (as generally asserted by Women's Studies) because it portrays women as stupid, vain, shallow, and petty.

That said... it's reality TV, the absolute toilet of the airwaves. In my personal opinion, Reality TV portrays EVERYONE as awful stereotypes, no matter what sub-group one happens to fall into.

NOTE: If anyone quotes me, please do not try to argue with paragraph 2 as that paragraph represents my guess at the logic behind what the OP is describing, not my personal opinion. If you want to argue about paragraph 3 where I present my opinion that all Reality TV is awful and should be used as a form of inhumane torture, then that's fine, but I will only address discussion directed at my actual opinion and not my guess at someone else's opinion. I can't read the mind of the creator of a movie (that I assume is a documentary with only circumstantial evidence) that I haven't even seen.

 

[Stevepinto3]

It has to do with the larger trends. Individuals are, obviously, individuals and can be judged on their own merits, but when talking about the spectrum of reality tv we're obviously throwing a wide net and looking at larger trends. And in that we tend to see the same depictions of women as catty, materialistic, hostile, and petty over and over again.

Further when these same depictions are being seen constantly by the general public it can't not impact our perceptions to some degree. It's why you get people spouting sexist generalizations as "common sense" or "telling it like it is" when that's both disingenuous and just plain mean.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Now call me crazy, but I think reality TV's just bad for everybody. The world was doomed as soon as cops caught on as a thing and people didn't have to pay writers for narrative and shit. It was a soothing realization when I realized I hadn't watched any television this year.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

The only Reality TV show I follow is The Amazing Race, and while it doesn't stop me from enjoying it, I'll admit it uses manipulative editing and encourages the teams to act out their stereotypes as well as usually designating one or two 'villain' teams where all the negative or selfish things they do or say will be shown.

This season we have 2 stereotypical cowboys and 2 ditzy-seeming attractive country singers who have charmed the former team into helping them out quite a lot, able to skip past a mechanically-inclined challenge. I'm fairly certain that one of the criteria for choosing teams is quirkiness or a stereotype to enact (although I should mention that all the teams this year are back from previous seasons by fan request).

Someone less savvy to the manipulation of such shows could easily think that a majority of women are like those singers or the one on the current 'villain' team (bossy girl who whines to her boyfriend team mate at every challenge and is mean to the other young women in the race). Hopefully no one ever takes these generalizations as fact, as really they're no less inaccurate than in any other fictional TV show.

 

[JMac85]

Reality TV is bad for everyone. Bad for the people on screen, bad for the viewer, bad for the souls of the people responsible for producing it (may they be tormented in a fiery pit for eternity), etc...

 

[3ntropy775]

Reality TV is bad for everyone. Bad for the people on screen, bad for the viewer, bad for the souls of the people responsible for producing it (may they be tormented in a fiery pit for eternity), etc...

This. It's not limited to one gender, it's just bad for everyone.

 

[gargantual]

Why are women depicted on reality television bad representations of women as whole rather than bad representations of individual women?

Recently, I had the fortune of watching Miss Representation on Netflix and learned a lot. But, I had one issue with the film and it stating that televisions depictions of women in reality tv shows (such as Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Simple Life, The Bachelor, The Hills, Laguna Beach, The Real World, Survivor, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, etc.) are also harmful. This got my curiosity thinking. Why are women on reality TV shows considered depictions of women as a whole rather than a specific woman in a specific situation? For example, say one woman is to get into an argument with another woman and there?s hair-pulling and cursing involved. That being said, why do we say that it sends a bad message for women and girls when it could be a very specific circumstance involving individuals where things have come to blows?

I understand that most reality television is staged, over-produced and fake through the use of editing, camera angles, actors and selective picking of events. That being said, why the individuals in reality television are not held accountable for having the argument instead of simply just the producers and directors?

*shrug* they're mirroring 'Desperate Housewives'? (which is odd considering that was complete fiction. blecch)

"The Amazing Race, and Chef Ramsay is where I personally draw the line. At least those shows highlight perseverance, and self improvement.

Better question (that many of us deep down know the answer to) is why do many fictional dramas and dramadies contain mountains more character honesty and dimension than reality television?

Or why Emmy Rossum hasn't gotten an emmy for Shameless by now, next Fall....something's gotta give damnit.

 

[Storm Dragon]

Because it's reality television.

 

[Gorrath]

I would'nt say it's just women who come off looking bad on reality TV. I think it is a disgrace how that stuff gets so much air time and these people actually think they are talented or contribute to society, they are a waste of space in my opinion (Geordie/Jersey Shore I am looking at you). I know people who know all about that stuff but have no idea about current affairs, politics, science or anything of substance. I doubt they ever read anything outside a magazine. Maybe this sounds harsh but people like that should be ashamed of themselves and they are why society is generally so stupid.

Doesn't sound harsh to me. Pointing out that people are uneducated because they don't take the time to learn anything on their own is hardly a poor criticism. We are all ignorant about some things, and I don't expect everyone to constantly read wikipedia (not that it's the source of all knowledge, mind) but I do have to question people's priorities when they can yammer endlessly about the "reality" TV du jour and can't name their won representative or senator. I wouldn't even be that harsh if those self same people didn't thump their chests as they proceed to try and talk over everyone during the primaries.

 

[Catrixa]

Because it's what the editors think that's what people want to watch? Reality TV isn't actually real--there are people there telling the "real people" how to act. Think this situation could have been handled by talking it out? It might have been, but then someone said "yeah, just pull her hair and yell at her." Manipulative editing and stage suggestions go a long way toward making someone look a very specific, marketable way.

That said, I've never (once) seen a reality TV show with a consistently nice person on it. They're pretty much all jerks all the time.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Reality TV isn't actually real--there are people there telling the "real people" how to act.

Quoted for truth. What we call "reality" in the context of TV shows is in reality (pun intended) quite unnatural and more often than not highly staged or contrived. What "reality TV" should be called is "cheap TV" since that's essentially what it is. Taking people who aren't actors (no wages), forgoing script or story (no writers), drama/comedy, costume and set is cheaper than making an actual show. Get some amateurs, put them in a contrived situation, roll cameras. Bonus "entertainment" points for extreme personalities. Make it into a contest (even add audience participation by calling premium rate numbers to earn money from the viewers) and there's your show.

I think the "Cops" style reality show was one of, if not The Earliest (though I could be mistaken). It might've been a little interesting insofar as it does offer a glimpse behind the profession, albeit a heavily edited one.

OT, while I don't watch any "reality" shows, let alone specific ones mentioned, if you only include one "type" of personality then it is absolutely a depiction of a stereotype. To give an anecdotal example in a different context: take police officers or even more specifically, those who work in prisons. All day every day the only people they see and interact with are criminals and liars. If all the people one meets are criminals then it is going to give one a jaded and cynical outlook on "humanity" as a whole. That is my explanation as to why most police officers are thugs and arseholes. If the only people one sees on TV are those on Jeremy Kyle (Jerry Springer type talk show, without the fighting), it's going to affect one's view of people.

 

[Robert Marrs]

You could make the same argument of gender representation for men in sitcoms. All of them are bumbling idiots who couldn't cross the street without the help of their wives. At the end of the day its just television. Its appealing to the lowest common denominator to make the most money. Sure its damaging to the self-esteem and public image on both sides but if you can't separate reality from television (and no reality tv is not reality) the finer points of gender politics probably are not really your thing. Just be yourself, teach your kids to be themselves and not try to live up to impossible standards and be discouraged by your own lack of representation. Do that and not only will we be better off but it would likely change the media as well. If the majority of the population is raised to realize how stupid television is today television will adapt to meet those new standards.

 

[Gorrath]

Im not American I'm Irish but I understand what you mean. Well it is a universal problem then I see. Over here it almost seems like a badge of honour to some people to be ignorant to the world but proudly admit you own a copy of Snookies biography and can name all the twats on Jersey shore. I recently seen a Facebook update from a guy I used to work with in a part time job that said ''College is for twats haha f**k them losers''. For perspective this guy looks and behaves like someone off reality TV. Sun beds, plucked eyebrows, ludicrously small shirts, new dumb blonde every week and hangs around with 5 more just like him, the ''cool guys''. Celebrating your own stupidity is a marvellous sight.

Sorry I was on a rant there but my point is people act like this because they see this crap on TV.

Oh we have that too. In fact, I think a lot of cultures have an issue with prizing sex-appeal, charisma and brawn over brains and aptitude. This slanted valuation of traits can lead to intelligence going from being under-prized to being outright dismissed and mocked. I think the whole issue stems from cultural values, and what we see on TV is just a representation of those cultural values. Of course popular media feeds back into the culture and the two evolve together, so I do agree that the influence is mutual. And I appreciate your rant, it has boggled my mind endlessly how people constantly rely on the fallacy that not knowing anything is a way of knowing things.