There are thousands of people dying to have their 15 minutes of fame, though they are most certainly hoping for more than 15 minutes. People will do just about anything to get their name out there.
Take for example, reality TV cast members. These people will do anything just to stay on the show - they'll place themselves in danger, as well as subject themselves to emotional trauma, and act like complete fools, all in the name of fame.
It makes you wonder whether or not the people you see on TV act like this in real life or if they're just doing it to stay on the show? Because if they are playing a role in order to stay on the show and become a bigger star, which works well for the producers who just want higher ratings, then they have already begun relinquishing their autonomy. At that point the producers understand that they can coax these people into more outrageous behaviors because it will both increase the ratings of the show and give the individual more air time. It makes it seem like everyone gets what they want because the actors feel like their becoming bigger stars due to the increased air time and the producers are thrilled with the ratings. In the end, most of these actors return to everyday life and fade into obscurity, left with only vague memories of their embarrassing TV behavior.
Now, it's true that not all reality TV stars fall to the wayside, never to be seen or heard from again. Some do become fairly well known, but at what cost? Omarosa, from NBC's hit show The Apprentice, is considered a reality TV star. Most would agree, however, that she’s not known for her business savvy but more for acting like a complete psychopath while on the show. I wonder if she has any regrets?
All in all it comes down to this: who has control over your intentions? An actor may intend to become famous, but who controls the path to this destination? Agents, producers, casting directors, just to name a few. Actors are told what to say and how to say it, what to wear, and who to surround themselves with. They appear to have overall good intentions – to make their client famous and make themselves rich. However, without control over their intentions, do they still feel like their own?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
My first experience dealing with reality TV was the series “Fear Factor”. Groups of people, of teams of 2, would do disgusting stunts that the producers had thought up. A stunt that I remember most vividly was the one that had one of the team lay in a locked coffin full of rats, snakes and scorpions, while the other team member had to find the keys to the locked coffin in pig slop with using their hands. If this is what it takes to get a chance to be famous, I think I will pass.
ReplyDeleteThe opportunity to become popular is probably very hard to resist. Everyone has a place deep down inside them that yearns to be popular. Maybe not a long term desire, but just enough to get the feeling that people admire them.
Producers of reality TV continually remind the contestants that to get the prize at the end, they need to step-up their game and do whatever it takes. There is always a segment at the beginning of the show where the host asks the contestants what they will do with the cash prize if they should win. This is the goal they want to wish for. Maybe this is why they act the way they do?
Thank you for your feedback Three D's. You're right in saying that "The opportunity to become popular is probably very hard to resist." And imagine the peer pressure that comes along with that. Especially in situations with such intense competition, like Fear Factor. Though I agree that we all would enjoy the admiration of others, I also believe that people will do anything to avoid humiliation. And in this case, the humiliation of loosing would probably outweigh that of, say, a grown man screaming like a little girl inside that coffin (I don't know if that was actually the case). No one likes losing, especially on national television. At the very lease most of us would sympathize with the screamer. Except for his buddies, who not only would give him a ration of crap for being a pansy, but for being a pansy who lost.
ReplyDeleteI think when people are given a chance to be on a TV reality series the main thing that pops into their mind is money. I think that is the main thing behind all of the annoying reality series. When a person has a chance to make fifty thousand dollars and be on TV at the same time, they will tend to do things that they would not normally do. It takes them out of their comfort zone and all they think about is money and fame.
ReplyDelete