Transcript Is Reality TV Democratic?

Is Reality TV Democratic?
INFORMATION
COMMUNICATION
EQUALITY
PARTICIPATION
FREEDOM
JUSTICE
MORALITY?
Is Reality TV Democratic?
Is this democratic?
1965 – The BBC broadcast Man Alive
-a documentary about working-class people
made by middle-class producers.
1990s – Docusoaps emerge.
These combine
documentary and
personal video diary.
E.g. Airport.
“No” – says Big Brother creator
Peter Bazalgette – it’s
patronising.
‘making ordinary people
famous by casting them
in their own lives’
2000 – Present
Popstars, X-Factor, BGT
“The American dream idea
of level playing field,
whereby anyone’s dream
can come true”
People increasingly use
television as ‘pull media’
and watch it on demand,
when they want to,
where they want to.
BUT
Viewing figures for Big
Brother and the X-Factor
still prove that a huge
number of people still sit
down together and
consume television in a
very media 1.0 way.
If we media is really happening, why do
we not turn off our Televisions and do
something more interesting, like write a
blog?
The capitalist myth that is
perpetuated is that fame
is the ultimate aspiration
for all of us.
Is Reality TV Democratic?
The issue is access
- More ordinary people are
on TV than ever before.
- TV is becoming an arena
for the masses.
“An Arena for the
Masses”?
Democratic?
The public have voted to victory
people of various ethnic origins,
sexual preferences and disabilities,
unlike the ‘real’ political process.
No one has to vote if they don’t want
to...
Television should educate, inform
and entertain in equal measure .
(Lord Reith, 1927)
De-humanising and
Immoral.
The capitalist myth that is
perpetuated is that fame
is the ultimate aspiration
for all of us.
Democratic?
Reality TV is counter-democratic in so much as the
serve to disempower citizens from the political
arena.
Instead of voting to change governments, we’re
voting for Little Mix
If we media is really
happening, why do we
not turn off our televisions
and do something more
interesting, like write a
blog?
The capitalist myth that is
perpetuated is that fame
is the ultimate aspiration
for all of us.
People increasingly use
television as ‘pull media’
and watch it on demand,
when they want to,
where they want to.
Is Reality TV Democratic?
The issue is access
- More ordinary people are
on TV than ever before.
- TV is becoming an arena
for the masses.
1965 – The BBC broadcast Man Alive
-a documentary about working-class people
made by middle-class producers.
Viewing figures for Big
Brother and the X-Factor
still prove that a huge
number of people still sit
down together and
consume television in a
very media 1.0 way.
“An Arena for the
Masses”?
Is this democratic?
“No” – says Big Brother
creator Peter Bazalgette –
it’s patronising.
1990s – docusoaps emerge.
These combine
documentary and
personal video diary.
E.g. Airport.
‘making ordinary people
famous by casting them
in their own lives’
Television should educate, inform and
entertain in equal measure .
(Lord Reith, 1927)
2000 – Present
Popstars, X-Factor, BGT
“The American dream idea
of level playing field,
whereby anyone’s dream
can come true”
De-humanising and
Immoral.
Reality TV is counter-democratic in so much as the
serve to disempower citizens from the political
arena.
Democratic?
The public have voted to victory
people of various ethnic origins,
sexual preferences and disabilities,
unlike the ‘real’ political process.
Instead of voting to change governments, we’re
voting for Little Mix
No one has to vote if they don’t want
to...
Democratic?