Shell Bongares - (Reality TV)

2) How does Hill define reality TV? Describe his definitions in the context of a contemporary Reality TV show.

Hill (2005) describes reality TV not as a one-dimensional genre, but a hybrid genre influenced by various television styles and formats, further utilising ‘popular factual entertainment’ as a broad term for it. Some of the most common techniques of  reality TV include “non-professional actors, unscripted dialogue, surveillance footage, hand-held cameras, [and] seeing events unfold [live]” (Hill, 2005, p.41). When reality TV first gained popularity, Hill (2005) explained that much of the content was based on law and order, or emergency services with shows like Animal Hospital concerning animal welfare. In recent times, reality TV is linked to “anything and everything, from people to pets, from birth to death” (Hill, 2005, p.41). Hill (2005) then categorises reality programming into three waves: first being ‘infotainment’ which are the aforementioned crime and emergency services; secondly, ‘docu-soaps’ or popular observational documentaries and lifestyle programmes; and third, ‘reality gameshows’ where ordinary people are placed into controlled environments to co-exist and/or compete with each other.

Nowadays, reality TV is popularised as “telling stories about real people and real events in an entertaining style” (Hill, 2005, p. 39). However, due to this entertainment factor, the authenticity of how these stories and events are structured are often questionable. For example, the reality show Keeping up with the Kardashians [KUWTK] centres on the lives of the Kardashian family. Originally, the only remotely familiar name from the Kardashian clan was Kim for being a celebrity stylist. However, thanks to transforming into a global fashion icon, and her high-profile relationships with NBA player, Kris Humphries, and current husband, world-renowned Rapper, Kanye West, Kim has firmly established her own name in the media. Also, her stepfather, Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner) was an Olympic gold medallist. Despite their family not being completely ‘ordinary’, in that sense, their ‘real’ lives are still being documented, and are very much unscripted, with numerous accounts of sibling fights and family arguments being aired to the public. Although, all scenes from KUWTK are evidently manipulated and edited to show a certain angle, at the end of the day, their show does depict a view of a ‘normal’ family, albeit one much wealthier, with the same tussles any other ordinary family has. Therefore, whether it’s from relatability or the complete opposite, many people find enjoyment in watching reality TV because of “the mass appeal of entertainment stories about real people caught on camera” (Hill, 2005, p. 39).

References

Hill, A. (2005). The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and popular factual television. (pp. 14–40). Oxon: Routledge.