Reality TV Casting

When participants sign on to be a part of a reality TV show, they sign contracts and are then bound by the terms of the contract. If the participants violate the terms of the contract, then they risk being kicked off of the show. This is what binds the participant. However, there are laws and regulations which govern reality TV shows. This may be hard to believe since many reality TV shows seem cutthroat, but contestants are aware of the type of TV show they are taking part in and they agree to such treatment in their contracts because that is what makes the show interesting.

The FCC regulates what we see on TV, but the shows are prohibited from rigging of any kind, exploiting children, and other such things as nudity and language that are not censored. Those are your standard FCC regulations. However, there have been statements that have claimed that the show Survivor is not subject to game show regulations set forth by the FCC.

Such rules set forth by the FCC involve the Prime Time Access Rule and the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, which has a large effect on game shows. What the first rule does is give total control of a certain time slot to a local station to do what they please and the second rule gives the producers limited ownership of a program after its initial run. However, these rules don’t really interest the public. What interests the public are the censorship rules.

Regarding the claim that Survivor is not subject to the game show regulations of the FCC is contradictory to what the show has claimed. The FCC rules are mostly effective in the areas of censorship and making sure that there is no rigging going on although the above applies as well. They say that reality shows do not leave much room to cheat anyway despite what some may believe. If the FCC caught reality shows rigging, the reality shows would be severely fined. If the contestants found out that the shows were being rigged, then the shows would be facing numerous lawsuits.

Lessons were learned many years ago from such shows as Quiz Show where the producers were feeding the questions and the answers to the contestants before they went on the show. If the audience loved a particular contestant, the producers wanted to make sure that contestant stuck around for a while. Once the ratings would fall, the process would start all over again so that the audience would once again fall in love with a particular contestant.

However, when we look at the reality shows of today, we may absolutely enjoy a particular contestant for them to get voted off. That hardly constitutes any type of rigging because the show is risking viewership if a beloved contestant is gone. The FCC regulates how these shows conduct themselves and they make sure that everything is done fairly to the best of their ability because, if the show is found out, the show risks everything, including their reputation. If they risk their reputation, then they lose viewership. When a show loses viewership, they are then taken off of the air and placed into syndication if they’re lucky. Some reality shows have been on the air for so long that it would be a shame for such things to happen, but scandal does occur and solutions must be reached. However, sometimes it is the scandal that brings even more viewers to a show than ever before. But if the show is deceiving their viewers, then viewers feel violated.

Television shows have changed in the last few years. We still have our sitcoms and dramas, and the occasional movie, but something new has come on the scene lately, and it is giving these other types of shows a real run for their money. I’m talking of course, about reality shows. Reality shows started to appear on television a few years ago, and they have grown in popularity, until you cannot go through three or four channels without coming across some type of reality show.

Reality shows used to give people their fifteen or twenty minutes of fame when they first started out, but in the last couple of years, there have been some people who have found a bit of lasting fame from their appearances on some reality shows, and the public has really latched onto some of these new celebrities. There are so many different types of reality shows nowadays, and some of them seem to be more apt to launch their contestants into fame and fortune than others. Today, you can choose to watch reality shows such as, Survivor, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, Fear Factor, No Opportunity Wasted, American Idol, The Apprentice, So You Think You Can Dance, Hell’s Kitchen, The Hills, and these are just a few reality TV shows!

Survivor has churned out more than one new celebrity, and probably the two most popular was a couple who fell in love during their time on the show. Rob and Amber were very popular after competing on Survivor, and a lot of people have followed their lives, even years after the show. Add this to the fact that they appeared as contestants on The Amazing Race together, and came in second place in 2005, and their celebrity status doubled!

Chef Gordon Ramsay is another person who has achieved major celebrity status by appearing as the star on a reality show. His show, Hell’s Kitchen, did so well, that he is now doing another reality show, called Kitchen Nightmares, where he takes restaurants that are not faring so well, and turns them around. Chef Ramsay is getting a lot more recognition on the street since he has been doing these shows.

Another reality show that has turned out a whole lot of stars is American Idol. Some of the winners of this singing reality show have not been so successful, (Justin Guarini has been the butt of many jokes) but a lot of the winners have sold multi-million records. Some examples are Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks. This is one type of reality show where contestants definitely have a good chance at becoming an instant celebrity. Singers have a place in one of the most popular group of celebrities in the world, right along with actors and actresses.

If you want to achieve “celebrity status”, appearing on a reality show could actually be a smart way of doing so. Just do your research and make sure that you pick the right one. Don’t audition for a show that you have no talents for.

When Survivor appeared on CBS for the first time, it quickly became a topic of conversation around water coolers everywhere. Even people who didn’t watch the show couldn’t escape conversations about which castaway would be voted off the island next. Today, there are dozens of reality shows that offer to turn everyday people into chefs, actors, singing stars, brides or grooms, millionaires, and almost anything else you can imagine.

And while people make the obligatory negative remarks about reality TV, many harbor secret addictions to one show or another. What makes reality TV so popular? There are probably several factors.

First, reality TV participants come from all walks of life. Whether you’re gay or straight, male or female, Christian or Buddhist, Black or white, it is easy to turn on reality TV and spot someone like yourself whisked away into an adventurous or luxurious lifestyle. We experience a vicarious thrill seeing ordinary people like us compete for fabulous prizes. And, if you are being absolutely honest, you have to admit that you’ve sometimes thought, “I could do that!”

Another reason people enjoy reality TV is the suspense. On most shows, each episode finds another participant being eliminated until there is only one player left standing. We agonize with our favorite players as they endure challenges and hardships, hold our breaths when it looks like they may be on the chopping block, and breathe a sigh of relief when they squeak by for one more week.

Watching reality TV also gives us an avenue to communicate with acquaintances and co-workers. As the second season of American Idol drew to a close, for instance, you could start a conversation with a complete stranger simply by asking, “So, is it going to be Clay or Ruben?”

Still another reason reality TV is popular may have to do with certain socioeconomic factors. With so many people in debt, the cost of living consistently outstripping people’s paychecks, relatively high unemployment, and wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, reality TV gives people something less threatening to focus on. It may even help people feel better about their own lives. “I may have it bad,” some viewers think, “but at least I’m not wearing filthy clothes and eating insects.” Or, “I may have had a bad day of work, but at least the entire viewing public isn’t watching Simon Cowell blast my singing voice.”

Finally, reality TV initially had a strong viewing because it was something unique. Audiences in the United States were used to watching television actors deliver scripted lines—we were completely unprepared for a show without a script featuring real people engaged in real competition. The real live cat fights, backbiting, and scheming delighted wide eyed viewers.

Of course, from the beginning there were a few dissenting voices claiming that reality TV was somewhat less than real. Furthermore, familiarity has begun to breed contempt. The second installment of Survivor, for instance, was the most watched series of the 2000-2001 TV series. Survivor China, the fifteenth installment in the Survivor series, is ranked number eleven among the current fall lineup. Other reality TV shows have seen similar rating drops as their novelty faded.

But even if reality TV is no longer quite as robust as it once was, it is far from dead. New reality TV concepts are pitched every season, and millions of fans continue to tune in to watch their favorite reality programs. For all the reasons discussed above, reality TV is definitely here to stay.

Part of the appeal of reality TV is that it offers a look into the lives of ordinary folks like you and me. No writers, no actors, just everyday folks using their strength and common sense. Why, we could be the ones up there on screen winning glorious prizes for outlasting our tribe mates or marrying a pseudo millionaire! But just how real is reality TV?

Not very, say some critics and observers. In fact, reality TV producers manipulate reality in several ways. Otherwise, the shows wouldn’t attract the ratings they have. After all, who would tune in to watch people in their own homes living a perfectly average day?

The first way that reality is manipulated is that the participants are removed from their everyday environment. Whether they are marooned on an island or housed in a resort, they are fish out of water and their access to resources depends on the goodwill of the producers.

Second, the participants are placed in competition with each other. Only one person can win the grand prize, whether that prize is a cash reward, a television contract, or the love of another person. In order to stay on the show, contestants must face difficult challenges. Each show usually ends with at least one contestant being sent home. Thus the focus of reality TV is manufactured conflict.

The conflict is usually heightened by the selection of participants. Producers know that conflict means ratings, so they try to cast each show with people who are natural opponents such as an out gay man or lesbian and a homophobe or a strong, take-charge woman and a sexist man. Such pairings are almost guaranteed to keep conflict going and provide hours of arguing for the entertainment of viewers.

Finally, even with the controlled environment and the inherent conflict, reality TV shows must still be edited to create a “storyline.” Editors sort through countless hours of mundane activities to find the moments fraught with tension and conflict. If two participants get along great for 99% of the day, but exchange sharp words once, it is likely the argument that you will see. Similarly if a participant says many positive things about another participant but adds, “I wish he weren’t so controlling,” you’re likely to see only the complaint about the controlling behavior and none of the compliments that came before.

Careful editing can make smart people appear dumb, nice people seem like villains, and casual friends look like lovers.

Over and above these obvious manipulations, there is some question about whether reality TV producers go even a step further and try to manipulate the results of the competition. In 2001, for instance, Stacey Stillman sued the television program Survivor claiming that the executive producer had encouraged other contestants to vote her off the island instead of a player who was more popular with viewers. CBS, the network that airs Survivor, has vehemently denied these charges. Other series that have been accused of rigging outcomes include The Amazing Race, American Idol, and Big Brother. Even many of the staunchest reality TV fans admit to wondering if the outcomes are really as random as they are made to seem.

In the end, no one has ever been able to prove that the outcomes of these shows are fixed. One thing is certain, though. The situations in which the participants interact with each other are so carefully manipulated that they bear little, if any, resemblance to reality.

Over the past several years, reality TV has gained much popularity among television viewers all over the globe.  The nature of this type of television has been evolving for quite some time, with the existence of court TV, and the development of a number of shows seeking the next big entertainer.  Now, there is a reality show that is sure to suit almost any interest and commandeer the attention of a loyal fan base.  These shows are fun to watch and interesting to follow; but what if you had the opportunity to actually participate in one?

When raised, this question congers up many images.  Many people choose to watch a particular reality show because it coincides with their interests, but when it comes to participation, there is more that must be factored in that interest alone.  First, you would want to find a show that you could directly relate to, and meet with at least some success.  For example, if you are not a singer, you would not want to seriously audition for a show designed to find the next pop star.  The idea is usually to win, so that is what you should set out to do.

Still, choosing a reality show could be difficult.  People learn from watching others, and what better way to become familiar with a show and all it entails than to watch and see how it works.  The key is to find a show you would enjoy, since remaining on it will take up a lot of your time.  Find something that allows you to use your skills and personal attributes.  This is important because you will most likely be competing for something.  Everyone else around you will carry that same mentality, so it really does become a matter of survival of the fittest.

While reality shows are fun, you’re really in it to win.  You will want your face to be the one people will look forward to seeing every week, so choose a show where you can really excel.  Your choices are numerous and diverse, so you should have no problem finding a show that will suit you.  The opportunities are endless.  The beauty is that often times you will have the chance to repeat your performance the following year should you not make it to the end of the season.  No matter which show you choose, have fun.  If you are enjoying your performance, the audience will pick up on that, and it will go far to enhance your ratings. 

Reality TV has become a popular form of entertainment.  Now, people all over the world are turning on and tuning in to see the latest hype about their favorite “real” situation and those taking part in it.  Whether their interests lie on a desert island or the big city and bright lights, it is easy to find something to satisfy your yearnings.  The vast range of topics that reality TV has come to encompass has made it near to impossible to ignore, and that is, perhaps what makes this newer form of entertainment interesting to those who watch.

Over the past several years, it has become more important for those living in society to connect with those around them.  Reality TV allows those who watch to do just that.  No matter how indirect the connection, it’s still present and very alive.  Curiosity plays a big role in this, as often times, viewers will try to put themselves in a particular situation, and figure out how they might react.  The difference is it’s actually happening to someone and not made up; part of the enchantment is, it isn’t happening to the viewers, which makes it more fun to watch from afar.

Reality TV has turned into somewhat of a real-life soap opera, complete with characters whose fates are often decided in different ways.  In some cases, these fates are decided by viewers, which makes it that much more intriguing.  The reason for this is that people tend to care about something more when they can take an active part in it. 

Reality TV has also given regular viewers the opportunity to directly participate, while just being themselves in the process.  There is, however, a certain amount of falseness that must be incorporated into acting out real situations, because of the nature of television itself, but, for the most part, it’s all about real people facing real challenges. 

This type of television is very unique for a couple of reasons.  The shows are often relatively short in duration, and are usually broadcasted annually, so as not to saturate the airwaves and overstay its welcome.  This also helps boost the ratings for each particular show, as the viewing public isn’t getting too much at one time.

Reality TV has also presented a diverse side to the entertainment industry never seen before.  It has become fun and interesting to follow each participant, because he or she is a person with a real conflict, and this really matters to viewers.  Whether the show is based around legality issues as seen on court TV, a competition for the next best entertainer, or survival of the fittest, the steaks are always high.  This is, perhaps, why reality TV has become so captivating, and why it is, undoubtedly, here to stay.