How real do you think reality TV is?
Asked by
ETpro (
34605
)
July 18th, 2010
We have programs like Real Housewives of [fill in the blank] that show some of the most self centered, bitchy behavior imaginable. How real is all this? I mean the show has a producer and director. They want as much drama as is humanly possible and must certainly ask the participants to generate it in spades.
The actors and actresses have to be completely aware they are on national TV acting out in these ways. How likely would people be to show their worst side when there is a producer, director, camera men, lighting crew, make-up assistants and grips following them everywhere they go—unless the producer scripts all the drama and tells them how to pick each fight?
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16 Answers
It’s as real as the scriptwriters can make it.
It’s a total bunch of bull. Anybody who thinks otherwise, there’s a bridge I’d like to sell you. (However, I will say, there’s really a store called Jersey Couture. My friend just bought a dress there.)
It’s as fake as a three dollar bill.
Situations are set up that the contestants/performer/whomever improvise from. They know what sort of “character” they’re supposed to be, and then the directors/editors string the bits together that tie closest to the story they wrote.
Except I saw an episode of The Hills recently, and that sounded really scripted. It was as if someone had given a bunch of ordinary people a script and had them read it. I thought it was that bad. Apparently, after the last episode, they allowed the cameras to pull out and the cast showed the audience the soundstages that some of the episodes were shot on.
Not real. From what I read and hear then they are peopled from a stable of aspiring actors, actresses and friends of friend of friends of industry workers.
It is as real as pro wrestling and Jerry Springer, fits right in to the same class of cinema if you ask me.
….reality TV is?
The “Original” reality TV show ..
This Old House
When Norm tells you that your foundation is rotted and that wasn’t in the budget…
That’s Reality…
I’m dating myself, but I was a kid when TV came in (we were the first in our neighborhood to have one), and guess what some of the first shows were? Wrestling! And that was fixed. You think it’s gotten more real since?
Honestly, I really do think that a lot of reality tv is “based” off of reality.
I don’t think that most of them get “scripts”.
Its ridiculous to say that its all fake. The “real housewives” aren’t actors. If they were actors, some of them would be attractive.
100% fake. Not only are the people acting it up and fake, the editors assemble the footage in different way to make different events happen. Example, Ramsay is not that much of a jerk in real life, he’s playing up his anger and frustration on the shows cause that’s what the USA wants to see. His English shows are much more reserved and tame.
@meagan I agree they aren’t scripted per se. THey are outlined and the participants are instructed in what roles to play, but the words are, in most cases, their own. It takes experienced actors and actresses to be able to deliver lines from a script and still make the dialog sound real.
The basics, like their homes , cars and clothes are real but what they say is largely scripted or else it might be too boring to watch!
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