The reality show is a television format starring real people and not fictional characters.
Reality show is an expression of the English language that is frequently used in our language . The concept, which can be translated as “reality show” or “reality demonstration,” refers to a television format that aims to show real events that happen to ordinary people in a certain setting.
One of the most important characteristics of a reality show is that its protagonists are real individuals , not fictional characters. The people who participate in a reality show, in theory, are not actors, they do not represent any character nor do they have to follow a script or script.
These people are brought together in the same physical space (a house, a beach, a bar, etc.) and must live together in front of the cameras while they carry out various tests. Viewers, therefore, can observe on television what happens to these subjects in real time.
Participants of a reality show
The participants of a reality show are chosen through a selection process ( casting ) by the program's production team. Generally, producers try to choose people with different profiles and strong temperaments, so that conflicts arise between them that may be interesting for viewers.
Far from being an experiment of legitimate sociological interest, the reality show sells more the more fights occur between its members, the more insults, threats, betrayals and acts of vulgarity adorn its broadcasts. Viewers are attracted to conflicts, since they are ideal for choosing a side , forging ties with one or more characters, and then supporting them through the different media available, such as the telephone and the Internet, to prevent them from being expelled. of the program.
Reality shows usually capture the attention of millions of individuals.
"Big Brother"
The most famous reality show in the world is “Big Brother,” whose premise is very simple: a group of people are locked up and isolated in a house. Every day they perform different tests that allow them to obtain benefits. The public, meanwhile, must decide, with their vote, who continues on the program and who is eliminated. The winner of “Big Brother” is the contestant who, thanks to the public, stays in the house the longest.
There are numerous television programs that have been influenced by “Big Brother” , although over the years more and more variations of the original idea have emerged, to the point of covering a large number of possibilities: the reality show format is not only suitable for see how a group of people live their daily lives, but also how they manage to survive a series of challenges from nature, how different the life of a celebrity family is from their own, or how many reasons a person may have to take another to trial.
Growth of the reality show format
Given public demand, the reality show format began an expansion that seems endless , covering a large number of topics , including documentaries, house renovations, competitions, court trials, and investigation of paranormal phenomena. and the change of appearance to correct defects that prevented the contestants from feeling good about themselves. The list goes on and branches into subcategories, in part to satisfy certain regional issues.
But the limits of the reality show are not found in the realm of television; On the contrary, on the Internet we can clearly observe the cultural changes that it has implemented in society , to the joy of some and the misfortune of others. Anyone who wants to make their space on YouTube , for example, knows that one of the basic tips is to expose your personal life as much as possible ; This attracts more views, because it creates the feeling that it is a real being, made of flesh and blood, with problems like everyone else.