The Impact of Reality TV

Essay by nfleishmanCollege, UndergraduateA, February 2014

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The Impact of Reality TV

Everybody loves a little bit of Snookie. Reality TV has changed our culture and is changing the way we perceive reality. Reality TV is not your common television show actually it is far from it, with no writers, actors or scripts. Reality TV is bringing in the big bucks for networks and making stars out of regular Joe's. Reality TV can be inspiring but yet send inappropriate messages. It is pretty safe to say that Reality TVS influence has become wide spread in many faucets of real life not just TV.

Reality TV dominates our lexicon, our water-cooler gossip and even the way we dress. Consider that more than a few heads turned when "Jersey Shore" star, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, received more cash to address students at Rutgers University in March 2011 than Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison did to give the commencement address in May.

Snooki's advice to students: "Study hard, but party harder" [ source: John].

The truth is the real benefactors of the reality show industry is not the modern day contestants or stars becoming stars; it is the production/network companies. They are reaping big time gains. Let's look at the show Jersey Shore for example; the previously unknown stars were making only a couple hundred dollars per episode when the show first aired. In retrospect this does not sound so bad does it? But when you compare it to the salaries made by actors of scripted shows you may just change your mind. Charlie Sheen, for example, was earning $860,000 per episode on his hit show, "Two and a Half Men," in 2009. [source Sean]

Just how much is reality TV raking in for the TV networks? The answer is they are making a bundle! The revenue is not just...