[Red Moon]

Questioning the 'reality' of reality television

What do 1950's TV quiz shows, "The Hills," and "The Simple Life" have in common?

They are all shows claiming to be 'reality.'

The 1950's quiz shows allowed viewers to believe that the winners were the actual winners based on knowledge.

"The Hills" leads it's audience to think that they are watching the lives of real LA girls.

"The Simple Life" is a sad excuse for entertainment trying to make viewers believe that two "celebrities" are put into uncomfortable situations and left to fend for themselves.

All of these shows are deceptive and should not be labeled as "real."

One of the first examples of a "non-scripted" show deceiving the public was quiz shows. In the 1950's, television quiz shows were extremely popular. Viewers at home could answer the questions themselves as the contestants on the show did the same, and audiences could cheer for their favorite contestant. In the late 50's audiences learned that most of these shows, if not all of them, were scripted. Herb Stempel was a contestant on "Twenty-one" who outted the producers for coaching him and his opponent, Charles Van Doren. Van Doren beat Stempel on the show and that was when Stempel blew the cover.

The scandal so rocked the entertainment world that it made it all the way to the grand jury, where several other contestants came also forward. Audiences were outraged and called for something to be done. It was at this point that the 1960 amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 was added. The amendment prohibits "influencing, prearranging, or predetermining outcome. It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to deceive the listening or viewing public." Violating this law is punishable by a $10,000 fine and/or a year in prison.

Now, in 2007, we are still being deceived, but by so called "reality" shows instead of quiz shows. These shows are not contests of knowledge or skill, so they are not punishable by the Communications Act. They can continue to mislead the public into believing that these shows are in fact reality and that we are watching people's actual lives unfold. This is not that case.

It has recently been revealed that the job held by Heidi Montag, one of the stars of the MTV "reality" show "The Hills," is a fake. The position at an event production company that the show portrays her as having is real; however, she is not employed by the company. The only thing more fake than Montag's implants and fiance;, Spencer Pratt's tan and bleached hair, is the reunion between the couple at an airport. Cameras caught Montag and Pratt filming a portion of the show. Pictures show Pratt bidding Montag a heartfelt farewell as she is about to board a plane. Moments later both were photographed "reuniting" after a costume change. MTV's explanation was that the scenes were filmed for continuity. That's a lame excuse for a cover up if you ask me.

Another hit against "The Hills" is that an actor came forward and explained that he was hired to "date" another star of the show, Lauren "L.C." Conrad. He said in an interview with bestweekever.tv that even the party that he and L.C. "met" at was set up for the show and that they had actually met prior to the party.

Anyone who has watched the E! "reality" show "The Simple Life" knows that it is fake. All of the situations are clearly contrived.

Paris Hilton, one of the show's stars, has even said "Simple Life is a reality show and people might assume it's real. But it's fake. All reality shows are fake, basically. When you have a camera on you, you are not going to act yourself." If you've seen any interview with Paris Hilton you can see the difference between the interviewed Hilton and "The Simple Life" Hilton. She may sound stupid in both the show and various interviews but the difference in her voice is even noticeable. She explained this by saying, "Before I started the show I thought I'd make a character like the movies Legally Blonde and Clueless mixed together, with a rich girl all-in-one. Even my voice is different from me in real life. It's a character I like to play. I think its carefree and happy," Paris said according to Hollywood.com.

With so many shows out there claiming to be reality, it makes me wonder what else today's television is telling us that isn't real. The lies began in the 1950's and carried right through to today. It makes me wonder what could possibly be next in the misconceptions that TV has been portraying for over 50 years.

Source: www.wilkesbeacon.com/media/storage/paper533/news/2007/11/11/Opinion/Questioning.The.reality.Of.Reality.Television-3091974.shtml]The Beacon[/url]