Cultural Musings: Reality TV
Our guest blogger this week is our intern Oliver Morrison. Here is what he has to say:
Why do we love reality television? It’s entertaining. But is it more than that? I believe that reality television appeals to us because it makes us feel better about ourselves. What’s more amusing than watching people deal with day-to-day problems in worse ways than we do? For example, I sleep well at night knowing that I resolve disputes with my friends by sitting down and talking. Meanwhile, our lovable character, Snookie, from the the Jersey Shore, gets into fist-fights when her roommate leaves their dishes out. When there is some element of speech used to solve conflicts in a reality television show, it is barely heard because of the constant beeping sounds used to block out loud profanity and vulgar remarks. There is also an element of Schadenfreude behind the entertainment of reality television. No one can deny that there is some pleasure to be gained from seeing cat-fights, sleazy romantic drama, and generally tense and heated situations. I see reality television as a similar form of entertainment as the public executions in ancient Rome. The Romans sat and watched lions devouring victims in a stadium, as we sit and watch reality television’s train-wrecked characters screaming and fighting. Entertainment like this will never leave our society because no matter how guilty it might make us feel, it is a part of human nature.
And That’s What I Call A Situation
Here’s the situation: Mike from the Jersey Shore has taken over the world. Ok, not really, but three recent projects have catapulted him to fame (and fortune) beyond his abs’ wildest imagination. What are they? Let’s take a look:
Project 1: Dancing Queen
Mike has joined this season’s cast of Dancing With the Stars with professional dancing partner Karina Smirnoff. But Jersey Shore obligations in NJ gave him a late start to the show’s rigorous dance rehearsals, which may explain why he tied for last place on the first episode. We’ll have to see if he and Karina can quickstep their way into the top next week!
Project 2: Total App Domination
Since its release last Thursday, “The Situation” has become one of Apple’s top 10 grossing iPhone apps . Retailing for $4.99 on iTunes, the app boasts a “GTL Finder”, which uses your GPS location to find the nearest gyms, tanning salons, and laundromats/dry cleaners. At the gym you can follow The Situation’s photo demonstrations of his workout routine, and in your downtime (perhaps waiting to get in the tanning bed?), play the “Grenade Dodger” game, listen to his recorded catchphrases, and email The situation with your pressing GTL questions.
All the news that’s fit to animate
When I received my first link to the Steven Slater CGI animation, a day after the new broke, I was impressed and intrigued by the quick turnaround time. Sure it wasn’t Pixar-worthy, but it wasn’t half bad, either. There was something satisfying about seeing a relatively realistic recreation of the working man’s Chesley Sullenberger grabbing two beers, dramatically exiting via the emergency slide, and arriving home to the loving arms of his shirtless boyfriend.
After sending the video to a few friends, it didn’t really cross my mind again until I opened the newest issue of Wired magazine. There, in substantial detail, was the story of Jimmy Lai–the tabloid king of China–and his newest venture: Next Media. The studio’s mission is to give us the thrill of video re-enactment when no live tape exists. Apparently I missed one of the studio’s first international hits, an unpolished rendering of the Tiger Woods car-crash incident. Since that rudimentary effort, however, Next Media has refined their skills, and the more recent offerings are quite sleek considering their less-than-24-hour turnaround time.
Here’s the video that launched Next Media onto the world stage: Tiger’s trials and tribulations:
Visit their official YouTube page for the full collection. May I recommend the hilarious Snookie vid, featuring a fantasy sequence of our favorite Jersey Shore cast member assaulting the the President over the tanning tax?
