"In all this diversity, reality TV has one appeal," says Charles B. Slocum, "which it shares with fiction–we as viewers hope, desperately, to find something relevant to our own lives. We seek any small hint about how to live our own lives just a bit better, to justify our hope, or to see that we are not alone in what we face in our life. The possibility that reality-based stories will reveal something real is so enticing that the televised society is just fine with us. Turn the camera on." (Slocum) If there is one reason for the popularity of the entire genre of reality TV shows, this is pretty much it: as a society, we consume these programs because they show us the glamourous lives we wish that we have, and the the rock bottom stories we're glad aren't ours. We can see parts of the world that we will never have the chance to visit ourselves, and watch other people losing weight, quitting heroine, or singing for America's vote, and we believe it. To us, this is all reality.
Despite the separation between church and state, the intersection between religion and all of culture has been an ongoing process, and religion has always been a part of American public life (Thistlethwaite, 5). With the popularity of reality shows, it was really only a matter of time before religion started to influence this particular realm of popular culture.
We can see religious tradition and influence in almost everything from cartoons to Harry Potter, as we have discussed in class, and today's most popular reality shows are no exception to this rule. And, if we are willing to keep an open mind when it comes to the increase in religious content on these programs, then perhaps reality TV can be not only entertaining, but also educational.
Despite the separation between church and state, the intersection between religion and all of culture has been an ongoing process, and religion has always been a part of American public life (Thistlethwaite, 5). With the popularity of reality shows, it was really only a matter of time before religion started to influence this particular realm of popular culture.
We can see religious tradition and influence in almost everything from cartoons to Harry Potter, as we have discussed in class, and today's most popular reality shows are no exception to this rule. And, if we are willing to keep an open mind when it comes to the increase in religious content on these programs, then perhaps reality TV can be not only entertaining, but also educational.
