Reality TV Shows

         The number of reality shows increases monthly, so it would seem. Somehow, TV show producers continue to come up with new ideas for reality shows and continue them for multiple seasons. The idea for the show can be a competition (Iron Chef, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model) or it can simply be a cameraman following a group around and videotaping their crazy antics (Real World, Real Housewives). These shows appeal to a certain socioeconomic class more so than to other classes. Lower and middle class persons enjoy the reality aspect, drama, and commonalities of this television genre. Upper class persons tend to prefer more intellectual shows with complicated plots and character development. Because this type of show lacks intellectual stimulus and simply follows a person around, reality shows have been stereotyped as a low-brow show choice and a "guilty pleasure" to watch for those coming from the upper class.

    

          Marx viewed the media as an amplifier for the beliefs of the dominant class. In his opinion, the media reproduced the viewpoint of dominant institutions and presented them as "natural" or "obvious" viewpoints. While this observation is true, most of the media follows the will of the dominant upper class, there are some shows, like reality TV, that cater to the lower classes as well.  Stuart Hall built off of Marx's idea that mass media is a persuasive and irresistible force that defines the way people can think about the world. Through his studies with the Birmingham School, Stuart Hall observed that there is more than one way in which people make sense of media texts. Not all viewers blindly listen to the media being presented. In fact, there is a larger scope for diversity of response. He emphasized that the social situations of readers, viewers, and listeners lead them to adopt different stances when in contact with media.
       Hall divided the possible responses into three categories: dominant readings, negotiated readings, and oppositional readings. While dominant readings are produced by those whose social situation favors the preferred reading, and negotiated readings are produced by those who inflect the preferred reading to take account of their social position, oppositional readings are produced by those whose social position puts them into direct conflict with the preferred reading. This distinction contrasts Marx's belief that all viewers accept the media being presented; in reality, some portion of the audience might reject dominant culture. This proves that media is not entirely effective as a hammer to beat in the dominant perspective. Take those reality shows, for example. A majority of my friends, who come from the upper class, will watch them, not because their social situation aligns with the show, but because they enjoy the direct conflict their social position puts them in with the characters in the show. A characteristic of oppositional readings might be talking or yelling back at the television and this action is evident in my friends' TV watching. We will shout out at and criticize the characters who make stupid decisions and cheer on our favorite person, even knowing that they cannot hear us. We do not watch these shows because we associate with their social position. In fact, it is quite the contrary. We watch these shows to experience the staggering differences between us and them and to enjoy the conflict.