Videodrome + The Unreal World

Videodrome is about Max, a president of a TV station that receives signals of a snuff program Videodrome. Upon investigating further into Videodrome’s origins, Max begins experiencing its effects and having strange, violent hallucinations. Over the course of the movie these hallucinations and reality merge and become indistinguishable from each other. Under this influence, Max acts out in violence to those around him and then himself.

The movie presents an exaggerated view of the dangers of violence on television and reality programming. Although snuff is not part of the mainstream, this kind of media does exist and has an audience, which is a disturbing thought. The film also shows how television has the power to control its audience and affect its thoughts and actions.

Unreal World discusses the manner in which women are consistently portrayed on reality television programs. In pretty much every case, they are shown as dumb, catty, and existing solely for the purpose of making a man happy. These shows also enforce racial stereotypes and degrade men as well by placing their worth in merely their wealth and looks. By constantly broadcasting these shallow images of “beauty” and “love”, reality TV creates a reality all its own where neither of these things truly exists.