Videodrome

"Videodrome" was a very disturbing movie. The main character was subject to a video format called videodrome, which shows torture, and apparently corrupts the brain. When it corrupts the brain, it causes a cancerous protrusion that causes hallucinations, however it is not clear if those hallucinations are real or not. It is not clear if any of the movie is supposed to be real or not. At one point, the main character has his hallucinations taped, but they are not showed, thusly no mediation. Apparently, the videodrome was never shown on tv at all in the movie. If it was though, it would be: Man wears contraption, thoughts are recorded, tape is put on tv. This would be a form of mediation, which actually may be possible in a few decades. Even though the videodrome was not boradcasted, lets assume it was: tv is reality, man watches tv, tv and man interact. I guess this was the premis of the movie; loosing track of reality. If what is inside the tv screen is raw reality, what is going on outside of the tv screen? By incorporating the hallucinations, this theme of loosing track of reality works really well, and as a result, we only know for sure that the main character killed himself.

the unreal world

“The Unreal World,” by Jennifer Pozner is about how reality tv misrepresents women. She states that reality tv only accepts skinny, dumb, white women, and thus sends a message to it’s audience (which is mostly young girls) that women should be extremely skinny, slutty, and compliant, or else they won’t get the man. By being all of those things, the women won’t have to work for a living or be independent; they can just leach off of their rich stud. Pozner is correct; most reality shows do impose this type of person on the public and the young girls who watch take lessons from it. The Swan is a show about women getting unnecessary plastic surgery to look ‘pretty’, Top Model is a show about dumb women with eating disorders that want to walk and pose for a living, even a feel good show like Biggest Loser is about people who must loose weight to stay on the show. The image is taking over.
This article related to my project more than the others because it also talked about how reality tv likes to show arguments, name calling, and embarrassment. Pozner talked about how the producers choose dumb, ditzy money grubbers because they know they will fight each other, especially over the “rich stud.” My project is about arguments and/or fights because, to me, that’s what reality tv is all about. People want to see controversy, or at least, the producers think people want to see controversy.

Some evidence that the image of women being created by reality tv has had a large impact on the youth:
http://www.missbimbo.com/
…what?! Bimbobucks? Thanks, Paris Hilton…

Women on Reality TV

I thought "The Unreal World" was the most interesting because of how ridiculous the women are on reality TV. It described the stereotypes that the women portrayed and how the producers hand picked those people to simulate drama in the show. Just by the fact that they prey on women's insecurities about their appearances based on revealing clothing and weight is ridiculous because those women are perfectly normal in our reality.

What I think is also interesting is that they don't mention one of my favorite reality shows, "TLC's What Not to Wear" because they take average women and revamp their wardrobe in order to make them look beautiful. Although the beginning of the show trashes on the participant's looks, the end result requires nothing like intense diets or surgery. Also, what's really interesting is that a majority of the participants tend to already be comfortable with their personal image and by going through the show, they start to become conscious of what others see as their visual flaws. So is it really their personal change to become more fashionable or others imposing their ideal look onto them?

Then again, TLC also had a show called "Miss America: Reality Check" in which the "standard" of femininity was being "revamped" through a reality show. So if even the most "beautiful" women in America need improvement physically and mentally, what does that mean for the rest of us?

Reality TV

Reality TV is the latest trend in television although precursors to this type of entertainment have existed for years. The publics' fascination with this genre stems from the curiosity to see others and not be seen. This brings up the topic of surveillances and using the camera as a medium. It is way to experience a situation without the drawback of having to be involved. All kinds of situations are represented in Reality TV, which supplies the viewer with a number of different scenarios to choose from. Surveillance has become a topic of discussion since the passing of the controversial Patriot Act. Americans are becoming more aware of the fact that they are being watched. The victim never knows the watcher but the watcher can always see the victim, giving the watcher in some cases an uncomfortable amount of control. Now by turning on the boob tube, you can be the watcher and choose to invade whoevers life you choose. People also love to see the exploitation of stereotypes on TV. We are fascinated by other peoples problems and challenges. I personally am not a fan of reality TV as I don't like to gander at other people's situations. I almost feel intrusive, and nosy and I would be disappointed in myself for caring about other people in an obsessive manor. I think this is why Reality TV has become the guilty pleasure of many.