In recent years, reality
television has solidified itself into the entertainment industry, and
into American pop culture. In 2013, the viewership
(12.4 million) for “Duck Dynasty” on A&E exceeded that of all
scripted comedies (except the top 3), and trailed only The
Voice and American
Idol. Out of “America's Most
Watched: Top 25”, 12 regularly scheduled programs were unscripted,
or reality shows. (Schneider). Despite it's recent success, reality
television is often the subject of widespread criticism. For example,
some critics of reality television claim a negative effect on the
minds of younger viewers. This is specifically an issue for younger
girls, who become victims of an altered perception of reality and
self image. Others might argue that reality television is
overdramatic and fake, and that unscripted television such as
documentaries prove to be more entertaining. However, it can be
inferred from a brief look at the 25 most watched program of 2013,
that the majority of Americans actually enjoy watching reality
television and is beneficial to the entertainment industry. In fact,
reality television is merely a product of a free market economy.
Reality
television was born as a business venture that would allow producers
to “get more” while spending less money. The shift from regular,
scripted television to reality alleviated traditional production
costs due to increased salaries for the cast, crew, writers, etc.
“The
talent, while they are paid, are not well known acting superstars.
Lead writers are replaced with 'story editors' who do less and are
paid less. Directors are generally removed from the show entirely”
(Fenoglio). The main attraction of this entertainment revolution is
it's propensity for large profit and high ratings. The difference in
cost to produce an episode of “Here Comes Honey Boo” and an
episode of “The Big Bang Theory” is substantial. According to
Scott Manville of TV Writer's Vault, “an episode for a scripted
series can be anywhere between a half-million and millions of dollars
depending on the network and content involved, and the budget for
reality shows range from $100,000 to $500,000 per episode (Jerpi).
Works
Cited
Fenoglio,
Thomas. "The Economics of Reality TV: Why Is the Genre So Darn
Cheap?" A Critical Guide To: Reality Television.
Texas Christian University, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
Jerpi,
Laura. "Reality TV - Low Cost Programming That Produces High
Ratings." South Source. South University, Jan.
2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
Schneider,
Michael. "Today's News: Our Take." TV Guide. TV
Guide, 10 June 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
First off, I love all the important facts you included throughout the paper. They really help make a point and solidify each sides view point on the issue. You also make great use of quotes and their placement in the essay. Those are very good sources of information to include. One thing that could possibly use some improvement though is the introduction of your essay. I feel like it just jumps right into the topic without any sort of real beginning or “flow.” Another thing that could possibly use some work is the sentence fluency of the whole work. To me, some sentences didn’t seem to fit around the others or flow effortlessly without any confusion when read. There are many great facts throughout the paper but just no real “backbone” to the essay’s structure. Regardless, nice work Brennan! You’re essay is easy to understand and is on a good path!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really great start to your paper and that you have a lot of really great ideas included already. I also like all of the facts and statistics that you incorporated into your draft. I think that they are really effective and helpful towards making your argument. One really great thing about your essay so far is that it’s very clear to me, the reader, where your stakeholders are and where they are introduced in your paper. The only thing I can think of that could maybe improve your paper is the structure of your argument. The first paragraph, to me, is very well constructed and the sentences flow nicely. The second paragraph could be improved by making it more clear what ideas you are including within that specific paragraph. Overall, I think you have included a lot of great strategies within your paper to convince the audience to lean toward your side.
ReplyDeleteI like that you already have a list of works cited as well as hard facts to back your arguments. Clear and strong ideas along with good organization. The idea of "get more" while "paying less" is a good argument and I like the details in comparing reality television to scripted television.The ending with the quote about the budgets of Big Bang Theory vs. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is interesting in the great gap between the money put into them. I think that this is a great start to a strong paper.
ReplyDeleteFrom what you have presented the paper seems like it is going in the right direction. It has good concrete detail and facts which just makes your paper more credible. Do you think that reality tv should be funded more or would it then take away the reality of the show? Because your fact on how much more the Big Bang Theory is funded compared to Honey Boo Boo is very substantial. The stakeholders you listed were very clear to the point, overall it’s a great start to the paper.
ReplyDeleteFrom the start I see that there is a clear relevancy to reality television and that it is a current phenomenon that is important to know about in the first place, so well done. I've said in previous comments that you may want to include some attention grabbing facts to better influence a reader to continue. I like that you went directly from describing the relevancy of reality television to the problem it is causing. That was especially good because it avoids fluff in between that may make your essay uninteresting and repetitive. Though lengthy, the quote you included was helpful to the argument and you did do a good job describing the viewpoint you hold. Including the economic factor is always a for sure way to introduce another reason for peoples reasoning for standing one way or another on the topic, but I still feel like there could be more definite positions regarding the issue included in the essay. Overall strong essay so far.
ReplyDeleteYou state some very strong and interesting facts about the shows and viewers and what they want to see which is a very good direction to go in. The way you talk about scripted versus non-scripted shows also had me very interesting and I think if you expand on that a little bit the reader would be interested. You use Factual numbers when describing how much it is to produce the show which is also an eye catching. The flow of your essay is coming along great and I think you have a strong essay here.
ReplyDeleteThe start of your paper is strong and captures the readers attention. You start your argument by appealing to logos and presenting statistics. These stats make it easier to understand your argument and give us knowledge on the topic. You successfully stated the stakeholders and were effective in presenting your argument. Overall, the blog was well written and well organized.
ReplyDeleteI like the start of your paper a lot, especially how you started with giving statistics and little known facts that really got my attention and makes the reader want to keep reading. It really made this paper easier to read and understand and a lot more interesting because everyone learns more about this topic!
ReplyDeleteI like the economical standpoint presented in this issue and is something that isn't really thought about as much. I never really looked into how even if reality tv doesn't get as many views as scripted television, it can still profit way more than the scripted show because of how cheap it is to actually make a reality tv show. Not many papers are really showing logos and ethos from what it seems and you've really capitalized on these rhetorical devices.
ReplyDeleteThe argument that you are beginning to make is very strong but I'm not sure if it fulfills the purpose of the assignment. I believe we were supposed to identify stakeholders and address their motivations then illustrate how we would construct an argument against them based on their underlying assumptions. Just take your points and explain how you came to them and who you would use them against.
ReplyDeleteBrennan, I like how your opening sentence was immediately followed by some statistics, it makes the argument seem much more credible and it used effectively. The first paragraph does a good job of introducing the stake holders and the arguments that will be presented. The second paragraph, however, only seems to expand on your point that reality television is growing, rather than actually addressing any of the arguments that were previously mentioned. The paragraph doesn't really seem to be too clear on its intent in the context of the essay. I do like how you present facts, but they also need to advance the arguments that are being presented, namely, how reality television is controversial. You have solid facts to back up your argument, once you use them correctly, your essay will be much more effective in persuading others. Great work so far!
ReplyDeleteYou have stated some good points in your essay along with strong facts and supporting details to accompany them. Overall it is a good start to your first draft. Your introduction paragraph starts out with a very catchy first sentence and does a good job of keeping an attentive audience. The body paragraph brings up some good arguments regarding the cost difference between reality and scripted television. However, It would be beneficial for you to add some more information into your body paragraph. Perhaps you could go into more detail about the negative effects and "altered perception" that is given by reality television.
ReplyDelete