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Writing Review Module 7 -Assignment 1 The growing popularity of reality shows on American TV has objective reasons that correspond to socio-political reality in this country. These shows have often been referred to as tasteless by many political observes. However, critics are unable to understand why reality shows attract more and more people, despite the fact that shows are often associated with promotion of spiritual decadence. In order for us to understand this phenomenon, we will have to get a historical retrospective on the issue. The last century, before the collapse of Roman Empire, was signified with staging huge gladiators shows in Coliseum, by the Emperors who sought public support. The only way to attract marginalized population to these shows, at the time, was making them more shocking and graphic.
Every new gladiators fight featured more and more participants. It is not just that people were being killed, during the live performance, but animals as well. There was only one motivational factor that used to attract spectators to these shows interactive bloodshed. The motto of Roman citizens at the time became bread and entertainment. Only a direct onslaught on viewers senses could vitalize them for a while. When people do not care about anything but the intensity of their anomalistic perception of the world, it means that they slowly degrade.
This provides us with the insight on the essence of reality TV shows, in modern times, because they are nothing but contemporary equivalent of the live entertainment, mongrelized Romans used to enjoy so much, before being sacked by barbarians. Why did the ancient Romans and great many contemporary Americans appear to posses virtually the same psychological traits? It is because they are being increasingly affected by racial mixing, which undermines their ability to operate with abstract categories. As result, the pursuits that associated with intellectual activity do not attract marginalized and mongrelized crowds. Various sociological surveys point out to the fact that it is citizens that are associated with diversity who enjoy watching reality shows more than anybody else. As time goes by, the reality shows become more graphic.
For example, show Risk Factor often features people eating worms. Apparently, watching contestants being intentionally deprived of their humanity excites fans of Risk Factor to such a degree that they associate this show with great entertainment. In Nederland, one of the most popular interactive shows is called Big Donor Show. In his article Dutch Reality Show: Win This Person's Kidney! , Arthur Max provides us with a brief description of what this show is all about: A 37 -year-old woman suffering from an inoperable brain tumor wants to donate a kidney before she dies and will choose the recipient from among three contestants on Dutch national television (Max). Author cannot understand why such a tasteless program is at the top of Dutch TV ranking list. The answer to this is very simple it is because of shows tastelessness.
Just like in ancient Rome, citizens in Western countries are being encouraged to turn into ultimate hedonists. They are being encouraged to think of their mental depravity as something to be proud of. As practice shows, fans of reality shows especially enjoy watching contestants dreams to win a lot of money being shattered. This can be explained within a context of classical psychology. Mongrels are subconsciously aware of their mental and physical inadequacy. They know that there is nothing can be done about it, which makes such people to feel uneasy about themselves.
In order to gain an emotional comfort, fans of reality shows strive to downgrade the surrounding reality. Since their biological makeup does not allow them to reconsider their existential mode, they strive to see superior individuals being brought to their level. For example, the reality show Survivor often features healthy and intelligent participants, who were able to attain social prominence. However, participation in Survivor deprives them of their dignity, because they are willing to trade it for the illusionary prospects of wining million dollars. The monetary reward serves as powerful incentive, which prompts shows participants to act as TV clowns.
Survivor viewers get pleasure out of seeing decent individuals getting rid of their self-respect, as a burden that prevents them from realizing their dream of becoming rich. This strengthens viewers conviction that shows participants are just as spiritually deprived as themselves, which it its turn, makes them feel better. This is the reason why reality shows continue to gain more popularity among people. It is very ironic that reality shows do not have much to do with actual reality. In 2003, the ship carrying contestants of Irish equivalent of Survivor show Cabin Fever, stuck submerged rocks on route to uninhabited island. It resulted in mass panic among survivors.
Apparently, they were so emotionally disturbed that it gave them good enough reason to sue reality show, because of mental damage they had sustained. Apparently, reality shows fans are not overburdened with intelligence, just as those who seriously believe that American wrestlers hit each other for real. The growing popularity of interactive programs indicates that something is rotten in the kingdom of Denmark. Western societies become mongrelized, because people are required to celebrate diversity, regardless of whether they want it or not. Peoples desire to make quick and easy money suggests that their intelligence is being continuously undermined, because grown up individuals act just like little kids they strive to attain instant gratification. Medias, in their turn, refer to it as something absolutely normal.
Thus, it is only the matter of time, before American society is going to follow the footsteps of spiritually corrupted Romans. There are so many analogies, which can be drawn between Roman Empire and contemporary America, that it actually becomes frightening. We even have our own barbarians, south to the border, who are waiting until this nation completely loses its integrity, so that they can move in and become masters in our own home. They already started to infiltrate America in huge numbers and, just like corrupted Roman politicians who strived to use barbarians to pursue their own agendas, our politicians, such as Hillary Clinton, find it appropriate to speak at gatherings of illegal Mexicans, without realizing that they act as agents of foreign influence. Thus, the proper way to address the problem of reality shows growing popularity, is to refer to it within the context of social symptom. Bibliography: Lavery, B.
Irish Reality Show Is More Like a Nightmare. June 23, 2003. The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from web Max, A. Dutch Reality Show: Win This Person's Kidney! . May 30, 2007.
Washington Post. Com. Retrieved December 8, 2007 from web
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Research essay sample on Reality Shows Roman Empire
