- How does Hill define reality TV?
In Hill’s reading, there is no one definition of reality TV. The people describe the genre in several different ways. A number of definitions are competing to be called the reality genre. The reason is the reality genre is based on other genres like television genre or documentary genre.
Following these definitions are sourced by Hill’s reading. Peter Bazalgette describes reality TV as the human interest rather than reality that means it is popular factual programmes. Gary Carter prefers to define the genre as reality entertainment. Moreover, early 1990s television scholars also defined the reality TV. Steve Neale points out that reality TV includes the generic aspect of all cultural instances. “For Nichols, reality TV ‘includes all those shows that present dangerous events, unusual situations, or actual police cases, often re-enacting aspects of them and sometimes enlisting our assistance in apprehending criminals still at large” (Hill, 2005, p.47). I would like to define reality TV as Bazalgette’s opinion. It is the real television programming which deals with human lifestyle or humanity situations which familiar with our life.
- How has the documentary genre influenced reality TV and how it presents the real?
The formats of reality can commonly related to documentary genre as well as other pop genres. “There are a variety of styles and techniques associated with reality TV, such as non-professional actors, unscripted dialogue, surveillance footage, hand-held cameras, seeing events unfold as they are happening in front of the camera” (Hill, 2005, p.41).
These days, reality TV deals with anything or could be everything which is derived from people to pets and from birth to death. In fact, documentary does not provide any views of the world and on society. According to Hill (2005), the formats of documentary takes towards the social world are only one thing which is based on a belief that it can approach to the real. Through Hill’s reading, I do also believe that the reality TV is influenced the describing of lifestyle and real-life from the documentary genre. Constructing the reality TV with lifestyle or other real things which is influenced by documentary could be feeling more real and actual to audience because it is familiar with them.
Reference:
Hill, A. (2005) The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television. (pp. 14 – 40). Oxon: Routledge.
A good engagement with the theory - but you've overlooked the important aspect of relating the theory to, or testing it out on, a primary text (e.g a reality show you have watched recently).
ReplyDeleteI understand you're comment =)
ReplyDeleteI will try to refer it to my essay !