Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Is Jersey Shore really getting old?

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/gym-tan-yawning-why-were-so-over-jersey-shore--2650

This is a pretty interesting article that fits right in with our class conversation from last week. We were arguing back and forth about what reality television really is. Is it really that entertaining? Is it even real enough to be called “reality”? Well this article addresses both of those questions, in a sense.


First of all, I think it’s interesting that just as we’re talking about how Jersey Shore is taking the reality television world by storm, this column shows up pointing out the show’s irrelevance. That got me thinking about the lifetime of reality shows. Jersey Shore is in (correct me if I’m wrong) its 3rd season and possibly getting old, while shows like The Real World and Survivor are cruising through decades with high ratings. What separates the two? My guess is that Jersey Shore relies on the same characters season after season, while shows like Survivor and The Real World have a different cast each season.


That brings me to the next point: This show apparently is real enough to be considered reality. It’s the realism that’s making the show repetitive and boring. The link claims that the cast has been stuck inside so much because of their own fame. That’s real. The Ronnie/Sammi feuding is seemingly never ending. That’s real. True and not so exciting personalities are beginning to show through the false, exciting scripts and ultimately, the reality of the real world is beginning to take its toll on the show in a definitely negative manner.

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