Mini Projects 1-3 Melinda Glass

1. Are we all just itching to appear on a reality show? Conduct short interviews with three or four people in the hopes of coming up with an answer to this question. What do your subjects think about the folks who do appear on these shows?

I interviewed three people to find out "if we're all just itching to appear on reality shows." I discovered this itch doesn't necessarily occur for everyone.

I went home this past weekend, and the first person I wanted to see was my best friend, Amanda. We've known each other since we were five years-old. We know everything about each other. We have the exact same humor, and when you get us together we can finish each other's sentences. We've often joked, in fact, that we should have our own reality show. I understand it's more than a bit vain to think our lives are interesting enough to be aired on television, but nonetheless, we've assured ourselves it would be the best show EVER. With that said, I was sure when I presented her with the question, she would immediately say she'd LOVE to be on a reality TV show. Her answer, however, was quite the opposite. When I asked her the question, shows like The Real World popped into her head. She told me she couldn't do it. When I asked why, she said, "Because it would ruin my career." Amanda is going to school for secondary English education. She said no one wanted to see their future teacher or their future employee doing shots with her roommates every Friday night. I then asked her, "What about shows like Survivor?" She thought about it for a minute and then said simply, "Nah." She said the chances of her winning a competition like that were slim-to-none. She'd inevitably get kicked off and return to college sunburned and a semester behind. I then asked Amanda what she thought of the people who appear on reality TV shows. She told me they're the type of people who are willing to put their real lives on the back burner while they peruse a dream of being on television. She described them as, "risk takers." She said personally, however, the risks weren't worth it to her.

The next two people I asked were my 25 year-old sister, and my dad. Both of them responded a little differently than Amanda. They both agreed that neither of them could appear on a show like The Real World. They said shows like this are specifically for dramatic purposes, and have no pay off. They would, however, gladly go on a reality TV show that has the possibility of a cash prize at the end. I pointed out that these shows are for dramatic purposes as well, but they told me it would be worth it. When presented with this opportunity, they saw nothing but money signs. But their opinions of the motives of others who appear on these shows did not match their own. My sister said most of the people who want to be on reality TV just want their 15 minutes. My dad agreed and said most of them wish they could have their own sitcom. It was interesting to me that they didn't think there are some people, like them, who may just be in it for the money and not the fame.

Some people are not itching to be on reality television, some would love the opportunity to make some cash, and some are just in it for the false sense of fame.

2. Locate your favorite fame-related memento. Maybe it's an autograph or a guitar pick thrown to you during a concert. Write about how you obtained it and how the meaning of the item has changed for you over time. Then, bring the memento with you to class during Week 2.

I was in 8th grade when I first saw the film Good Will Hunting. Any girl that age was bound to develop a celebrity crush on either Matt or Ben. It was inevitable. For me, it was Matt Damon. I did what any star-struck 12 year-old would do. I fell in love with Boston, and I watched the movie over and over again until my parents told me the language was too strong (really they were just sick of it). Then, that Christmas, my mom got me an autographed picture online. I was ecstatic. I convinced myself it was his real signature, framed the picture, and hung it in my bedroom. But as time went on, I loved Matt Damon less and less, and in turn, loved the picture less and less. I realized it probably wasn't even his signature, and pictured some random man signing laminated photos of celebrities and selling them on Ebay.

Over time, things can loose their significance--especially superficial things, and especially things from your childhood. That autographed picture is somewhere in a closet now. I guess I was never a die-hard fan. It was just a temporary crush. Funny, though, Boston is still my favorite city.

3. Keep a log of how often you talked about celebrities and their fame this weekend. Once the log is completed, go back and review what you've written down. Write about the experience of reviewing your own involvement with fame and celebrity. Did anything surprise you?

I was very surprised when reviewing my "celebrity log." I don't have cable in my apartment so I tend to believe because I'm not exposed to television very often, I don't really talk about celebrities that often. The frequency of celebrity fame in my conversations this weekend could have been because I was home in Reading, PA, and exposed to cable TV. But I have a suspicious feeling that had I been in Philadelphia, the log would have been similar. It just seems so natural to bring up celebrities during conversation. So natural, in fact, that I'm sure there were times I didn't even think to record it in the log.

I remember I was at my friend Amanda's house yesterday and I was flipping through her 2006-2007 calendar. Every month featured a movie that came out this year. I flipped to January- The Breakup and immediately I blurted, "Are Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston still together??" Amanda and I spent the next half hour talking about the Jen/Vince/Brad/Angelena fiasco. WHY DO WE CARE SO MUCH? There are so many other things going on in our lives that we could have talked about-things that actually affect us. But during that moment, Jen and Brad's love lives were all that mattered.

We talk about celebrities because they're the only people you can talk poorly about with no consequence. We talk about them to escape from the problems of our own lives. We talk about them in an attempt to live vicariously through them. Whatever the reason, people get something out of celebrity fame. It's different for everyone, and different according to the topic and setting. But one thing is for sure, there's a reason we're compelled to talk about them. Otherwise, my log would have been empty.