Mini Project #1- Mandy Dollar

Mandy Dollar
Com 625
April 27, 2007
Mini-project #1

The Fame Game

My first thought after reading the question as to whether or not people are “itching” to be on a reality television show was, “No way”. I thought for sure that the people that I would interview would laugh in my face and tell me that I must be kidding. And while that occurred one or two times, I was shocked to learn that not only did some of my friends try out for these reality television shows, but that they would actually be willing to participate in these shows and have them aired throughout the country.

My one friend, Ellen, was the most shocking interview of all. At first glance, she may appear to be reserved and conservative. Ellen is extremely professional, well mannered, and while she may appear to be shy, she is by no means an introvert. That being said, I was shocked to learn that she not only won her car on the Price is Right, she also auditioned for The Amazing Race.
I asked her why she had decided to audition for this reality show and her response was simple. “Because I’d get to travel and see the world and I wouldn’t have to get a job.” Her reasoning seemed logical, but I was further interested in knowing whether she would participate in any other reality television shows. The basic consensus with Ellen, as well as others that I interviewed, is that they would participate in reality shows in which the contestant receive some sort of monetary compensation or shows, such as America’s Next Top Model, where contestants are able to further their careers.

Most people said that they would never want to be on shows, such as the Real World, because participants are simply filmed 24/7 and aren’t provided with any of the aforementioned benefits that game shows or reality game shows provide. Most people also recognized that these shows make characters out of people that may not be accurate to their true person. Along with this conclusion, those who said they would not participate in reality shows of any kind quickly stated after the fact that the reality in reality television is a scam and that these shows are anything but reality. One person who I interviewed aptly stated, “I live a reality show every day. I don’t need a television host to prove it.”

In all of my interviewing, however, I did not come across one person who would be interested in reality television shows based solely on the fact that they wished to become famous. I interviewed people ranging in age from 18-45 and didn’t come across one person who wanted to be on a reality television show because of the fame. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who would want to do these shows because of the fame; it just means that in my interviews, I couldn’t support that theory.

In conclusion, I don’t believe that every one of us is “itching” to be on a reality television show. I believe that there are some who would think about it, some that would never think about it, and then there are some who would do reality television shows, but not take themselves too seriously. Either way, I believe that everyone who I interviewed, regardless of whether or not they would be participants on these shows or not, have an understanding and belief that these shows are for entertainment, and are anything but real.