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Introduction:

The following article will discuss how the representations minority groups impact reality television. Reality television is one of the most watched forms of soft media and is easily accessible to most in the developing world. Now more than ever it is easy to consume reality television through streaming platforms, entertainment magazines and websites. Although soft media is meant to be enjoyed for personal use, it can influence one’s perception of themselves, others and the world around them. Barriers about racial representations on reality television might alienate minority groups or push fourth negative stereotypes about their race, culture and gender. Unfortunately, this does not stop false narratives from taking form, however, it does encourage conversation on ethical and factual representations of race in reality TV. In order to address this issue, my project will provide examples of various race-representations in reality TV and the research associated with its impact on society.

What is Reality Television & Soft Media?

Reality Television is a genre of television programming that documents the lives of real people as opposed to professional actors. Reality TV shows often focus on unscripted, real-life situations but can also include competition and game shows. This genre became prominent in the 1990's and rose in popularity during the 2000's. Shows like Big Brother, The Real World and Survivor are often cited as being the most popular examples of reality TV, all of which have become franchises. Shows with hidden camera components, court shows with real-life cases and home improvement series are also cited as being part of the reality TV genre.

Soft media is an essential part of reality television, as one cannot exist without the other. Soft media is defined as information that is entertaining and/or personally useful. Soft news differs from hard news, which is centred around top leaders, politicians and government (Zaller, 2003). Although the two serve to inform the public on daily news, soft news is generally regarded as an outlet for entertainment through the form of reality TV, magazines and print articles.

The Sociological Effects of Soft Media & Reality TV:

David Hinckley suggests that television usage not only increases with age, but that African Americans tend to watch more television than any other racial group (Hinckley, 2014). According to the Nielsen Media Ratings company, the average American tends to watch more than five hours of live television per day. This same report finds that African Americans watch an average of 218 hours of television per month. In comparison, Whites watch 155.3 hours, Hispanics an average of 123.2 hours and Asian Americans average of 92.3 hours (Nielsen Media Ratings, 2014). This is an important component to keep in mind when studying racial representations on reality TV as there seems to be a connection with racial minorities and television usage. Negative and offensive stereotypes on television can be viewed by a wide audience, including those in the minority group being depicted.

The burden of false representation may affect people of colour more than whites due to the "stereotype threat." The stereotype threat occurs when someone fears that they will be negatively stereotyped by others. This can create discomfort impact a person’s performance in school or on the job (Steele, 2010). If what stated above is true, we can assume that people of hegemonic minorities are more likely to watch and potentially resonate with what is shown on TV due to their increased TV use. As sociologists we must question the representations of minority groups on reality television to determine if they are "real" or just for "entertainment purposes." In a related study, Schoolar (2005) found that black women with a stronger ethnic identification ..."were less likely to have a healthy body image and habits than black women with lower ethnic identification who watched television shows that reinforced thin beauty ideals" (Squires, 2013). This fact further proves that the media has a significant effect on how a person feels about themselves, especially if they are of racial minority.

The Problem with "Racial Authenticity":

The problem with "racial authenticity" is that many times, reality TV shows do not account for accurate depictions of racial groups and are tied to individual experience, consumerism and cultural appropriation. Many reality television shows encourage people of colour to act with agency and empowerment while distinguishing them from white/upper-class participants (Squires, 2013). This is just one of the ways which reality television illustrates some of the “paradoxes of multiculturalism and the ‘management’ of ethnicity” (Brayton and Millington, 2011). Perhaps the best example of this paradox lies within reality court television programs like Judge Judy or Divorce Court. Both of these programs often make a sceptical out of racial minorities by shaming and humiliating them. Often times, this humiliation is only loosely related to the legal issue at hand and only exists to further perpetrate harmful racial stereotypes. Such spectacles of shaming are “camouflaged, ascribed to the lurid, sensational random sensibilities of contemporary ‘trash TV,’” (Shugart, 2006) but it is no accident that those who are subjected to the insulting, extreme treatment of the reality television judges is poor, and that the abusive rhetoric resonates with highly accessible stereotypes of the poor and people of colour (Shugart, 2006; Squires, 2013).

The Kardashian Effect:

The Kardashian-Jenner family are one of the best-known reality TV stars today. Wealthy, powerful and accomplished the Kardashian-Jenner family as spawned many reality TV shows and product lines associated with their name. One cannot deny the impact that the Kardashian family has had on popular culture. However, the question concerning them centres around how big of an impact they have on the average viewer. While social media is a valuable tool for sharing ideas and keeping connected with friends and family it can also have a negative effect on users. In an Epoch Times article, author Joni Revenna Sussman claims that the Kardashian families "toxic comparison culture" is taking its toll on society. Revenna Sussman compares credits the lavish vacations and purchases of the Kardashians for influencing others to do the same. Guinn & Shrum (1997) believe that the amount of wealth shown in media affects the way we compare ourselves to others. Often, when people post images of exotic vacations and expensive items, we associate them with money and assume that they are wealthier than they really are. These assumptions are just a few examples of the way that toxic comparison culture can impact society, debt, consumerism and self-esteem.

Race, Representation & The American Dream:

Kim (2004) uses her article, "Race and Reality...TV" to connect reality television to the American Dream. According to Kim, reality TV shows like American Idol, America's Next Top Model, and American's Home Makeover encompass traditional American values. This includes gratitude, strong work ethic and sympathy. Often, reality shows tug on the heartstrings of viewers in order to relate and attract to the audience. According to Kim, "Americans take comfort knowing (and seeing) that in Reality TV land, if not in real life, race is of no consequence with regard to possessing such skills and achieving such goals." She further suggests that race and ethnicity is used in reality TV programs as a tool to attract viewers from all backgrounds: "The very artifice of the “realities” created on the shows, together with the youthfulness of the genre, allow for multi-cultural casts that play out these myths...notions of race and ethnicity actually play to the genre’s underpinnings – what better example can there be of self-reinvention with Gratitude, Backstory and Hard Work than that of a talented yet unthreatening member of a “model minority”?" (Kim, 2004).

Stereotyping Black Women on Reality TV:

Even when reality shows include black women in their narratives, it often comes with a price. The experiences of black women rarely reflect the realities they have faced in real life, despite the genre being called "reality TV." Despite being challenged for over a century, stereotypes such as the "Jezebel, “Sapphire," and "Mammy" routinely plague depictions of black women in art and media, as (some) writers, directors, and show runners update those stereotypes for the current age, according to Biakolo. Bakolo continues to talk about the impact that these stereotypes have on black women, saying: "The result is that black women's experiences on these shows are distressing (or at least deeply uncomfortable) to watch. And if reality TV is meant to offer a form of escapism, black women's enjoyment of these shows will necessarily be limited, as they are often forced to relive some of their own dating fears and traumas in watching others endure the same on screen." According to the National Museum of African American History and culture (2020) there are many popular stereotypes against African American people--all of which are negative and derogatory.

Many of the stereotypes created during the height of the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and were used to help commodify black bodies and justify the business of slavery. For instance, an enslaved person, forced under violence to work from sunrise to sunset, could hardly be described as lazy. Yet laziness, as well as characteristics of submissiveness, backwardness, lewdness, treachery, and dishonesty, historically became stereotypes assigned to African Americans.

Perhaps one of the best examples of Black stereotypes in reality TV comes from ABC's popular dating show, The Bachelor. In 2012, there was a formal lawsuit for racial discrimination against the producers of The Bachelor which led to a more diverse cast in the later seasons. Despite this change, the "angry black woman" stereotype has still been a narrative on the show. For example, Ex-Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay has criticized producers of the show for editing her to appear to be an "angry black female" further denying her of her "on camera happy-ending." These claims follow accusations of The Bachelor producers’ race-baiting to create drama on the show in order to increase viewership.

Biakolo, K. (2019, July 30). Why Can't Reality TV Stop Stereotyping Black Women? Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://psmag.com/ideas/why-cant-reality-tv-stop-stereotyping-black-women

Hinckley, David (March 5, 2014). "Average American watches 5 hours of TV per day, report shows" – via New York Daily News.

L.S. Kim / University of California. (2004, November 19). Race and Reality...TV. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.flowjournal.org/2004/11/race-and-realitytv/comment-page-1/

Nevada, Biden, J., News, C., Election, 2., & Judiciary. (2019, June 13). The Kardashian Effect. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-kardashian-effect_2952002.html

Popular and Pervasive Stereotypes of African Americans. (2019, July 19). Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/popular-and-pervasive-stereotypes-african-americans

Squires, C. R. (2014). The Conundrum of Race and Reality Television. A Companion to Reality Television, 264-282. doi:10.1002/9781118599594.ch15

Strause, J. (2018, August 7). Ex-Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay Criticizes Show Producers Over Finale Edit. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/bachelorette-rachel-lindsay-criticizes-editing-her-finale-1132842

Schooler, D., Ward, L.M., Merriweather, A., and Caruthers, A. (2005) Who’s that girl? Television’s role in the body image development of young white and black women, Psychology of Women

Quarterly, 28 (1), pp. 38–47. Shugart, H. (2006) Ruling class: disciplining class, race, and ethnicity in television reality court shows, Howard Journal of Communication, 17, pp. 79–100.

Zaller, John (2003). "A New Standard of News Quality: Burglar Alarms for the Monitorial Citizen". Political Communication. 20 (2): 109–130.