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Anshul Mehta

Territory Incharge, Apollo Tyres Ltd.

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Are reality shows good for society?

Reality shows like Big Boss, Roadies are nowadays became the demand of Indian youth. But this kinda reality shows giving wrong message to our society by the abusive language used in the show.....this entertainment is becoming a curse to the society.....plz share urban views....

Topics: abusive language entertainment
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    Raam Anand

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    Mar 10 2013: Great topic... can lead to a lot of controversy or arguments. On one side, people ask producers to keep things to as real as possible instead of narrating fiction... on the other end of the spectrum, the same producers are bombarded with people asking them to express creativity!!

    So, fiction and reality are the 2 ends of the spectrum. But, when it comes to being good for the society, one should think about the "Message" that is being broadcast. Every program has a message and people have to judge the content by the message that is delivered.

    TV content producers (and even newsprint editors) leverage the functions of Brain to their advantage. There's a small organ in the brain called - amygdala... which prepares us for the fight/flight response. This used to be a very useful functionality, until recently. During the last 3 centuries, due to massive development of communication, travel and interaction, it is working counter-productively. For thousands of years, human beings were usually 'locked-in' to local surroundings and hence the "amygdala" played a key role in the survival of species.

    However, today, when are no longer bound to any geographic region, coupled with exposure to "dangers" from all around the world in the form of news, tv, internet and other media, the function of amygdala is questionable. Whether a danger is happening right next to you or thousands of miles away, the amygdala still responds to stimulus... and THIS is a strategy used by media to get the attention of their audience.

    There's a lot more to discuss about this topic. That's it for now.

    Click "Like" button if you liked this response.

    Thanks,
    Raam
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  • Iasmina Hancu

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    Mar 9 2013: They are not. One of the purposes of television was to make us lose our self-confidence. "I am a horrible person", "I have a big nose", "I am fat". And as the time passes by we realize that we are trying so hard to be like an actor(actress) or like some celebrity. We have borrowed ideas: to be skinny, even though you look horrible that way, to buy stylish clothes even if they don't suits you, etc. (Sorry for my English)

  • Kate Kielceski

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    Mar 8 2013: At the end of the day, reality shows exist because they make money. People watch them, so they will continue to be made. This doesn't necessarily mean that they are good or bad. Shows like "Chopped" on the Food Network don't really offer any underlying messages or suggest a way of life. These types of shows simply offer a half hour of entertainment involving food, cooking and competition.

    On the contrary, other shows seem to suggest things about society and life in general. "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and "The Real Housewives of ______" depict people living a lifestyle that is far from one most people can relate to. At the same time, are people really affected by this? Do people really watch the Kardashians and think, "This is how I want to live my life."? Hopefully not. People watch them because they are absurd, because they are entertaining and because they are dramatic.

    Whether "reality" shows represent anything real or not, they make money. Because of this, they will continue to exist. Do people watch them to see how to live their lives or purely for entertainment? I would like to believe the latter.
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    Nizameddin YALOVA

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    Mar 8 2013: in turkey , reality shows is not real.of course it is applicable for other country.i have never trust any tv program.all of them is setup and ''SHOW''.
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    Chris Kelly 20+

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    Mar 8 2013: An observation of the history of television shows by-the-decade reflect a kind of social stereotype. These shows are but a vehicle through which advertisers fill space to promote product. "Reality" shows are to realism, what lard is to weightloss.

    The only television that is good for society is one that is unplugged.
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    Chetan Somani

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    Mar 7 2013: I think all reality shows are not meant to be bad for the society. some are meant to get the barriers of the society out of the pillars of problems that they are facing through and some are meant to provide entertainment.as you stated big boss,roadies etc they are meant for entertainment and participants participate to see their future on the path of positivity.
    but at the same time if you look at satyameva jayate it was completely meant for the problems the society is facing through and the solutions that need to be found to get rid of the problems.
    So i dont think we can get biased to only one side of it rather need to think on both the sides of the coin.
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    Colleen Steen 500+

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    Mar 6 2013: Hello Anshul:>)
    You say that the reality shows you mention are becoming the demand of Indian youth. That seems problematic, because the shows are projecting something that is not "real", and that is probably not helping our (USA) reputation around the world.

    To participate in the "reality shows" people audition, and the casting directors pick certain personalities to participate. Those who are chosen, are then put into a constructed "set" that is built especially for the show, and they are filmed...sometimes 24/7, with production crews on the set and watching them all the time. There is NOTHING "real" about any of it.

    The problem is, that the so called reality shows are sending an "unreal" message to a lot of people who accept them as "real" life stories. Same thing is true of soup operas. Some people get very engaged in the scripted lives of those "characters" as well. If people could see them as simply entertainment (like a stand up comedian doing a show), perhaps it would be fine.....however....it does not seem like that is the way most people who watch them perceive the "unreal" "reality show"!
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    Ana María Pérez 200+

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    TED TranslatorAssociate
    Mar 6 2013: I hope not.

  • Tyler johnson

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    Mar 5 2013: No, they are fake. they are useless, but lets the youth of young adults enjoy them. So if people like them why not?

  • Jacob Clark

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    Mar 5 2013: Youth enjoy what we allow them to. It is the path of least resistance. Reality television is easy; it costs your brain nothing to watch. You need not think or make any symbolic or deep connections what-so-ever when you partake.
    Now what if parents decided that youth should only be allowed to watch something wholesome or intelligent? Of all the ideologies and religions parents hold over there children, the media they allow them (or force them) to intake should be the most prevalent.

  • Anshul Mehta

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    Mar 4 2013: Can anybody tell me why ppl or viewers are so curious or excited to watch such a crap......why they waste their time in knowing others life (shows like Big Brother/ Big Boss).....
    They are more interested in knowing what the contestant had done in the show......
    My suggestion to all reality show lover is to put ur valuable time in some productive work...which will bring some value addition to ur personality......
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    Dorian Knus

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    Mar 4 2013: No.

  • Tom Eccleston

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    Mar 4 2013: I live in america and despise the reality shows we have here. I think they are grossly mislabeled as very little of what constitutes those shows could be considered "reality". I do agree with you that they quite probably serve to dumb down our cultures which makes life for all of us worse. But as long as people continue to watch them they will, sadly, remain.
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    Hakana Williams

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    Mar 4 2013: They're good for mirroring how ridiculous society can be... Or become (?)
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    Olivia Pope-Friedman

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    Mar 3 2013: Hi Anshul:

    I am so glad you chose to bring up the topic of reality shows as I do believe they're sending the wrong message. I've literally tried to find a positive one and thought I had when I watched Storage Wars, then again the word WAR was within the title. I thought to myself, how bad could it be to purchase items from containers? Then I saw the two men fight over the contents of a storage container and could barely believe my eyes.

    To second your statement, I do believe just as you do that most reality shows are sending the wrong message to youth as well as adults today. It would seem that these shows are degrading and teach bad methods for coping with stress and are teaching such tactics as revenge which is so sad.

    We need more uplifting shows. But I wonder, what would the ratings would look like!
    The good news is that we have TED. Inspiring, uplifting, unique, global.

    Olivia

  • Alex Velazquez

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    Mar 3 2013: Reality shows are not real, they are just shows.
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    Don Wesley 50+

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    Mar 3 2013: Just "show us the story."
    An honest salesman starts this way
    So does a reality show.
    I may not have any questions to ask;
    But just a few comments to add.
    Only the one with power can use it.
    We have the power to switch.
    So reality shows are good until !
    Then we won’t mind and the reality show won’t matter

  • Cynthia Chen 100+

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    TED Attendee
    Mar 3 2013: No! It encourages couch living... Youth needs to be lived in action.
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    Questions First

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    Mar 3 2013: it's not the abusive language that's the main problem. abusive language exists in our society and hiding it would be worse than showing it.

    i think that the main problem is the fact that reality shows actually create "fake realities" - situations that seem very real but aren't. for instance, how many people do you know who actually pick their spouse by making several people go through all kinds of challenges and tests?

    this is a problem because people watching may not always make the difference between the reality they see on TV and their real life.
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    kelly crespo

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    Mar 2 2013: I may be good in the sense of freedom of speech, anyone should be allowed to express how they want. However if it is to be considered towards teaching morals and creating educated human beings, I doubt that is beneficial.
    At the end of the day it should be taken as entertainment, not to influence, just because in a movie or show there are people behaving out of the norm of society it does not mean that we have to act like it. Once again it is important to teach that those shows are for entertainment.
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      Questions First

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      Mar 3 2013: i agree that it should be taken an entertainment, but people are hugely influenced by entertainment. that's why it's such a successful business.

      look at Hollywood movies or sports. why would people want to be a prince/princess or an NBA star? because they think that those movie characters or sports stars have an ideal life - which is obviously not true (not even for movie characters)

    • Kate Kielceski

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      Mar 8 2013: Kelly, I definitely agree with you. Reality shows, however real or fake they actually are, should merely be forms of entertainment. However, I do agree with Questions First, too. I agree that people are influenced by entertainment. It is human nature to put ourselves in the situations we see portrayed in movies and on TV. That's why we are so attracted to these things. However, I would like to think that people do not do the same thing when it comes to reality shows. I know I have never been influenced by "Dance Moms" or "Storage Wars." I only watch these shows because I find them amusing. When I turn the TV off, I turn off anything I may have felt while watching the show. I don't think I should go out and buy a storage unit to make money. I'd like to think people are smart enough to do the same.

  • carolyn mcauley 20+

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    Mar 2 2013: If the internet is so addictive,and face book...and the expense of the "not reality show" is lesser then previous entertainment..t.v. is a dying industry..so its a BLUFF..there is considerably less people watching...so now the producers are desperate for any audience(which is millions less,and are willing to pull down their metaphourical pants and produce crap just to get our attention..so the whole thing is the cheap crap of a dying desperate industry..presenting a false popular front
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    Ghina Zand Alhadid

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    Mar 2 2013: I don't believe *reality shows* really exist. I remember reading two studies about how the mere observation of people change their behavior.
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      Questions First

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      Mar 3 2013: good point. they're not exactly about "reality" but about a version of the reality that they are "selling" us. in other words, it's fake authenticity
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    Scott Bell

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    Mar 1 2013: For every person viewing and deeply immersed in their preferred reality show, there is Another person who suddenly shudders, realizes what they are watching, and Awakens to the illusion.........then the Push becomes a Pull. They start to see what lies behind a reality show is common to Most things in our society. They are all delusional concepts. They are the dream.

    So, they are a necessary evil......

  • walter crockett

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    Mar 1 2013: Yes as it keeps the masses from the true 'reality. If thy knew a fraction of what was really happening the world governments and religions would collapse in a blaze of glory.

  • Kim Laes

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    Mar 1 2013: There is only one 'realityshow' I ever liked and it does not even qualify as a true realityshow. It was about a group of people in a mideaval setting, competing to become 'king' of the land. It was a combination of fiction and reality and it was very pleasant to look at.

    But in general I do not enjoy realityshows for the simple reason that I do not see the use of it. For starters the name alone is wrong. Every antropologist, sociologist or psychologist knows that when you study or observe a subject (subject being a group or an individual) and the subject is made aware of the observation, then automatically the subject will show a behavior that it thinks the observer will want to see or will find pleasing.
    Combine that with the fact that these reality shows are generally a competition with a hansom reward for whoever wins, you get an explosion of attentionseeking behavior. Don't forget, TV-makers will select the competitors based on their needs for attention and affection. A competitor who aims to win will alter his behavior significantly if necessary to get the attention and score with the public (who usually has a say in the outcome).
    So really... reality shows are as fake as they come.
    The only reason I laugh at a reality show is that I find it so stupid that I rather laugh than cry.

  • Ben Jarvis 50+

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    Mar 1 2013: i think you're right in that reality shows as they are produced today send the wrong message by glorifying the mediocre, but to be honest these shows are manufactured to create certain results and thus aren't really reality at all. an actual reality show could be produced, but i doubt many people would find it very entertaining.

    as for words, it's important to realise that words aren't offensive, people are. you can make a very friendly sentence using the word 'fuck', and you can make an extremely offensive one without it. we'd all be better off if we got over being offended about words, and instead started considering thoughts and ideas as a whole. the words a person uses doesn't change the validity of their ideas.
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      lynn eschbach 30+

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      Mar 1 2013: Like, that makes like good sense. To me, its the word 'like' that's become predominantly corrupting. The words, however, interfere with 'consideration of thoughts and ideas'.

    • Anshul Mehta

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      Mar 1 2013: I would only say....'Words have their own life.......think before you speak...'

      • Ben Jarvis 50+

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        Mar 1 2013: words mean nothing except that which is ascribed to them, both by the speaker and the listener, and these meanings are not always the same. that have no life at all until interpreted by a human mind.

        i would say think before you react. offense is the prerogative of the listener, not just the speaker, and if no offense is intended, none should be taken. we can't be expected to know in advance exactly what words will offend a particular person, and if we as listeners choose to value those thoughts and ideas which are expressed only in a certain way we will have a very narrow experience indeed, which does both ourselves as individuals and society as a whole great disservice.

  • Kapalli Srirama

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    TED Translator
    Mar 1 2013: Who are watching these reality shows?? It could be a very small % of viewers; ofcourse it is presented as if a big % of viewers are watching the same by manipulating TRP's .......
    they serve the needs of very few people...........

  • edulover learner 10+

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    Mar 1 2013: As long as the entertainment can deliver good performance to people,that's good.why they like to use absusive languages?because some people like them.Once people have good education to be aware of nasty words not in good manner to look...just be patient.even those entertainers don't feel anxious about it,we just see and keep going.
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