Reality TV Has Taken the World by Storm(b)|真人实境秀席卷全球

Reality TV Has Taken the World by Storm

by Brian Foden

Over the past two decades, the popularity of reality TV has exploded.


  There are all kinds of reality programs, from talent contests to programs in which contestants compete against each other in cooking, fashion design, entrepreneurship, modeling, and dancing, among other themes. In terms of ratings for US TV shows, American Idol was one of the most popular reality TV shows of the 2012-2013 season. The format is simple, with a panel of judges rating the performances of singers who compete against each other. Every week a singer is voted off, and the winner is the last one standing.


  A look at the other popular reality TV programs in America shows a strong desire among audiences for competitive talent shows. Dancing with the Stars, where famous people show off their dancing skills, and The Voice, which has a format similar to American Idol, are also highly rated programs. At the end of 2013, a different type of reality show became the most successful in the history of cable TV in the US. Duck Dynasty follows a family of rednecks that run a multimillion dollar company selling duck hunting merchandise.


  The success of reality TV proves that there is a high demand for this form of entertainment, but the programs continue to draw harsh criticism. Critics argue that the shows don't actually portray reality because they place people in artificial situations with cameras that wouldn't normally be around. Some shows may even coach participants on how to act and what to say in order to create drama. Even so, reality TV has had a big impact around the world. For example in China, voting for their favorite singers is the only time its citizens can take part in any form of democracy.

 

真人实境秀席卷全球

过去二十年间,真人实境秀受欢迎的程度已激增。


  真人实境秀的种类繁多,从才艺竞赛到参赛者于节目中针对如烹饪、时装设计、创业、模特儿还有舞蹈等主题互相竞争。就美国电视节目的收视率而言,《美国偶像》在 2012 2013 年度这一季是最受欢迎的真人实境节目之一。这个节目的安排十分简单,有一组评审会为相互竞争的歌手表现评分。每一周都会有一位参赛者被淘汰,而留到最后的人就是赢家。


  来看看美国其他受欢迎的真人实境节目,就可以看出观众对于竞争性的选秀节目有着强烈的渴望。《与巨星共舞》是名人出现在节目里炫耀自己的舞技,而《美国之声》的安排与《美国偶像》很类似,也是受到高度评价的节目。2013 年底,一种不同型态的真人实境秀成为美国有线电视史上最为成功的节目。《鸭子王朝》跟着一户乡下人家,这户人家经营了一家资本数百万美元贩卖猎鸭商品的公司。


  真人实境秀的成功证明了观众对这种形式的娱乐有着高度需求,但这样的节目也持续遭受严苛的批评。评论家认为这些节目实际上并没有反映现实,因为电视工作人员会把这些人放在一个刻意打造的环境里,正常来说我们的环境四周并不会有摄影机在拍摄。有些节目甚至还会指导参与者要怎么表演以及该说些什么来营造戏剧效果。即便如此,真人实境秀对全球还是有很大的影响。举中国为例好了,投票选出自己最喜欢的歌手或许是做为一个中国人民他们唯一可以感到参与民主的时刻吧。





0

播放音频

Reality TV Has Taken the World by Storm(b)|真人实境秀席卷全球

开心一读