To look for a hero in
reality television show I think you need to look at shows such as Real Stories
of the Highway Patrol, The First 48, and The Biggest Loser. The First 48 is about the first 48 hours of a
real-life homicide investigation (The First 48, 2004). The show is filmed in various cities
across the United States. Each show will
follow two or more investigations in different cities. The heroes in this reality show are the detectives
and at times the witnesses for coming forward with the information. Being in law enforcement myself I know that
the dedication and personal sacrifices that are made in order to complete a
high profile case such as a homicide.
These detectives put in hours and hours of work especially in the first
24 to 48 hours in order to bring justice to the victim. When it comes to
witnesses, many people want to close their doors and pretend nothing happened.
They don’t want to get involved for several reasons. So to find a witness that comes
forward in this type of investigation can add much needed information.
We are saturated with reality television shows. It seems like every day a new show is aired
and normal people become new celebrities. The cult of the celebrity is formed
by the viewer who makes it a weekly event when the show is aired. With American
Idol where ordinary people are attempting to reach fame viewers are consumed
with the performances, judges, and votes.
The only reason these reality shows participates gained there celebrity
status is due to the show. In Storage
Wars, Dan and Laura Dotson are getting rich quick. The only explanation for
this is the large crowds that gather at the Freedom Storage in the desert
between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Months ago only a handful would show up
for such event, today 119 individuals have come to watch the Dotson’s sell off
the abandoned refuse (Cava, 2011) .
I am a Storage War junky.
I love watching the stars of the show battle to get a storage unit. I
watch rerun after rerun.
References
Cava, M. R. (2011). 'Storage Wars' strikes it rich
with colorful stars. Retrieved from USA Today: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2011-01-28-storage28_CV_N.htm
The First 48.
(2004). Retrieved from TV.com: http://www.tv.com/shows/the-first-48/
Dawn I think you did an excellent job explaining who the heroes are in reality television shows. You hit the nail on the head talking about the cult of the celebrity in these programs too! Great job on your post! I found it to be an interesting read.
ReplyDelete