Undercover Reality

                   Now a days it is hard to tell how much of reality TV is actually reality and what is just exaggerated for Now a days it is hard to tell how much of reality TV is actually reality and what is exaggerated for views. Undercover Boss is where a CEO of a large company goes undercover to see how the company is working and if the employs and are happy. The CEO creates an identity so no one can recognize him or her and then travels to different locations of their company, tries out different jobs and, talks to some of the employs to see what is going good and what can be improved. Then the CEO invites the employs that they worked closely with to the company’s headquarters to talk about what is being done wrong in the company and discusses how to fix it, or they are given something personal like a paid vacation or a donation in their name. Out of all the reality shows out there Undercover Boss is one that is more reality then fiction.

 

            First, Undercover Boss uses red herring to mislead everyone in the show to believe that the CEO is someone who they are not. The CEO of Hooters, Coby Brooks shaves his face and stays in a motel that someone doing a documentary on entry level position would stay in. Coby Brooks also makes up a new name and back story. He does this so no one can recognize him and won’t act any different around him because he is the big boss. He makes up a back story about himself so he can share things about himself to help others open up about themselves and their lives. The audience doesn’t see all of the footage shot so it is possible that some of the people recognize the CEO or they know all along and act as if they don’t. In some episodes the boss is recognized and other times the CEO has to walk in and talk to people that will recognize him and tell them to keep their identity a secret. But, the people on the show act as if they have no idea who they are really talking to “This season, producers encouraged the bosses to come up with a character they wanted to play, as opposed to pushing disguises on them.” (Morabito, 58). We see the CEO trying to connect with people at the bottom of their company in order to improve everyone’s enjoyment of their job.     

  

          Secondly, in Undercover Boss we see the CEOs try to perform entry level jobs within their own company. We see the CEO of 7-eleven, Joe DePinto mess up changing coffee filters, mixing coffee ruining the whole pot and, getting in the way of customer. Half way through the time he works, there was a rush of customers coming in and he was thrown in with very little assistance. We saw the CEO struggle dealing with all of the customers, staying out of their way while also trying to make sure that everything was stocked. We saw that the CEO was working hard and trying to get done what he is told while also making sure that the customers have everything that they need. We normally see the CEO fail a lot while not complete the work they are given for the day and another employ has to finish up what they do so it can get done on time. However, it is the CEOs first day working an entry level poisons in a long time so they probably forget a lot of those skills “I did a half-day of training and got my license to drive a forklift in one of our food warehouses…”  Well, what I learned is that it's very hard to do (Aguirre). We saw that there are a lot of screw ups on the CEOs first day in their position but they try and see where it went wrong and how to fix it for the future.

           

        Thirdly, the show Undercover Boss uses staged elements as to add something to the show to give it some drama. With the people that the CEO shadows they always have an issue that needs to be solved either in their personal life or at work. The issues could be that they never see their spouse, that they feel that there’s no room to grow within the company, or that they have a serious medical issue that needs to be taken care of but can’t do it themselves. From what we see they are hardworking employees and it is impossible for us to really know if they have the problems that they claim to have. It is hard to know if the person really has the problem that they claim to have or if they are so posed to say that for emotional reaction” It is highly likely that the producers selected segments that highlighted positive and negative employee role models”(Cumberland and Alagaraja 271-269). The people that show the CEO what to do always have grievance with something in their work or personal life that needs to be fixed.

          

          Fourthly, there is interviewing that happens all throughout the episode and it provides context of what is currently happening. Through an episode there will be an interview with someone on the show currently and in doing so we will learn how the person on the show feels about a subject or another person. We learn how Larry O’Donnell, CEO of Waste Management feels about picking up trash from an open field and how much manual labor it is. Through doing this we find out how they feel about a certain subject and how it effects them. The interviewing goes on after they have already completed their task or after the day is done so how they feel at the time of doing the work could be different then how they feel after completing the work. However how they won’t forget about how they feel about a certain person or job so quickly. Interviewing is an important part of the show and shows us the true feelings of the people being interviewed.

            

         In Conclusion there are many important parts of a reality show that are meant to enhance the viewers understanding and enjoyment. The use red herrings in order to trick people in the low level part of the company have a more realistic moments. They show the CEO screw up to make it look like he’s doing a bad job most of the time to show they make mistakes too. The use of staged elements it to keep us entertained by showing us what goes on behind the scenes of a company that most of us know about.  Interviewing is meant to keep us informed about how they really feel about a subject. Undercover Boss uses many different techniques in order to keep the viewers entertained.  

Work Cited

Cumberland, Denise. Alagaraja, Meera. “No Place Like the Frontline: A Qualitative Study on What Participant CEOs Learned From Undercover Boss”. Human Rescores Development Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 2, 26 February 2016, pp. 271-269, http://ux8qz8ge6t.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Human%20Resource%20Development%20Quarterly&rft.stitle=Human%20Resource%20Development%20Quarterly&rft.atitle=No%20Place%20Like%20the%20Frontline%3A%20A%20Qualitative%20Study%20on%20What%20Participant%20CEOs%20Learned%20From%20Undercover%20Boss%0A&rft.volume=27&rft.issue=2&rft.spage=271&rft.epage=296&rft.date=2016-06-01&rft.aulast=Cumberland&rft.aufirst=Denise%20M.&rft.issn=1044-8004&rft.eissn=1532-1096&rfr_id=info:sid/wiley.com:OnlineLibrary

“Secrets of an Undercover boss”. Fortune, vol. 162, no. 5, 27, September 2010, pp. 14-44, http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=eedca3d2-d29d-42bb-8fa6-419935be0456%40sessionmgr4006&vid=0&hid=4212&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=53739792&db=bth

Morabito, Andrea. “YOU GO, BOSS Another season of 'Undercover' CEOs on CBS.” LexisNexis Academic, 21, December 2016, pp. 58, http://ux8qz8ge6t.search.serialssolutions.com/?sid=EBSCO:InfoTrac%20Newsstand&genre=article&title=New%20York%20Post%20(New%20York,%20NY)&atitle=YOU%20GO,%20BOSS%20Another%20season%20of%20\%27Undercover\%27%20CEOs%20on%20CBS&aulast=&volume=&issue=&spage=&pages=&issn=10903321&isbn=&Date=2016-12-21

Reality TV Draft

                                                        Keeping up with the Kardashian's


The fame of the Kardashian's and the Jenner's is ever-growing. Everyone who watches news or talk shows or even glances at magazine covers when checking out at the grocery store knows one thing or another about the Kardashian/Jenner family. For example, Kim has her huge behind and her sex tape, which is what's talked about a lot in the first episode, "I'm Watching You." The show started back in October of 2007 and has been following the lives of the Kardashian's and Jenner's since then. In the beginning of the shows, the Kardashian's and the Jenners all introduce themselves. Kris Jenner is the mother to all of the Kardashian/Jenner children whereas Bruce Jenner is only the father to Kendall and Kylie Jenner. The first episode of the very first season of KUPTK was interesting enough to put it in simple terms which leads me as a viewer to believe that the episodes continuing from the first one can only get more interesting as they go. There was a lot that went on in the first show including the introduction of all of the characters. All of the characters throughout this show and the introductions were very monotone which poses the question of whether or not the introductions were scripted or if throughout the show there was a lot of re-takes and staged reality. Either way, the techniques used by the producers make for a funny and wild roller-coaster of events throughout each season. 



Keeping up with the Kardashians - Season 1 

Throughout the show, there is a lot of little dramatic moments between the siblings and just about a character alone that made me laugh. In the very first episode, Kourtney and Kris were talking about how Kim "has a lot of junk in her trunk," which if you read any news and have stumbled over people talking about Kim Kardashian, you know that she is known for her big behind. Personally, I think that most of the dramatic elements throughout the show are funny but also dumb which makes the show entertaining to watch. Also shown in the first episode was a moment when Kris, who is not just Kim's mother but her manager as well, informs Kim that Tyra Banks has asked for Kim to make an appearance on Tyra's show but that Kim would have to talk about her sex tape. Now, you don't hear many good things said when talking about someone's sex tape. Kim talks about how it was something that happened and something that was supposed to be private to her but that she wants to forget about it and move on to do better things. Them talking about the tape and how it was leaked is a moment that I can relate to. No, I did not make a tape myself but I know of plenty of people from my high school and the areas surrounding mine back home that had things that were supposed to be private to them that were sent around. It makes the show more dramatic but also, a lot of people can relate to their private things being shared with others. It doesn't happen to everyone but I'm sure Kim never thought it would happen to her either. This example gave a lot of personal feeling and emotion into the first episode alone, which June Deery may coin as "real." Deery states, "As a concept, 'real' can mean different things - actual, authentic, genuine..." (Deery 55) and in the moment when Kim talks to Kris and then to her family about her perceptions of the tape, you can see the real emotion that Kim portrays. 

All of the Kardashian's are looked up to in one way or another by a crowd of girls who want to be just like them. From Kylie's pastel hair colors to Kourtney's new bod, KUWTK serves the followers of the Kardashian's with some more entertainment. Jeff Jensen states in an article on the Kardashian sisters, "Somehow, someway, the Kardashians have gone from a freak show to a multimillion-dollar brand that appeals to young women and teenage girls, who view the sisters as trendsetters and--gulp!--role models" (Jensen 42-46). A normal day on social media consists of people retweeting pictures of girls who are turning 15 and 16 and look like they're grown women. These girls get all dressed up and put on tons of makeup and plump their lips to look like none other than Kylie Jenner. I'm sure we've all heard of the Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge. This was a challenge done by a handful of girls all over who wanted to make their lips as plump and juicy as Kylie's plastic surgeon did for her. Idolizing the Kardashian's is just something that comes along with the popularity of the show, just like how people want to be just like Ellen or Jessica Alba but it's the same way with every celebrity.

"For boho fashion, health tips and interior design, fans can download Kourtney’s app; for make-up tutorials and tips on organic dog food, they can download Kylie’s" (Monteverde 159). This is just one of the many ways that the show KUWTK and the stars on it are influential to the show's viewers. This show gives good laughs and just a fun viewing experience. From the dramatic events that make the girls tear up a bit or call each other names to Bruce Jenner transforming into Caitlyn Jenner, KUWTK never leaves you unsatisfied and not knowing the newest drama with the family.



                                                                     Work's Cited 

Deery, June. Reality TV. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015. 

Jensen, Jeff. "Naked Ambition: Why Are These Women Famous?." Entertainment Weekly 1118 (2010): 42-46. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.

Monteverde, Giuliana. "Kardashian Komplicity: Performing Post-Feminist Beauty." Critical Studies In Fashion & Beauty 7.2 (2016): 153-172. Art & Architecture Source. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.

RTV Blog "Catfish" Final Draft

Hardcore Heartbreak: 

Everything isn't always what is Seems

Catfish: the TV Show is an American reality television show based off the documentary film named Catfish. A "catfish," is a person who creates fake personal profiles on social media sites using other people's identities and pretend to be them. They trick unsuspecting men and women into falling in love with them only to ultimately end up breaking their hearts. It airs on the network MTV and it’s based on the dangers of online dating. Episodes are usually about an hour long and consist of drama filled with lies and deception throughout. Every single episode starts off the same with the hosts Nev and Max reading emails from people who are having trouble dating online. These men and women are usually dealing with people they have never physically met before but they have fallen in love with them through calls and texts. They only know what they look like according to images from social media. Once Nev and Max have chosen a person to help, they contact them through skype or facetime and try to get more info on the situation the person is going through. The next thing they do is travel to meet that person wherever they are.

After they have met the potential catfish victim, they will get to work on finding the person whom the victim has fallen in love with. They search meticulously through the web and social media to find the real identity of the suspect. They usually find info or people linked to the suspect and try to make contact with them to hopefully gather clues to find the suspect. Sometimes they try to make contact with the suspicious person directly. Also, if the suspect is using the image of someone else as their likeness they will contact that person to see if they give them any clues as to who the catfish is. Once they gather all the information they can, they meet up with the victim and determine a location to meet the suspect. Once they get to the meet up location, the big reveal is made. The catfish reveals their true identity to the victim. This reveal usually leaves the victims in shock because majority of the time people aren't who they say they are. They pretend to be someone else and the truth is exposed leaving people heartbroken. After the encounter most of these people vow not to be in contact with each other ever again, but on rare occasions some remain friends, and then there is that ultra rare occasion when they actually become a couple. The show ends every time by Nev and Max contacting the people involved and updating us on their relationship about a month later.

There are many reasons to watch and things to learn from this show. This show features the entertainment aspects that viewers come to expect from any episode of reality television. Strangers are brought on every episode and asked to let the show dive headfirst into the relationships of their personal lives. The "amateur status," which June Deery discusses in the Reality TV chapters we read for class, of each new featured cast is stressed in every episode as they talk about their lives and how everything led up to them being on the show. The stories featured in the show make you question the choices people make and lead you to want more and more, by giving you cliffhangers before every commercial. Every episode features a character that as the story unfolds true emotions show and the viewer gets a sense of those feelings inside themselves which leads them to watch as well.This show can really teach you how stressful it can be in the dating world to find someone who is for you, and how even more difficult it is to do that on the internet.

Nev and Max consulting a catfish victim

This show truly stresses the realities of online dating and teaches you how you should go about navigating the online dating world. Personally I have learned that dating the conventional way is much easier and less stressful in person, but the people featured in this show have their reasons like a fear of dating in person or real life, or just something as simple as a lack of time. It shows the highs and lows that come with every relationship. The show teaches a lesson and the people who are featured on it learn that lesson the hard way. The show teaches how you must be careful when you fall in love with a profile because everything isn't always what is seems. You could think you are talking to the love of your life but that could be a complete and total lie. People are more likely to and feel more comfortable to lie when there is no face to face communication. This leads the people of this show go through major heartaches sometimes and you get to see how they cope with that in every episode. In every episode you learn how you should go about online dating by checking sources and references you may have but for some reason even though people say they watch the show they still somehow end up on it. Maybe they want to be on tv, or maybe they want to find out if the person they met is real or not.

Max and Nev cracking a case

Even though Catfish may send off the message that it is all about the "trust no one," vibe, at the end of the day Catfish is all about finding love. The men and women who result as catfish victims always believe that they have found that special someone that makes everything in the world make sense. They usually end up finding that makes it even more confusing than it already is. I've learned more about what love is from watching this show. I learned that love is more than just an emotional connection, it must be a physical and mental connection to be true. Every episode someone thinks that they have found the feeling of love but they ultimately end up with the idea of love because they are left with a profile of a person that they thought they loved. These ideas lead us to question does love exist, but it does and once you truly find it you should never let it go.

Catfish the TV show offers some great entertainment with real life connections and teaches some very, very important lessons on online dating. From the prosecution of the catfish to the actual confrontation, episodes are jam packed with entertainment and emotion. This show has been the leading force behind the movement to get people stop catfish-ing others and become true to themselves. Do not fall in love with a question mark.

Works Cited

Deery, June. Reality TV. Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2015.

J.A. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition. 11/9/2012, Vol. 260 Issue 112, pD8-D8. 1/5p.

Lee, Stephan Entertainment Weekly. 7/26/2013, Issue 1269, p69. 1p.

Martin, Denise Vulture Magazine. http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/catfish-mtv-casting-production-process.html

Family Comes First and Money Comes Second

Family Comes First, Money Comes Second

Why Anyone Will Enjoy Pawn Stars

Sin City has been known to be very different than most American cities. It is the prime location for anyone looking to get away and burn a hole in their pocket at the casinos, stay in luxurious hotels, or visit a pawn shop. Las Vegas, Nevada is home to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop which has become quite famous over the past couple of years, for hosting the hit reality television show called Pawn Stars. This historic series has become popular on a international level, and is watched by countries such as Britain and Australia. The show follows four main characters who each play a crucial part in the daily operations of the pawn shop, these people include Rick Harrison (the owner), The "Old Man" (Rick's father), Corey (Rick's son), and Chumlee (Corey's lifelong friend). Pawn Stars is a prime example of what makes reality television so great, it includes an aspect of history and comedy which can appeal to a variety of people, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats due to its unpredictable outcomes in offers and buys, the business is ran with class and ethics and finally because of the family-like atmosphere in the shop

“The Pawn Stars”

To begin, the reality TV show Pawn Stars incorporates aspects of both history and comedy. As a popular show on the History channel, the shows integrates the aspects of history by including various artifacts. These artifacts can represent key historic time periods, including historic events and significant inventions. One paramount item that is brought into the shop during the episode called “Silence of the Lambo” is a sterling silver Tiffany Walkman, which was originally owned by John Entwistle who was in the band “The Who”. Items that were originally possessed by famous individuals like this one, are seen in almost every episode. When watching the show, you feel as though you personally experience an items value and contribution to history. The facts about the items on the show educates the viewers and shows them the importance of the past. Not only can the show educate the audience, it can also provide a sense of comedy. The history of the artifacts brought onto the show is a serious matter, yet the show revolves around the light-hearted characters involved. Characters like Chumlee are able to provide laughter to the show by acting foolish and humorous. The actions of the characters can show the viewers that business does not always have to be so serious, and that you have the ability to enjoy your job. Both the history and comedy tie together to educate the viewers in an entertaining way that makes you want to watch episode after episode.


Another reason to enjoy this show is because the build-up to closing a deal is one of the most entertaining and suspenseful things about it. Every episode an employee of the show is faced with a tough decision on whether they should pay someone a certain amount of money for an item. Usually the seller is asking for way more than what the shop can sell it for, so trying to convince them to come down from their original offer is no easy task. An example of this would be during the same episode, a man brought in a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago and was originally asking for $115,000. After negotiations Corey and the man could not make a deal on the car due to a $5000 price difference in what both would be willing to take. This scene can keep an audience at the edge of their seat because to buy the car would be a big deal for the shop, but the fact that they could not over such a small number in the grand scheme of things attracts viewers. It is said that "the likelihood of a deal being made and the amount of surplus captured by the party making the final offer"(McCannon and Stevens 62). Coming up with a price on an item is no easy task when you sometimes do not have a market to base it off of. In Pawn Stars, they always have items come through the store that can be odd and unusual and tough to put an exact price on it. An example of this would be on the same episode when a guy brings in a pin for passing his urine test for the Olympics. As unusual of an item this is, Rick was able to buy it for a price he wanted it for at $100. During an interview, Rick talked about dealing with these type of sales by saying, “If you have a really strange doo-hickey, you’re not going to find a lot of collectors....You just have to figure out what the market is and how desirable it is. It’s a tricky business”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). Whether it’s a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago or an Olympic pin for passing a urine test, the deals on the show are always intriguing due to the fact that as a viewer you never know how the deal will end.

Most of reality TV is staged and characters act unlike their true selves to entertain the audience, but the people on Pawn Stars do not fall into this category. What you see on the show is the people in their true form and ethics has always been preached and shown by Rick and the employees. A way he demonstrates this for example, is whenever someone asks for a certain amount of money and they ask for less than what they can get, Rick tells them and is willing to give them more than what they originally ask. He said in an interview that he does this because “I truly believe in six degrees of separation. The day I rip off a customer, they will tell 10 people, who will tell 10 people, who will tell 10 more people. You will get a bad reputation”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). As a man in business trying to get as much money as he can, for him to be this ethical and value the customer, shows how real this show is. Rick has also been known to be a tremendous boss through the way he treats his employees. He pays his employees more than other pawn shops do because he values working with good people and this is present on the show constantly. Everyone seems to like Rick and everyone seems to get along with one another, which not always common in the workplace. In the interview Rick Stated, “I want positive people who realize they have a good job and they get paid more than everyone else. It’s because they work for the best and they have to be the best”(Mary-Jo Kranache 8). This just goes to show that the personality of the people you see is not an act to entertain the audience, but them being their true selves.  

In addition, the show embodies the meaning of family because it is a family run business. The shop was created and owned by Richard Benjamin Harrison, “The old Man”, and his son Richard Kevin Harrison, “Rick”. There are not many reality TV shows that are about family run businesses, which is one reason why this show is unique. The fact that the majority of the show revolves around family helps it relate easily to its viewers. The characters on the show are so close which allows them to joke around with one another constantly, creating a great sense of humor. Not only that but, the love that each character shares for one another adds warmth and compassion to the show. Overall, the family like atmosphere of the show is warm-hearted and can easily relate to its viewers.

This is not your ordinary reality television show, it is safe to say Pawn Stars separates itself from the rest. The viewer is able to get both knowledge on history and be entertained in the process. The close-knit relationships on the show are second to none, the meaning of family is truly resembled in every episode. Pawn Stars is a prime example of what makes reality television so great, it includes an aspect of history and comedy which can appeal to a variety of people, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats due to its unpredictable outcomes in offers and buys, the business is ran with class and ethics and finally because of the family-like atmosphere in the shop.

                                                                                             

Works Cited

Kranacher, Mary-Jo. "Growing a Family Business in Sin City Thoughts from ‘Pawn Star’ Rick Harrison." Ebscohost. N.p., 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=60f9177d-dfe4-4ebb-8236-b266e1cb8ce3%40sessionmgr103&hid=129>. 

McCannon, Bryan C., and John B. Stevens. "DEAL MAKING IN PAWN STARS: TESTING THEORIES OF BARGAINING." Ebscohost. N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=a84f4402-600c-455a-9f03-60cc77a412a1%40sessionmgr4006&hid=4102>.

   

Property Brothers :

A Diamond in the Rough

 The Property Brothers provide the audience with a perspective of the real estate world which goes beyond the dullness of meetings and numbers. While business negotiation plays a key role in each episode, the Brothers never fail to entertain and leave the viewers with a new sense of knowledge as well as important life skills.  The Scott brothers help couples find their dream home behind a fixer upper. Johnathon and Drew take their clients to a ready to move in home that meets and surpasses all of the couples expectations in a dream house, only to show the couple that the home is out of their affordable price range. In doing so the brothers persuade their clients to become less reluctant in the idea of a fixer upper. The show continues with various home tours where the couples view potential homes that meet the price range they have set as well as their ideal location. Once the clients decide on a home that has all the elements the remodeling stage begins. Johnathon Scott races to complete the remodeling in time as he deals with unexpected problems that arise in the home and various requests from the couple which he tries to fit into their budget. The episodes always end with The Scott brothers meeting the couple's standards just in time.

 The Property Brothers demonstrate for their audience many significant real world skills, one of which is budgeting. Couples that come into the show present their budget to the Scott brothers and from there they tour fixer upper houses that will best fit within their budget limit. This is seen in the episode "Putting the Om' in Home" where the family looking to buy a home sets their budget limit at $905,000. Seeing the couples struggle to find homes within their budget allows for a realistic view on how difficult budgeting for a fixer upper home really is. Viewers are also exposed to various conflicts during the remodeling process when unexpected problems with the house are discovered. We see in episode "Putting the Om' in Home" that the family is faced with squeaky floors and instead of replacing the entire flooring they decide to continue the project without doing so. Seeing how the new home owners have to assess the situation and find a solution that best fits the budget is another example where the show teaches you the reality of having to anticipate expensive problems and preparing for them according to your budget. Along with this we see this unpredictability that audiences desire to see (Lewis and Weaver, 65). There is more to that goes into the decisions concerning the budget that isn't presented in the show because even though it is filmed not all of what is filmed is aired. This is something that is referred to as the 300:1 ratio, where there are many hours of film but only a small portion is what is actually put into an episode. However the show still manages to give the audience enough of an insight to be able to understand how stressful and complex budgeting for a home can be. Budgeting is an essential component to purchasing a home, because of all the unexpected problems that can come along with a fixer upper home which is clearly shown in this episode.

 Another skill that is presented in the show is outside of the box thinking. This reality television show is constructed based on the idea of thinking outside of the box. During the tours of the fixer upper homes, the Scott brothers persuade their clients to use their imagination to see the bigger picture in terms of remodeling and potential of the home.The Scott brothers also use computer generated images to show their clients what the unappealing fixer upper home would look like after the remodeling process. These computer generated images allow the audience to take note on Johnathon's creativity as a means to thinking outside of the box. These computer generated images help bring out the creativity in real estate that normally is not present. The show can influence the audience's attention by providing insight into outside of the box thinking.

Example of an computer generated image used in the show

 There is no doubt that along with purchasing a fixer upper home you need patience and The Property Brothers demonstrates just that. It is seen within many episodes that Drew has demonstrated patience while he dealt with his clients picky demands in location, flooring plan and price. In the episode "Putting the Om' in Home" Drew Scott demonstrated patience in finding the family their dream home that fell within their budget and a location close to the kids school and the couple's job. This episode demonstrated patience as he worked alongside the family, booking house tours and bargaining for the best deals that match his client's budget. This characteristic in Drew is one that the audience can keep in mind as it is a skill that is needed not only in the purchasing of a home but also in a job for example. Not only does Drew demonstrate patience but Johnathon the contractor also demonstrates patience when dealing with the big and small request his clients insist in having in their home. Drew demonstrates patience in the episode "Putting the Om' in Home" as he accommodated to both of his clients different home styles. This episode reinforces how patience is an important role in every task, whether its big or small.

 Lastly, another reason to watch The Property Brothers is because the show is family oriented. To start off  the hosts of the reality television show are brothers. They demonstrate to the audience in multiple scenes that they're playful by teasing one another exposing their brotherly love as they embrace which is appealing to the audience. An example would be during an interview when Johnathon teases his brother saying he never thought he'd amount to anything (Hod). They are a dynamic duo, that work well together and are seen doing so as they divide and conquer the task of buying and remodeling houses.

Michelle and her daughter posing with the Scott brothers after the successful remodeling

Not only do you see the Scott brothers working together, but you also see the couples and family work together as well. In the episode "Putting the Om' in Home" mother Michelle and daughter Felicia work together when they tour fixer upper homes, and then you get to see the family as a whole work together during the remodeling of the home. These are family oriented moment in the show that appeal to the emotion's of the viewers (Reiss and Wiltz, 365).

 The Property Brothers is a show about more than just negotiations and numbers. The Scott brothers teach us about patience a characteristic that is important in life, and in any job and career you pursue. They teach us to think outside of the box and be creative. As well as having the ability to see beyond what is presented to you and knowing that everything requires hard work and it will pay off. You learn about problem solving skills, there are various examples of times couples had to find the best solution to a problem that arose so that it would best fit  their budget. The Property Brothers demonstrate the concept of family working best as team when they are seen working well together and always joking around with one another. Their episodes go beyond the mundane business of real estate, they encourage us to be our best selves and work together as a team to accomplish a greater goal.

Works Cited

Hod, Itay. "The Property Brothers' Are Reality Television Crack Cocaine." The Daily Beast, 08 Sept.  2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/08/the-property-brothers-are-reality- television-s-crack-cocaine.html

Lewis, Nicky and Weaver, Andrew J. "Emotional responses to Social comparisons in reality televison programming." Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, vol. 28, no.2, 2015 pp. 65-77. PsycARTICLES , doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000151 

Reiss, Steven and Wiltz, James. "Why People Watch Reality TV." Media Psychology, vol. 6, no. 4,     pp. 363-379. Community Source http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=36071888-c90e-43fd-b8142717f2ca0f7f%40sessionmgr4006&vid=11&hid=121.

The Thrive to Survive
Experience An Adventure From the Comfort of Your Couch

There is no question that many of us seek the thrill for adventure as we endure the grind of our daily lives and dream of ways in which we can fulfill that longing. For many of us, the most exciting part of our day is our drive home from work. Luckily, that thrill which we seek can be achieved from the comfort of our living rooms by tuning into Remote Survival, sixty minutes of non-stop dream fulfilling adventure.

Remote Survival is a reality competition television series which involves two contestants who are dropped in the middle of the wilderness and tasked with trekking through dense forests, icy waters, steep mountains, and the many other dangers that the remote wild presents, to reach an extraction point which they are escorted to safety from. To add to the excitement, neither contestant have any relevant wilderness experience. For this reason, each is assigned a survival expert who is in constant communication with them through an audio device, and monitors their every move from a live stream video feed taken by a drone that follows them, as well cameras that are attached to the contestant and set up throughout the course. In terms of reward that this competition offers, it may be the greatest reward that any reality competition series can offer - the reward of living. Beyond presenting the viewer with a nail biting viewing experience, Remote Survival leaves the viewer with knowledge, skills, and inspiration that will carry on away from the living room.

Contestant ties together a shelter
in preparation for a long night.

One of the major takeaways from watching Remote Survival is that beyond its entertainment factor, the viewer can learn a skill such as tying a knot in a real world scenario. In one episode, a contestant is in a situation where it is essential that he swim across a lake while avoiding wetting his survival equipment. In order to keep his equipment from getting wet, he is instructed by a survival expert to build a raft by tying together a collection of logs he has gathered. At first, the contestant is clueless on how to tie even the simplest of knots, but with guidance from the survival instructor he manages to tie multiple knots and build a sturdy raft. Throughout this process, the viewer is able to listen in on the step-by-step process the instructor gives, as well as watch the process from the point of view of the contestant. By viewing this process in a way similar to an instructional video found online, the viewer is left with their own knowledge on how to tie a knot in a survival situation along with the entertainment factor incorporated.

Contestant swims across icy river with camera gear attached

Another skill which can be learned by watching Remote Survival is the skill of starting a fire with minimum supplies. It can be agreed that fire is essential in the survival of the outdoors, from cooking to keeping warm it has many significant uses. During the episode "Rising Tide" which features a thirty-two year old Woman trekking through the frigid wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, the contestant encounters a situation where starting a fire is the deciding factor between life and death. After a long day of hiking which includes a swim across an icy river, darkness begins to fall and the temperature plummets. Her instructor insists that it is imperative she start a fire as soon as possible, but with limited supplies, she begins to panic. Her instructor calms her down and talks her through how to start a fire using only sticks and stones, and after several attempts she manages to get a fire started and warm herself up. Similar to how the viewer is taught how to tie a knot by watching the contestant tie the raft together, the viewer in this situation learns how to start a fire with minimum supplies. This invaluable skill in starting a fire can be applicable to the viewer in many real world situations, thus adding to the benefits of watching Remote Survival.

On top of offering the viewer knowledge of important skills, this television show inspires its viewers to head out into the wilderness, which in turn leads to exercise. Remote Survival shows the raw beauty of nature by taking the viewer on an adventure through the wilderness in the eyes of the contestant. Aside from the awe-inspiring beauty of the footage shown, the show is also inspirational in the sense that the viewer can relate to most of the contestants. For example, take the thirty two year old woman from the episode "Rising Tide", who also happens to be a Mother.. Being the age she is and the fact that she is a parent and has no experience in survival, many viewers can relate to her and be motivated to go out and experience the wilderness for themselves. Wilderness adventure also includes exercise, so on top of gaining an appreciation for nature, one will be motivated to get in shape.

Survival expert Cliff Hodges monitoring his contestant

As tempting as Remote Survival makes it to venture out into the wilderness, it also touches on the dangers that the wilderness presents. As beautiful as the dense wild of the Pacific Northwest and the never ending deserts of Utah are made out to be, the show does an excellent job at portraying the dangers of these places. In one episode, when a contestant is traversing the dry desert plains of Utah, they encounter a scorpion. The contestant is fascinated by this scorpion but is quickly warned by their survival expert that this particular scorpion is highly poisonous and could kill them. This gives the viewer a reality-check of the small but deadly dangers that can easily be overlooked in the wild. For all of those inspired to go out into the wild on their own, it is important to take note of these dangers that are presented throughout Remote Survival and remember that the adventure this show presents could lead to unwise risk taking. This unwise risk taking can result in situations that require expensive search and rescue operations, serious health consequences, and worse (Peisner). For example, in 2010 a hiker inspired by a similar survival television show set out on a solo trip in the Canadian wilderness with little more than an axe, and wound up freezing to death (McCafferty). This example is not meant to stray people from exploring the wilderness, but to simply warn them of the true dangers which Remote Survivor does an excellent job at presenting its viewers, which could potentially save someones life.

Adventure, knowledge, inspiration, and life skills are all included in an episode of Remote Survival and are reasons why this show goes beyond simple television. The adventure it takes the viewer on is an adventure that will leave its impression on the viewer for a life-time. In this show, like many reality TV shows, "ordinary" people are placed in exotic, unfamiliar surroundings where they are pitted against the elements (WebMD). Those of us who seek the thrill for adventure also seek the exotic and the unfamiliar, and if one wants an adventure that meets that criteria, then look no further than Remote Survival.

Works Cited

McCafferty, Keith. "Death by Survival" Field and Stream, Sept. 2010, pp. 42-45. Vocational and Career Collection, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-bloomu.klnpa.org.

WebMD. "Why Do We Tune In To Reality TV?"CBS News, 17 Aug. 2005, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-do-we-tune-in-to-reality-tv/

Peisner, David. "Special Report: The Dangerous Side of Survival TV" TV Guide, 29 Oct. 2014, http://www.tvguide.com/news/survival-tv-special-report-1088519/

16 and Pregnant - Final Draft

16 and Pregnant: More Than Just Reality TV 

16 and Pregnant first premiered on MTV in December of 2009. The show is based on pregnant teens from all walks of life who are willing to give the nation an insight to the reality of being sixteen and pregnant. The show takes its viewers "through the daily struggles young people experience while they are either expecting or raising a child" (Theida 1). Each episode is dedicated to 1 girl, who throughout the episode, transforms from being an ordinary teenager to a mother with crucial responsibilities. Often times pregnancy is glamourized and viewed as an ideal, pure and perfect situation and although it is a beautiful thing, it comes with a lot of struggle and sometimes heartache. 16 and Pregnant demonstrates all of the realities that occur when becoming a mother at such a young age. 

16 and Pregnant is viewable by every age group but as Dockterman suggests, is geared towards teenagers, in specific, pregnant teens (1). Pregnant teens are generally criticized and sometimes even told by family and peers that their life is "over before it even started," or that they'll never get the chance to have fun based on the consequences of their actions. Chelsea Houska, a participant on the show, attended her high school's homecoming football game. During this episode, she was filmed in the student section cheering on her team, laughing with all of her friends, and afterwards went out for pizza with them. Chelsea was living the life of a normal teenager. Seeing young, expecting mothers maintaining a social life may very well provide a sense of hope for another teenager undergoing the same circumstances. 

Teens who have unprotected sex neglect to realize how much effort goes into raising a child but studies conducted by Professor Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine concluded that since the first airing of 16 and Pregnant, the teen birth rate decreased by 5.7% which equals out to about 20,000 fewer teen births per year (1). Maci Bookout, a cast member of 16 and Pregnant, was filmed waking up in the middle of the night to attend to her crying son. After changing his diaper, feeding him, and attempting to give him his binky, his screaming would not come to a halt. Maci still had to attend school the next morning despite having to stay up for the majority of the night. Seeing that episode would cause most sexually active teens to use proper forms of contraception or even abstain from sex as a whole. Teens who tuned into 16 and Pregnant realized that adding a baby to the mix would make daily tasks, such as going to school, much more difficult than it would normally be. 





The original cast of 16 and Pregnant

16 and Pregnant isn't just about the personal lives of pregnant teens. It teaches a life lesson to its viewers in nearly every episode. In season 1 episode 6, Catelynn Lowell gave birth to a baby girl who ultimately in the end, she gave up for adoption. Despite being disowned by her own family for the choice she made and reconsidering keeping the baby multiple times due to her own guilt, Catelynn still stood by what she believed was right. The life lesson demonstrated in this episode is that sometimes the easiest thing to do isn't always the right thing to do. The fact that the viewer can take something away from every episode and apply it to their own life is very important.  



Catelynn, her boyfriend Tyler, and their daughter Carly before the adoption.

16 and Pregnant makes for good entertainment, yes. Most importantly though, it provides a sense of hope for those undergoing the same or similar circumstances, causes a decrease in the yearly amount of teen births, and teaches important life lessons.

Works Cited

Dockterman, Eliana. "MTV's 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom: Prevent or Promote Teen Pregnancy." Time. Time. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Melissa S., Kearney, and Levine Phillip B. "Media Influences On Social Outcomes: The Impact Of MTV'S 16 and Pregnant On Teen Childbearing." (2014): BASE. Web. 14 Feb. 2017.

Thieda, Stevie. "Shows Such as ‘Teen Mom’ Provide Life Lessons." OU News Bureau. 04 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.