The Kardashian Korruption
Popular comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, once remarked, “people love gossip. It's the biggest thing that keeps the entertainment industry going.” Ellen proved her own statement right when she initiated a media frenzy by kissing her then girlfriend Portia de Rossi on national television. Working as an entertainment paralegal allowed me to work behind the scenes of several reality TV shows such as I want to be a Hilton, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Hogan Knows Best. Though the shows I worked on would not be categorized as outrageous or morally unacceptable, I saw firsthand how producers of reality TV shows use drama, controversy, sex and extravagant lifestyles as a means to lure in viewers week after week. From staged dramatic scenes, to putting the cast members in precarious situations, producers will do just about anything, without much moral consciousness, to obtain high ratings and create the next break out show. With shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, Buckwild and Teen Mom, reality TV has pushed the boundaries of morality to a whole new low.
Reality TV has grown to be a phenomenon many people can’t live without. It is a guilty pleasure and a gross exploitation of lifestyles society appears to be obsessed with. Even for the people that do not watch much television, reality TV is becoming increasingly hard to escape. In her article, “Getting Real with Reality TV,” Cynthia M. Frisby claims, “Viewers cannot seem to help but become involved in the captivating plotlines and day-to-day drama depicted daily on their screens.” With the ever growing popularity of these reality TV shows, it is hard to disagree with Frisby’s statement. From primetime contest shows like American Idol and Survivor to day-in-the-life-of shows like Duck Dynasty and Keeping up with the Kardashians, it is hard to change the channel without a reality show being on. With 67% of television programming being made up of...
