Reality TV is Losing its Merit and Deteriorating in Quality

With the rapid development of broadcasted content in line with the 4th industrial revolution, it is not difficult to find a reality television show to enjoy. Producers of such shows tend to choose themes that are familiar to our everyday lives, such as married life, parenting, family, dating, and travel. These programs often have a fun and enjoyable atmosphere, making them more relatable to viewers. However, reality TV shows have recently thrown the ‘reality’ part of the mix out the window and have chosen to be more provocative to increase popularity and viewership. This is becoming a big problem because the essence of reality TV programs is being lost.

What is reality entertainment? This genre encompasses a variety of programs that borrow elements from documentaries and have subjects filmed with cameras as they live their daily lives. Unlike other general forms of entertainment shows, reality TV programs minimize intervention by the production team and instead aim to show a more realistic picture. Instead of having the production staff script specific scenarios, reality TV is more about documenting the everyday lives of celebrities. Normally, celebrities can feel rather distant to the average viewer, but upon seeing their favorite stars eating, sleeping, and living their lives much like anyone else, it becomes easier for fans to relate to celebrities they see on TV. According to a survey conducted by the job portal site ‘Career’ on viewer preference for reality TV shows, 93.5% of the respondents said that they ‘preferred’ or ‘highly preferred’ reality programs. When asked to give a reason for their choice, 63.5% of respondents said that they watched reality shows because ‘watching celebrities live their daily lives made the show more natural and relatable.’ As a result, Korea saw an explosion in reality shows starting from mid-2010.

While reality TV shows initially gained popularity by minimizing intervention by the production staff, this is no longer the case. Unlike shows from the past that focused on telling a more authentic and natural story, reality TV has deteriorated into a scripted mess plastered with pre-scripted scenarios and meddling by producers. One variety show producer from a major broadcasting network said, “Since the content needs to be fun to increase viewer ratings, we often pre-plan specific concepts or suggest ideas to the cast before filming. There was even a time when we filmed a scene where the star coincidently met someone as they were walking by, but this was actually a staged scene made for promotional purposes.” It has come to the point where even the viewers now know that reality TV shows are scripted to some extent, and this makes it harder for them to feel any intimate connection with programs of this genre. Moreover, broadcasting networks exaggerate provocative scenes or even intentionally stage them to increase ratings. For example, dating programs feature scenes with couples being overly affectionate toward each other or scenarios where there is friction between the cast. In programs with the theme of taking on challenges, scenes where the cast are injured or have to partake in dangerous tasks are emphasized. Deok-Hyeon Jeong, a pop culture critic, said, “We need to take a step back and look into how realistic these ‘reality’ programs truly are. Now that cast members of such shows have become aware of how they will be viewed, they often try to act in artificial ways to maximize publicity. Reality show producers need to return to their roots and overhaul the planning process before reality TV loses its merit even more.” Intentionally staged scenes adversely impact viewer faith and trust, resulting in viewers turning away from this genre entirely.

Then, to what degree should staging be allowed in reality entertainment? A certain level of editing and production input (i.e., music, subtitles, special effects, etc.) is necessary to make shows more enjoyable – however, they should not be used to make the shows more provocative or disingenuous. Korea’s broadcasting regulations specifically state that “programs must deal with facts in an accurate and objective manner and must not confuse viewers by broadcasting unclear details as fact.” Because reality shows tend to have long filming schedules (sometimes over 20 hours per day), the content and material need to be interesting to catch the attention of viewers. However, the problem arises when the content becomes increasingly dishonest and provocative over time. While this approach can produce results like higher ratings and increased popularity, it does not change the fact that it is wrong. Kim Seong-su, also a pop culture critic, expressed his dismay for modern reality production practices. “It is true that as long as there are writers working on variety programs, scripting cannot be completely expunged. However, this is completely different to showing something that isn’t true in the first place through acting and editing. A show that does so has abandoned any sense of basic trust and has turned its back from the core identity of reality entertainment,” he criticized.

No one can deny that reality TV, which should be about showing viewers a realistic story, has fallen a long way from its glory days in the past. If shows begin scripting scenes just to increase ratings, then reality shows will lose their unique qualities that made them attractive in the first place. Therefore, it is important for reality programs to return to their roots and focus on providing honest and natural entertainment. Viewers want programs that are not overly provocative and are relaxing to watch. We hope that the essence of reality entertainment can be rediscovered so that viewers can return to enjoying fun and interesting television.