Reality television has become one of the most popular and freshest trends in today's society, and it has become a common theme in American culture. I myself am a fan of reality TV like Real Housewives franchise depicting lives of wealthy women who live their fabulous lives in cities like New York and Beverly Hills. I am also a fan of the MTV's hit series Teen Mom that shows real life girls who became pregnant at a young age and shows them coping with the struggles of motherhood. No matter how arguably controversial these shows incite debate or how they are often perceived as a nuisance or incompetent in execution or production, the drama of the program is what keeps the viewers invested. Even though reality TV may or may not be a beneficial influence in today's society, viewers are constantly drawn to the drama, emotions, and explosive personalities, which the show introduces. Reality TV is so widely consumed by our generation because it gives viewers a way to relate and live vicariously through the celebrities seen on TV. .
Reality television has become a vast cultural phenomenon and it is one of the most popular types of television staples today. Whether it is seven strangers picked to live in a house or the trials and tribulations of the Kardashian clan, people really do love reality television and cannot stop indulging themselves in it and there is proof in the ratings alone. In Season 5 premier of the show Keeping up with the Kardashians, the ratings alone were over 4.7 million viewers just for one episode ("Naked Ambition: Why Are These Women Famous"? p.3). The history of reality TV didn't arrive in the last decade; reality TV has been around since 1948. According to author Megan Kopp the show called "Candid Camera " created by show runner, Allen Funt whose goal was to induce people to laugh on television (Kopp 11). The program used hidden cameras to film ordinary people who were duped with a prank, and the cameras filmed their reactions (Kopp 11).
