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The short answer to whether reality TV reflects reality is that no, it does not. Something is real only to the degree that what happens is not controlled by others, or that it is not under another person's influence. In reality shows, the contestants appear in a "reality" they would normally not find themselves in. Obviously what happens in real, but what the contestants do is not what they would normally do. Thus it can not be said to be realistic or to represent reality.

I remember one time a long time ago when I was swapping through the TV channels at home. I came across Big Brother and what I saw was grown ups playing the game Musical chairs. It looked as if the people in the house were having a good time. I guess I also did have fun the last time I played it. The difference is that I was probably 10 years old and they were adults. Since I became an adult, it did not cross my mind to suggest playing that game at a party. It is - after all - a game played (mostly) by children.

I may be wrong. It may be a popular adult game elsewhere. However, I do believe it only rarely is played by adults, and I think it can almost only happen on reality TV shows. Perhaps the contestants had something to gain from the game, or they had nothing better to do. Regardless of this, they were manipulated into doing something they would not normally do.

It could of course be argued that a constructed reality represents a reality. Being in a prison might be real enough, but you do live under the rules set by others. In that regard, it falls close to some television shows, such as Big Brother. The difference is of course that on Big Brother, everyone are able to leave that show when they want, although they have incentives to stay. This is a major difference between a jail and a reality show. In the first, you are forced to stay, while in the second, your choices are manipulated so you decide to stay, although it is not in your interest.

Very few would also be interested in voluntarily moving to an island, like the people in Survivor does. But yet again, there are incentives to do it, such as fame and money. This does not represent any reality the way I know it.

Looking at what actually happens in the shows, I see very little reality there too. I believe that if I was stuck on an island with strangers, I would not manipulate them, form a group and fight the others. I would not betray my friends and I would attempt to minimize the intrigues. My main interest would be that everyone should get along and that we should work together to secure our survival. My ultimate interest would be to secure my own survival, and for that reason, I would certainly not want enemies.

If I had been on Survivor, however, my interests would be different. I could think of only a few reasons to be there, such as money, getting an experience and testing my own mental strength. However, I would be compelled to compete, and I would be forced to think strategy. I could've been forced to betray friends and manipulate others. I could gain from others fighting, while I stayed out of it. My interest would not be to survive, because I knew that was no issue. For that reason, it cannot be reality. On the TV show, the Survivor is not the person who survives, but the person who survives the others. That's not reality.

Learn more about this author, J. Hoff.
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