Reality Television Research Articles

Reality television and the politics of mass surveillance in channel 4’s Hunted

This paper is interested in representations of mass surveillance in Hunted, Channel 4’s reality tv series in which ‘ordinary British citizens’ roleplay as ‘fugitives’ that must evade surveillance and capture by ‘the state.’ Here contentious powers of state surveillance are mitigated by (a) the programme’s deployment of a myth of surveillance ‘symmetry’ and a ‘fugitive fantasy’ that obfuscate the racial politics of ‘being watched’ in a post-9/11 climate; (b) personal stories of contestants or ‘fugitives’ that enable a ‘therapeutic self’ that situates the mass surveillance experience as productive and transformative; and (c) the ‘gamification’ of surveillance itself.

Pursuing Ethnographic “Closeness:” A Reflection on Race, Reality Television Audiences, and the Focus Group Encounter

ABSTRACT Using fieldnotes and headnotes from a study I conducted on African American viewers of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta, this article evaluates the ethnographic potential of the focus group for audience studies researchers. In particular, I argue the focus group is a method that allows researchers to pursue “closeness”—a value ethnographers have long celebrated as essential for cultivating emic understandings of people and the lives they live. The article outlines two key strategies for achieving ethnographic “closeness” in focus group encounters – the construction of the focus group as a field site and recognition of the focus group as a point of access to the contexts audiences use to make sense of media texts. If properly executed, I conclude focus groups have the potential to effectively function as “safe spaces,” allowing participants to push back against damaging media representations and define themselves.

Family Aid in Finding Love Through Beneficial Impression Management on Reality TV: The Case for Representational Social Exchange

ABSTRACT Family aid in securing a romantic relationship is an important part of the process of relationship initiation. Such focused encounters may exemplify high levels of social exchange dynamics. Yet, not much is known about how friends and family can navigate the social exchange using various beneficial impression management tactics to successfully aid a loved one in securing a date with a suitor. Using five episodes from season seven of the South African reality dating show Date My Family, the study fills this gap by investigating how the motivational forces of social exchange help us understand the enactment of beneficial impression management on behalf of a loved one by family and friends with a potential suitor. Textual analysis of 15 family dinner dates suggests that both information management and behavioral aspects of beneficial impression management are indispensable in making a favorable impression on a suitor. Consequently, the higher the perception of a fair exchange, the higher the investment in the beneficial impression management by friends and family.

Mythology and Reality TV: Storytelling and Feminist Agency in the Ramayana and The Real Housewives

Mythology and Reality TV: Storytelling and Feminist Agency in the Ramayana and <i>The Real Housewives</i>

Elimination Games: The Global Rise of Military Reality TV and the Shaping of the Citizen Subject

The past decade has seen the global growth of military-style reality television programming. These programmes, produced by militaries themselves or through collaboration with the entertainment sector, have proven to be an effective and increasingly powerful public relations conduit. Our article offers a theoretical treatment of reality television, both the aesthetic modes by which it invites the viewing subject as well as the political economy of its use in public relations. These dimensions are explored through two case studies. First, we focus on the genesis of military-style reality TV in the United States, where, after 9/11, the US military seized on the genre to pioneer and field-test various themes in response to public exigency as the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq drew on. Second, we analyse the German military as both a latecomer and innovator to these new public relations endeavours. By reading the generic and aesthetic strategies in both cases, we argue that the genre’s public relations function goes beyond the immediate task of recruitment to cultivate civic participation in militaristic fantasies through a mediasphere rife with invitations to ‘go soldier’. Military reality TV, we argue, represents the militarization of civic identity and the gradual displacement of values from deliberative to authoritarian, cosmopolitan to nationalistic and diplomatic to combative. Jeux éliminatoires : L’essor mondial de la télé-réalité militaire et la formation du citoyen sujet

You better work! Drag queen performativity and visibility on #dragqueen TikTok

The 2000s brought the proliferation of drag culture in the United States with RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag brunches and drag cabaret performances. In addition to the televisual, specifically reality television, drag queens also have gained visibility on a plethora of social networking sites like TikTok. Moreover, TikTok has gained rapid popularity with young adults since its international inception in 2016. Given that a large majority of TikTok users are in a pivotal stage of identity development, it is crucial to explore and analyse how marginalized groups, such as drag queens, present themselves and who has visibility on the platform. By applying visual thematic analysis and quantitative content analysis to #dragqueen and #drag TikTok videos, I found that TikTok as a platform makes White femme drag the most visible form of drag, and hegemonic performances of femininity (which are racialized and associated with Whiteness) are more likely to gain higher levels of engagement.

Study of ‘Slow’ Reality TV Show: A Comparison Between China and South Korea

Study of ‘Slow’ Reality TV Show: A Comparison Between China and South Korea

IMPACT OF REALITY TV COSMETIC SHOWS ON BODY IMAGE SATISFACTION IN YOUNG WOMEN

This study is aimed at identifying the impact of reality TV cosmetic shows on body image satisfaction in young women and cosmetic surgery decisions. A total sample of 161 women and girls with cosmetic surgery decisions were selected from the government hospital surgery ward and from private clinics of cosmetic surgeons from different areas of Bahawalpur and Lahore by using purposive sampling technique. A correlational research design was used in this research. To investigate the impact of reality TV cosmetic shows on surgery decisions. A questionnaire was employed in the current research to collect data. Studies showed that there is a significant impact of reality TV cosmetic shows on body image satisfaction in young women and that their decisions are influenced by these shows and after watching these reality shows, the way they look at them changed. Keywords: Reality TV cosmetic shows, body image satisfaction, cosmetic surgery decision.

IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY TECHNOLOGIES, GAME SIMULATORS FOR FUTURE SPECIALISTS’ TRAINING

The article presents the outcomes of the research of virtual and augmented reality technologies percularities and the possibility of their implementation in the educational process. The main reasons and technologies of virtual reality in the field of information technologies are determined. The analysis of virtual reality programs has been carried out. To determine the relevance of the implementation of virtual, augmented reality and game simulator technologies into the educational process the survey was created by the authors and conducted remotely among the population of Khmelnytskyi region on the Google Forms. The results of the conducted survey suggest the answers to a number of questions, including whether our society is ready to implement virtual, augmented reality and game simulators into the educational process of future specialists’ training, as the field of virtual reality research continues to expand relentlessly, the integration of VR (Virtual Reality) with various areas of human life continues. In addition to the survey in Google Forms, a survey was also conducted to collect information about currently existing virtual environments, programs and game simulators that can be added to educational components or integrated into other educational systems not only in the field of education (Minecraft, Cooking Simulator, PC Building Simulator 1-2, Google Arts &amp; Culture). It is quite possible to integrate these simulators under the educational components of certain specialized subject areas. The conducted survey makes it possible to assume that users are already ready not only for the integration of virtual environments in the game sphere, but also for the full involvement of virtual technologies and game environments in the application of educational components. VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technologies are gaining popularity in cultural, educational, gaming, business environments and more. The disturbed issues are studied in education, which encourages a deeper insight into the essence of the processes that take place under the influence of the latest information and communication developments.

Revisiting “Celebrity, Social Mobility and the future of Reality TV”

Reality Television is a genre that is being watched by most young adults. The reality aspects of this genre make it unique and exclusive. Since it is an audio-visual based show it carries, visual appeal and has many other qualities that make it worth watching in the age of media saturation. This review paper trace in detail the assumptions made by early thinkers on Reality TV “Celebrity, Social Mobility and the future of Reality TV” written by Anita Biressi and Heather Nunn with special emphasis on how reality TV is affecting the broader viewing culture. Not only the arguments made by the researcher has been analyzed in connection with the 21st Century, these have also been contextualized with respect to the reality TV’s specific presentation and the celebrity culture that is dominating. Researcher has also analyzed the social mobility in the current age.

Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on the Caregiving Competence and Empathy of Caregivers for Elderly with Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aims. To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of virtual reality-based training of caregivers for the elderly with chronic diseases. Background. With a growing number of elderly suffering from chronic diseases, caregivers who lack the necessary caregiving skills and competence need practical training. Nowadays, virtual reality in training is a promising approach due to technological advancements. Evaluation. We did a comprehensive search in the following six electronic databases (Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, and CINAHL) from their inception to April 2022 for original studies. We searched clinical trial registries of Clinical Trials.gov, International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Registry, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), for clinical trials. Key Issues. 7610 searched records were yielded, of which nine studies (four randomized controlled trials and five nonrandomized controlled trials) met the eligibility criteria and were included with 1090 caregivers. There was a small but significant overall effect of virtual reality-based interventions on caregivers’ caregiving competence (effect size = 0.362, 95% CI 0.181–0.543, p &lt; 0.001 , I2 = 25.636). The subgroup analysis results showed significant improvement in caregiving competence in caregivers trained by the Dementia LiveTM program (effect size = 0.322, 95% CI 0.046–0.597, p = 0.022 ). Regarding empathy, we did not find a statistically significant overall effect. The subgroup analysis results indicated that caregivers showed improvement in empathy after exposure to the Into D’mentia program (effect size = 0.265, 95% CI 0.015–0.515, p = 0.037 ). Conclusions. Findings of our meta-analysis demonstrated that virtual reality could have merits for improving the caregiving competence of caregivers taking care of the elderly with chronic diseases. Implications for Nursing Management. Virtual reality may be a training alternative for caregivers to improve their caregiving competence. However, empowering the embodiment of virtual reality programs remains a technological challenge that needs to be addressed in the future.

‘Let’s go now to the difficult part of the day’: Judges’ mediatized identities in MasterChef Greece

Viewing the MasterChef Greece judges’ identities as mediatized, namely, as constructed via particular semiotic resources (linguistic, visual, spatial) mostly resulting from decisions made by the show’s production, we examine the communicative and social functions of the show as being a popular example of a reality TV programme. The judges hold a crucial role, as their assessment affects the subsequent development of the show. By adopting a micro-level discourse analytical approach, we focus on the analysis of two interactions, in which two different judge personas emerge, namely the ‘harsh’ and the ‘supportive’ judge. The analysis of these interactions indicates that the two personas serve the judges’ mediatized identities as both professional chefs (expertise) and TV presenters (suspense, viewers’ engagement). Yet, they are related to contrasting constructions of both the culinary (authority vs. mentoring, hegemonic vs. ‘soft’ masculinity) and the (reality) TV world (negative vs. positive emotionality). Both personas seem to relate to the broader Greek sociocultural context, such as the gendered ideologies and the politeness strategies prevailing in Greek society. However, while the ‘harsh’ judge persona reflects more overt and traditional forms of control and regulation, based on surveillance and suppression, the ‘supportive’ judge persona echoes the more covert technologies of governance of late modernity, based on self-reflexivity and emotionalism.

Editorial

Although they are ordinary and almost everyone has them, genitals are riddled with controversies, taboos and anxieties. Despite their social and cultural importance, genitalia have been left out of systematic analysis and research in the context of social sciences and humanities. They are most often positioned in terms of dualisms that create, support and strengthen social distinctions, hierarchies and asymmetries. Transcending the essentialist gender ideas and binaries attributed to human bodies opens up space for new understandings of genitalia in movement, transformation and transition. The key question is: how do culture and media intersect/work through genital transformations? The papers featured here provide inspiring, innovative and research-stimulating responses to the complex presence and representation of genitalia through various media (online forums, novels, video art, performance art, television drama, reality television, mainstream news, feature film and vlogs). Each paper, as well as the entire thematic issue, represents a contribution to the further development of genital studies and strengthens the multidisciplinary questioning of genitalia, power, gender, differences, transgression and resistance.

ID: 207542 Durable Chronic Low Back Pain Relief by RelieVRx, an at-Home Virtual Reality Program, 18 months Post-Treatment

Chronic low back pain (CLBP)1,2 prevalence is rising despite medical interventions. Access to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)3 4,5,6 is limited.7 On-demand immersive therapeutics provide home-based pain self-management. We tested the durability of CLBP reduction to 18-months post-treatment with RelieVRx, AppliedVR’s FDA-authorized solution for CLBP. RelieVRx is an 8-week, self-administered at-home virtual reality (VR) program designed to incorporate immersive therapeutics to build habits and behavioral skills for reducing pain and pain interference. It includes VR modules that incorporate principles and elements drawn from CBT, mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments for chronic pain.

Starboard by Nicola Skinner

Reviewed by: Starboard by Nicola Skinner Aaren Tucker Skinner, Nicola Starboard. Harper, 2023 [416p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063071735 $19.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063071759 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 4-6 Eleven-year-old Kirsten Bramble is a reality TV star, but her show has become less popular as of late, and it’s even had to change networks after Kirsten’s public outburst during a photoshoot damaged the Bramble brand. Her publicity team has a plan for damage control, but in the meantime Kirsten is still a kid in school on a regular field trip to visit the SS Great Britain. Like Kirsten, the iron ship was also once the nation’s sweetheart, but it has now been converted into a museum and permanently docked in Bristol—that is until Kirsten stumbles upon the captain’s cabin and a talking map that reads people. According to the map, Kirsten is quite lost, and before she knows what’s happening, the SS Great Britain is off on a voyage to find her. The only people on board are Kirsten, her former best friend, [End Page 337] and a crew of living mannequins all convinced that Kirsten is now their captain. This wistful UK import is a combination of James and the Giant Peach and Pixar’s Inside Out starring Kirsten as a reluctant adventurer surrounded by TV executive sharks who exploit and manipulate her. Accepting captaincy of the SS Great Britain helps Kirsten to reclaim the control that has been taken from her, and her coming-of-age is cleverly woven in with the steam ship’s background; an author’s note clarifies which parts of the ship’s history are fact and fiction. Skinner writes with a deep compassion for her characters—including the inhuman ones—and this remarkable fantasy remains grounded in dry humor and emotional truth. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Kirsten’s fantastical adventure on the high seas is a true treasure to read. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Intervention design in public health: adaptive messaging in the Tanzanian National Sanitation Campaign.

Few case studies exist in the public health or design literatures showing how to create national scale messaging campaigns in low-income countries using design processes. In this paper, we describe how we used Behaviour Centred Design to develop Nyumba ni choo, the Tanzanian National Sanitation Campaign. The process involved multiple iterations of ideation and filtration by professional creatives, government staff, academics and sanitation specialists to create a branded mass communication campaign, which was refreshed annually. The campaign was based on the insight that Tanzania is modernizing rapidly, with people upgrading their homes, but leaving their outside toilets in a 'traditional' state. Built around the 'big idea' that a household is not fully modern without a good-quality, modern toilet, the campaign employed reality TV shows, live engagements and mass and digital media postings, all targeted at motivating both the government and general population to improve toilets. The campaign has made toilets a topic of national conversation and has led to a major uptick in the rate of toilet building. Efforts to improve public health-related behaviour can be enhanced by using systematic approaches that build on available evidence, understand behaviour in its common settings, employ psychological theory and engage creative expertise.

Effects of Virtual Reality Program on Glycated Hemoglobin, Static and Dynamic Balancing Ability, and Falls Efficacy for Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: We aimed to confirm the effects of virtual reality programs used for patients with diabetes on reducing blood glucose levels and improving physical function.Methods: In this systematic literature review and meta-analysis, literature was collected from various databases for randomized controlled trials published in Korean, Chinese, and English by May 2021. The search yielded 1,243 studies. Eight studies were selected for the systematic literature review, and six studies were included in the meta-analysis.Results: In the eight selected studies, a non-immersive virtual reality programs were employed as the intervention method. The effect size of the virtual reality programs on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was -0.40, with no significant difference between experimental and control groups. The effect size on static balancing ability was 1.04, and the effect size on dynamic balancing ability was 2.39. The effect size on falls efficacy was 0.69, and all functional outcomes differed significantly between the experimental and control groups (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.05). A subgroup analysis of static balancing ability was performed according to the duration of the interventional virtual reality program. When the virtual reality programs lasting for more than six weeks, shows an effect size of 1.27 for static balance ability, which was statistically significant (Z=3.32, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;&lt;.001).Conclusion: Virtual reality programs for participants with diabetes did not reduce HbA1c, but improved balance ability and falls prevention efficacy. The virtual reality program is an effective method for diabetics to be interested and consistently self-care.

Eitzen, Fooling with the Amish: Amish Mafia, Entertaining Fakery, and the Evolution of Reality TV

No abstract available.

Effects of Dual Task Activity Using Virtual Reality Program on Cognitive Function, Activities of Daily Living, and Fall Prevention in Stroke Patients

연구목적: 본 연구에서는 가상현실 프로그램을 활용한 이중과제 훈련이 뇌졸중 환자의 인지기능과 일상생활활동 및 낙상예방에 미치는 효과를 알아보고자 하였다. 연구방법: 입원 뇌졸중 환자 20명을 대상으로 하였으며, 실험군 10명, 대조군 10명을 무작위로 나누어 연구를 진행하였다. 실험군에게는 Thera-trainer Balo를 사용한 균형 훈련과 함께 주의력, 기억력, 실행기능 등을 향상 시킬 수 있는 이중과제 프로그램과 전통적 작업치료를 제공하였으며, 대조군에게는 전통적인 작업치료를 제공하였다. 중재는 하루 30분, 주 5회 총 4주간 실시하였다. 연구결과: 중재 후 인지기능 평가에서 실험군과 대조군 모두 통계적으로 유의한 향상을 보였으며(p<.05, p<.01), 두 집단 간의 변화량을 살펴본 결과 숫자 바로 따라 외우기와 기호잇기 검사-A 항목에서는 실험군의 변화량이 유의하게 더 큰 것으로 나타났다(p<.05). 일상생활활동과 균형 및 낙상 효능감 평가에서 실험군과 대조군 모두 통계적으로 유의한 향상을 보였으며(p<.01), 두 집단 간의 변화량을 살펴본 결과 실험군의 변화량이 유의하게 더 큰 것으로 나타났다(p<.05, p<.01). 결론: 가상현실 프로그램을 활용한 이중과제 훈련은 인지기능과 일상생활활동 및 낙상예방에 효과적인 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구에서 제시한 프로그램은 추후 뇌졸중 환자의 재활치료에 유용한 중재 방안이 될 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dual task activities using virtual reality programs on cognitive function, activities of daily living and fall prevention in stroke patients. Methods : The study included 20 stroke patients randomly divided into an experimental group of 10 and a control group of 10. The experimental group. The experimental group received a dual-task program using Thera-trainer Balo for balance training, as well as traditional occupational therapy to improve attention, memory, and executive function. The control group received only traditional occupational therapy. The intervention was conducted for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Results : The results of the study showed that both the experimental group and control group showed statistically significant improvement in cognitive function assessments (p<.05, p<.01). When examining the changes between the two groups, the experimental group showed significantly greater changes in the DST-DF and TMT-A (p<.05). Both the experimental and control groups showed statistically significant improvement in activities of daily living and balance and fall efficacy assessments (p<.01), and there were significant differences between the two groups (p<.05, p<.01). Conclusion : The dual-task training utilizing the virtual reality program in this study improved the cognitive function, activities of daily living and fall prevention of stroke patients. These results are expected to serve as a useful guideline for therapists who wish to develop rehabilitation programs for stroke patients in the future.

It gets better when you fall in Love on the Spectrum

ABSTRACT Love on the Spectrum (2019–) premiered on Netflix in July 2020. The reality television show follows young autistic adults in Australia as they date, fall in love, and get married. I argue Love on the Spectrum (LOTS) ignores the marginalizing forces of ableist structures in favor of telling individual “supercrip” stories of autistic success that are grounded in heteronormative conventions of the romantic comedy genre. Specifically, I suggest LOTS sends a message to the loved ones of autistic people that “It Gets Better” through a classist and heteronormative narrative that suggests the problems of autism—familial dependence and being nonverbal—can be solved through heterosexual love and societal tolerance. LOTS erases queer identities (i.e. asexuality and bisexuality) to normalize neurodiversity and reinforce heteronormativity. The show calls on its presumed neurotypical audience to root for the “right” kind of autists — those who are palatable and place romance before personal interests—while problematically marking as strange and laughable autists who are too far removed from neurotypicality.