Reality Check

In a couple of decades, an entirely new concept of celebrity has been created: the reality star. 

Whereas traditionally, household names from America’s entertainment industry have always had clear claims to fame, such as Audrey Hepburn’s charming acting performances or Beyonce’s undeniable talent in music creation and performance, a new genre of household names is directly contrasting the path to stardom that past American celebrities have taken. Although reality television stars and singers or actors alike entertain American audiences, the “it-factor” of reality stars lies entirely within their ability to endure public scrutiny. 

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The first hidden-camera reality television series Candid Camera aired in 1948, an evolution of the previous radio broadcast, Candid Microphone. However, the development of reality television as we know it did not begin until the airing of An American Family. 

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First aired on PBS starting in the January of 1973 the television broadcast An American Family followed the lives of the Loud family through the course of seven months. The 12-episode broadcast became the US audience’s first encounter with the genre of family-focused reality television (Variety). According to The Washington Post, producer Craig Gilbert “knew that an accurate portrayal of an American family would shock audiences.” However, the innocent intention of capturing a “real” American family began the shift towards masochistic voyeurism that now defines much of reality television. Starting with the intention of capturing the family’s everyday moments, the show ends with the disintegration of Bill and Pat Loud’s marriage and Lance Loud’s coming-out in a time where homosexuality was still not popularly accepted. 

 

Following the airing of An American Family the concept of reality television rose in popularity, prompting the creation of shows like Big Brother, and eventually, the famed Keeping Up With the Kardashians. With each new addition to the trend of reality television, the shows became increasingly edited to increase the dramatics of each show participant. An American Family drew 10 million viewers with the drama of Bill and Pat Loud’s divorce as well as Lance Loud’s coming-out (Vanity). In 2018, the over-the-top dramatics of Keeping Up With the Kardashians captured the attention of 1.4 million viewers (Forbes). Reality television is not popular for its ability to capture reality, but rather its ability to capture the fantastical drama of real people. 

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Each season of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette series focuses on one bachelor or bachelorette respectively, as a group of eligible single women and men compete for their affections. The real-life romances of these contestants become the focus of the audience, and even after each season finale, contestants remain in the public eye for public consumption and judgment. In each season of Survivor, contestants compete to see who can survive longest in a secluded location for a lump sum of money. Similar to The Bachelor and The Bachelorette series, even after the season ends, contestants are under public scrutiny. Whether or not the reality stars respond well to the scrutiny is what defines their future popularity and celebrity status. 

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Where actors rise to fame for their ability to act and singers rise to fame for their ability to sing, reality stars rise to fame for their ability to be dramatic, and their ability to endure the judgment that comes with others witnessing their drama. 

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Sources
Gray, Tim, and Andrew Wallenstein. “PBS' 1970s-era 'An American Family' Was First Reality TV Series.” Variety, 12 January 2018, https://variety.com/2018/vintage/features/reality-tv-an-american-family-1202660360/. Accessed 5 December 2021.

Hathaway, Carter. “The surprising origins of reality TV.” The Washington Post, 8 November 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2017/11/08/the-surprising-origins-of-reality-tv/. Accessed 5 December 2021.

Richmond, Ray. “Timeline: 60 years of reality TV programming – The Hollywood Reporter.” The Hollywood Reporter, 28 September 2008, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/timeline-60-years-reality-tv-119972/. Accessed 5 December 2021.

Sampson, Issy. “What was the first reality TV show? | Reality TV.” The Guardian, 10 August 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/aug/10/solved-what-was-the-first-reality-tv-show. Accessed 5 December 2021.