*This piece was taken from an essay I wrote for university which is why it might sound less conversational than most normal blogposts, but I thought it was an interesting topic so decided to post it anyway. Plus, it might be quite useful to see the types of essays you can be given while studying journalism at uni!*
Andy Warhol famously stated that: “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes” (Quoteinvestigator, 2012); a widely-used expression that certainly came true in contemporary society. Utilising Warhol’s predication of the transience of celebrity, this essay will allude to the ‘tabloidisation’ of the media, the phenomenon of reality TV and the relationship between reality stars and the press, to depict the impact these so-called ‘reality stars’ have on the mass media and the public.
Andy Warhol famously stated that: “In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes” (Quoteinvestigator, 2012); a widely-used expression that certainly came true in contemporary society. Utilising Warhol’s predication of the transience of celebrity, this essay will allude to the ‘tabloidisation’ of the media, the phenomenon of reality TV and the relationship between reality stars and the press, to depict the impact these so-called ‘reality stars’ have on the mass media and the public.
According to Chris Rojek’s fame taxonomy model, reality stars are classified as ‘attributed’ celebrities (Rojek, 2001). Often, these celebrities are known as ‘famous for being famous’ and rely on the sensationalised mass media to maintain public attention. For example, The Kardashians are frequently critiqued for being famous for no reason and persistently endeavouring to be in the public eye. Head of the Kardashian empire, Kris Jenner, admitted in an interview that when their television series Keeping Up with The Kardashians would be renewed, she would ask herself how she could double the fifteen minutes of fame into thirty minutes (Buzzfeed, 2015). This acts as evidence supporting the fact that attributed celebrities are aware that there is an expiration date on their fame and strive to maintain relevance; often by oversharing parts of their lives, such as Kim Kardashian’s wedding - manipulating the media into being an outlet for this (Buzzfeed, 2015).
(Turner, 2010) presents the view that the contemporary idea of what makes a celebrity, very much alludes to the criteria that makes up reality stars- whom acquire their fame through public interest rather than any special talent. Often this is short lived, and the periods of fame tend to be intense and saturated with media attention. Television shows such as Big Brother and Love Island are among the most common examples of ‘reality star factories’; producing attributed celebrities quickly. The desire for press attention would be logical for these celebrities, as attention from the press acts as a catalyst for attention from the public, thus, keeping the celebrity comfortably within their fifteen minutes of fame.
Often, reality stars are depicted as ‘D-List’ celebrities- a label that readily comes with negative connotations and adverse newspaper headlines attached to it. In recent years, the media has been accused of suggesting a “correct way for us to behave…as ordinary individuals” (Palmer, 2005). British reality television programme, Geordie Shore, has featured in headlines many times since it first aired in 2011, regularly being criticised by journalists, who accuse the show of encouraging the likes of cosmetic surgery, heavy drinking and more recently, labelling the fourteenth series trailer as ‘distasteful’ (Look, 2017).
However, some reality shows have managed to gain a positive reputation and relationship with the press. American television show RuPaul’s Drag Race, has increased the visibility of minority groups such as LGBTQ+ individuals (Edictive, 2013). The reality show is based on an art form with a rich history, therefore, although the entertainment value is well established, education is one of the main sub-purposes of the programme. Articles regarding the series are frequently filled with praise and support for the show. A piece written for (Teen Vogue, 2017), highlights the values at the heart of the series, stating that “education might be central to Drag Race, but it never feels like a boring college lecture”. Decades earlier, a lot of these individuals would not have been represented in newspapers, however, contemporary journalism has evolved to freely publishing this information in a positive light, due to reality shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Celebrity Big Brother winner, Courtney Act, would be depicted as an attributed celebrity. Although the connotations that come alongside this label are often negative, Act has used her reality stardom as a platform for educating her audience on LGBTQ+ topics, in addition to educating her fellow Big Brother house mates during the series. Courtney’s victory in the house is extremely significant and a representation of the shift in contemporary society with regards to the viewership, and the press as well- as even a few years ago it would be considered unthinkable that a Drag Queen would be so successful on the show. In fact, in a piece for (inews, 2018), a journalist stated that Act “turned Big Brother into a referendum on everything Britain thinks about LGBTQ+ equality”. Upon her win, journalists took to their computers to commend her. In an article for (Metro, 2018), Emma Kelly describes Courtney as “the most important Celebrity Big Brother housemate in years”. Typically, the contestants that have featured on Big Brother previously, have been reality stars from shows such as Ex On The Beach that create ‘showmances’ and conflicts. Unsurprisingly, Big Brother was written off by the majority as lacking the qualities of good television. With the entrance of Act into the house during year of the woman, Big Brother did the unexpected by giving the vital representation to the genderqueer community on a show where minority groups are often vilified (Metro, 2018).
It should be noted however, that although the popularity of conventional reality stars seems to have amplified recently, the origins of so-called ‘attributed celebrities’ date back to the 1940s (Rojek, 2001). Reality TV show Candid Camera, which first aired in 1948, is arguably the world’s first taste of reality television (Archive of American Television, 2013). The profound success of the show gave broadcasting networks the precious insight into what audiences wanted to watch- finding that the appeal of reality television is largely down to the viewer wanting to be “able to see themselves in what they were seeing on the screen”, giving the people in the television shows the ‘relatability’ factor- a notion that remains today (Edictive, 2013).
Occasionally, the press is blamed for portraying reality stars in a certain way. Jade Goody, a former Big Brother contestant, died of cervical cancer in 2009. She found out about her potential diagnosis whilst on Big Boss in 2008, when her doctor phoned her on camera. According to (Walter, 2010), the media coverage and representations of her public cancer battle, are extremely prominent. Many of the tabloid-style, celebrity magazines often had Jade on the front covers and focused mainly on the emotional pain rather than the physical pain she endured. Interestingly, in a feature for OK! Magazine, Jade spoke about the struggle of coming to terms with her own death, however, the page was dominated by an image of her smiling, seemingly relaxed with one of her children (Walter, 2010). This juxtaposition does not fit the stereotypical image of a person dying of cancer, who would usually look gaunt and frail. Images featuring Jade’s family looking visibly emotional, were often utilised more than images of Jade herself looking emotional. Consequently, despite her visible emotional pain back in 2008 on reality television, mixed messages were given to the public by the way the media portrayed Jade (Walter, 2010).
The reveal of Jade Goody’s cancer diagnosis did not come without its critiques from the media. (The Spectator, 2008) described the announcement as “tasteless” and a “new low” for television. The feature also states that Big Brother was a “comedown” for cancer. This alludes to the fact that stereotypically, cancer is illustrated as deeply serious and debilitating in film, whereas its feature on the show undermined its serious image (The Spectator, 2008). However, in contrast to this, many praised the public reveal of Goody’s cancer as putting the ‘reality’ back in reality television (Walter, 2010).
Increasingly over the years, the mass media is said to have undergone ‘tabloidisation’- a process that alludes to the idea of facts and accuracy being “sacrificed” for entertainment value and sensationalism (Turner, 2010). According to (Turner, 2010), reality stars are a fundamental facet to the new wave of celebrity journalism and have grown to dominate the tabloid newspaper market. Throughout the years, it has become noticeable that the tabloid press has shifted its agenda to focus more on celebrity culture and gossip than in previous decades (Gough-Yates, 2003, cited in Turner, 2010). (Turner, 2010) states that although the traditional components in a lot of magazines such as Hello, are maintained (beauty, fashion, advice columns etc.), they have been somewhat overshadowed by the celebrities that brandish the front covers. The public’s ever-growing appetite for reality star gossip, could be the direct cause for this so-called tabloidisation and perhaps, the direct consequence of the trivialisation of the press (Turner, 2010).
With regards to magazine culture, reality stars now dominate most tabloid publications- representing a shift in celebrity culture (Flowjournal, 2014). Coverage of the stars’ private lives offers public visibility outside of their shows. This has consequently “promoted the shift in the notions of private and ordinary within reality television” (Flowjounral, 2014). Arguably, MTV’s The Hills, was the first reality show to launch ordinary people into the world of celebrity. One of the stars of the show, Lauren Conrad, had her fame significantly heightened through coverage of her “real life” outside of the programme. Producers of the show tried to maintain Conrad’s relatability by editing out clips of the paparazzi. However, (Flowjournal, 2014) presents the notion that this balancing act is difficult, and that many reality shows must document the participants new found fame - redefining what “ordinary” truly is within reality television.
To conclude, in contemporary media coverage, reality stars dominate, and coverage of their private lives is on the rise. However, this can be a mutualistic relationship that increases readership for publications, and heightens the stars’ fame. In addition, reality shows such as Geordie Shore, often get a criticised by the press, however RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Courtney Act’s Celebrity Big Brother win, showcase the evolution of the press in terms of LGBTQ+ topics; something that certainly would not have been published when the likes of Candid Camera aired in the 1940’s. Finally, while reality television is not new, people becoming famous from them is certainly more of a modern-day occurrence.
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