Paper Example on Modern Television Culture

Introduction

In the contemporary world of social networking, change is inevitable and is part of every societal development. Increased media awareness, such as the presence of numerous television shows, has dramatically contributed to the cultural change in both positive and negative ways. Various individuals in the society may perceive the emerging trends as alien depending on their age groups. Today, television programs allow celebrities and icons to portray their most intimate and personal lives on air. One example is The Real Housewives of Atlanta that airs on Bravo TV in the United States. Russel Baker stated that misery no longer enjoys company; instead, it insists on it. In the light of this statement, one may critic the television programs as luring people into emulating celebrity lifestyles, which are sometimes characterized by misery, irresponsible intimacies, and scandals.

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Russel Baker's Quote Meaning

Russell Baker's quote "Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists upon it," focuses on shedding light on how people impose their misery on others to try to influence them to perceive life in a negative way. In this context, people search for like-minded friends with whom they can indulge in pessimist and harmful lifestyles since they have each other's approval. Typically, miserable people are pessimists who dwell on problems rather than find solutions.

Additionally, they are the society's poison since they complain and attack positivity and happy people. They belittle other people's effort in life by terming them as hopeless to demotivate them. Miserable individuals aim at downgrading others to their level of sorrow to feel good about themselves. For example, TV shows like American Idol will allow people to belittle young talents to discourage them and develop a negative perception towards their dreams.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta Reality Show

The Real Housewives of Atlanta is an American reality show, which focuses on the personal lives of affluent women in Atlanta, Georgia (Hersh, Cohen, & Weinstock, 2008). It airs on Bravo television channel. The women lead luxurious lives, which are recorded live and scenes revealed to the public. Notably, the show reveals the women undertaking luxurious activities such as, plastic surgeries, dancing, working out, and shopping. It also encourages celebrity gossip and centers its focus on the women's professional and love lives. In the US, the show has a considerable influence since its premiere in 2008. Most of the fans are married women and young girls who aspire to become successful and live like their favorite icons in the suburbs. Television stations also use the programs to spread emerging trends across the country and influence people to lead a certain way of life.

The participants of The Real Housewives of Atlanta perceive themselves as the ideal wives in the country. They believe they are the best role models and everyone should emulate their alien culture to fit in modern society. The media provides them with the opportunity to campaign for their ideologies. For example, in the above reality series, participants encourage others to undertake plastic surgery for beauty purposes since the media honours and appreciate such practices (Hersh et al., 2008). Therefore, they do not shy away from displaying the most intimate aspects of their personal life, such as sex and romance. Notably, they seek the public's attention to maintain their relevance in the media industry. Typically, intimate scenes will attract the youth's attention and critics from various institutions. However, unlike in the past, today, they seek the critics to remain relevant and trend more in social media platforms. They think their riches justify their poor behavior and dwell more on the feedback from like-minded citizens.

Why People Are Willing to Put Themselves on Display

Participants of reality shows are eager to put their personal lives on the screen to gain empathy and initiate cultural changes. They are icons and enjoy tremendous support from their fans across the country. They are likely to develop a sense of self-pity if they do not succeed in keeping their fans entertained. Therefore, they capitalize on the public's appetite to know about their personal lives (Kim & Song, 2016). Luckily, the media is quick to provide them with the opportunity. Additionally, celebrities brag on social platforms when they pioneer a particular trend, fashion, or behavior. Thus, they will reveal parts of their daily activities to lure their followers to engage in the practices.

Moreover, the media has become more profit-oriented and lost control of the country's cultural values. People born in the early twentieth century find it challenging to consume current television contents. Television stations have discovered that intimate scenes and excess romance attract viewers' attention; therefore, they capitalize on the opportunity (Kim & Song, 2016). Additionally, with the emergence of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, the youth can identify, rate, and recommend exciting television shows to their friends. The situation gives a significant amount of pressure to media houses who opt for controversial programs to increase their popularity.

Why Americans Care about Media Occurrences

Americans care about occurrences in the media since they have a huge appetite for news concerning celebrity lifestyles. Many Americans desire to emulate their icons regarding fashion, language, and culture. According to Chen (2016), the phenomenon is as a result of Para-social relationships, which provide relief from difficult real-life experiences. In this case, individuals share the emotions and interest in television personas who are unaware of their existence. Moreover, the American culture is built on sharing stories for psychotherapeutic benefits. When individuals share their experiences, challenges, and success with others, they appeal for sympathy and empathy.

Eras in America's Television Industry

In the past, television programs in the United States were ideal for family entertainment. The aired shows were culturally sensitive and conserved good moral behaviors. Many of the shows aimed at educating the masses on issues, which affected the society and how to maneuver them. For example, favorite stations would air environmental and wildlife documentaries, which improved people's comprehension of their surroundings. Notably, television was used for education and entertainment purposes.

Secondly, in the golden age of television, people were entertained by morally upright shows. The scandalous nature of entertainment present today was not available. For instance, reality shows accommodated societal icons who were heroes in their fields of expertise, such as surgeons. Significantly, program directors ensured that all shows had controlled levels of romance and intimacy, which was tolerable in the community. Noticeably, they did not portray nudity or dwell much in personal lives; instead, they emphasized general entertainment and societal development.

Conclusion

Overall, change is inevitable in society. As a community develops, its cultural aspects change to accommodate emerging trends and practices. Today, media personalities share their personal lives uncontrollably to gain popularity and initiate cultural changes and trends. While the pattern may be alien to specific age groups, it may be acceptable in the modern era. It is incumbent on media consumers to choose their contents responsibly.

References

Chen, C. P. (2016). Forming digital self and parasocial relationships on YouTube. Journal of Consumer culture, 16(1), 232-254.

Hersh, G. Cohen, A., & Weinstock, S. (2008). The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Atlanta, Georgia; Bravo.Kim, J., & Song, H. (2016). Celebrity's self-disclosure on Twitter and parasocial relationships: A mediating role of social presence. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 570-577.