Bryce Ball
Speech Outline #2
Pros and Cons of Reality Television
Introduction
Attention:
(Visual Aid- Game where I show class 3 pictures and they guess what show its from) So
what do these three pictures have in common? They are all reality television shows
Motivation:
Today, reality television is very popular and it is important to know whether the
information you are watching is either healthy or unhealthy for you.
Thesis:
This speech will inform you about the positives and negatives of watching reality
television.
Overview:
To begin, we will first look at the brief history of reality television. Then, we will move
on and examine pros and cons of reality television.
(Transition)
To understand the positive and negative effects of reality television, we must first look
at its history.
Body
I. While many know what reality television is, not many know where it derived from.
A. According to an academic journal entitled Perceptions of the Authenticity of Reality
Programs written by expert Alice Hall, “in the beginning, reality television first started off
as news programs and documentaries.”
B. With the invention of reality television, people stopped acting and began just being
themselves.
C. Moreover, people stopped acting in sitcoms and started to become reality television stars.
D. Throughout the years, the growth of reality television has caused reality television to
become its own genre of television.
E. Today, reality television programs do not focus on the content or setting where a program
takes place, but rather the real life interaction.
(Summary)
As you can see reality television has evolved overtime and is now an important part of
our daily lives.
(Transition)
Reality television has become an important part of our daily lives because many people
support the idea of reality television.
II. After knowing the history of reality television, it is easy to see the many advantages that reality
televisions can provide.
A. First, reality television gives people a way of seeing others who they can relate and interact
with.
1. Reality television shows real people in real situations and many of these situations are
so common that people can relate with the character in the show.
a. For instance, people that have trouble finding a romantic relationship can see a
show such as the Bachelor and relate to the person who is struggling to find a
partner.
b. Some reality shows also deal with the danger and importance of different jobs. And
since many of television viewers are working-class citizens, viewers seem to enjoy
and relate to these kinds of shows.
2. People can also interact with reality television characters by voting on programs like
American Idol and Dancing with the Stars on their favorite person, and subsequently
determining the outcome of the show.
B. Another positive that many say reality television provides is that it has the ability to inform
the viewers on a variety of topics and perceptions.
1. According to Alice Hall, who I already mentioned was the writer of an academic
journal on reality television, “…they have the potential to inform audiences about a
variety of topics, including the way people behave and interact with each other.”
2. Real people are used in reality show instead of actors and that gives the viewer
authentic feelings the person shows throughout the show
3. Reality television also tries to use real situations to see how people interact with tough
issues.
a. For example, MTV’s True Life has shown drug use on its show which helps see how
people fight addiction.
b. In addition, MTV’s World of Jenks has shown how people interact with people that
are homeless and Autism.
C. Last, reality television is that it provides viewers with pure entertainment that they enjoy.
1. People like to see others people lives and are curious about them.
2. In addition, also according to author Alice Hall, “Viewers are given an opportunity to
vicariously engage with the show by anticipating, interpreting, and second-guessing the
casts’ decisions and behavior.”
3. Reality shows are also full of drama which people like to be a part of.
4. Last, reality shows give something everyone has in common and something they can all
talk about.
(Summary)
As you can see there are many positives of reality television.
(Transition)
While there are some positives of reality television, there are also an equal number of
negatives of reality television.
III. Even though reality television does provide some positives, many people feel that there are cons to
reality television.
A. Reality television shows, especially today, involve the high consumption of alcohol and the
use profane language that may influence those who watch.
1. First, alcohol is seen in almost every reality television show.
2. In one study on substanceabusepolicy.com, the official website on substance abuse, a
table shows that 7 out of 10 reality television shows have a scene with at least one
alcoholic drink in it.
3. As well, drinking on reality television is shown in a positive light and it makes it look cool
to do, which in turn encourages people to drink if they want to be cool too.
4. Besides the heavy use of alcohol, reality television today has a high usage of cursing
which can easily be seen by young children and can influence the children to use such
language.
B. Another negative effect of reality television is that reality television has become very violent
and shows that fighting is just a part of life.
1. According to article written by John Corky, who is a respected writer, in the New York
Times, “there is an average of five violent acts per hour on prime time television.”
2. Reality television makes it seem as if violence is a normal thing to do
a. For instance, on many shows a person assaulting another person is seen as
something to laugh about, when in fact it is highly illegal.
b. In addition, reality television lives off of drama and fights bring drama. Therefore,
reality television shows highlight and focus more on fights to get higher viewer
ratings. But showing fights more often, fighting look like a normal thing to do.
3. According to the journal Does Reality Backbite? Physical, Verbal, and Relational
Aggression in Reality Television Programs, which was written by Sarah M. Coyne,
Simon L. Robinson, and David A. Nelson, “TV violence viewed during childhood
predicted aggressive and criminal behavior in adulthood.”
C. Finally, many critics feel that reality television shows display inequalities between men and
women which hurt the development of women equality.
1. Reality shows show the problems of the different gender roles in the world.
2. Many of the women on reality television shows are shown in a specific gender role.
a. Women are seen on reality television shows as the caretakers or the damsels in
distress.
b. For example, on the Bachelorette, women are competing for one man’s heart to
which they need to win so they can marry and live happily ever after.
3. Women on television are also shown to be very promiscuous.
a. And since women are not supposed to be more promiscuous then men according to
our cultural norms, their promiscuity is highlighted more than the men on the
shows.
b. In a magazine article on reality television, acclaimed Time Magazine writer James
Poniewozik quoted James Steyer, who is the author of the book the Other Parent:
The Inside Story of Media’s Effect on Our Children, to saying, “It’s often women
degrading themselves. I don’t want my 9-year-old thinking that’s the way girls
should behave.”
(Summary)
After hearing the evidence, you can see there are some negatives to reality television.
(Transition)
But after seeing both the positives and the negatives, one can see that allowing reality
television programs on TV is a very controversial issue.
Conclusion
Underview:
First, I discussed the history behind reality television. Then, I proceeded to give you the
pros and cons of reality television.
(Thesis)
Furthermore, this speech has provided you with both the positive and negative effects
of this controversial issue.
Last Thought: So next time you see the jersey shore, maybe you will think about both the positive and
negative effects of reality television has on the people who are watching.
Works Cited
Corky, John. “Call it TV, but Don’t Call It Reality: Is it Reality? TV VIEW.” New York Times (1923-Current
file) 15 Jan. 1984, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2007), ProQuest.
Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
Coyne, Sarah M., Simon L. Robinson, and David A. Nelson. “Does Reality Backbite? Physical, Verbal, and
Relational Aggression in Reality Television Programs.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic
Media 54.2 (2010): 282-298. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
Hall, Alice. “Perceptions of the Authenticity of Reality Programs and Their Relationships to Audience
Involvement, Enjoyment, and Perceived Learning.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media
53.4 (2009): 515-531. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
Poniewozik, James, et al. “WHY REALITY TV IS GOOD FOR US.” Time 161.7 (2003): 64. Academic Search
Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
“Table 1.” Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. Web. 19 Oct. 2010.
http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/content/2/1/6/table/T1.