Grade 8 Media Literacy – Week of 12/10

Reality television has slowly infiltrated our world. The reality is, reality TV has been a part of our lives since 1973 when “An American Family” first aired on PBS. (Variety) Not until the O.J. Simpson case, though, has this “unscripted” television format sinked it’s teeth into the American public’s consciousness and was catapulted into the main stream. What’s really made the difference in the gratuitous spawning and exposure of reality shows, like televisions most infamous “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” is the social media presence – the epitome of “reality” in this day and age. Not only does reality television saturate our airwaves, but it has infiltrated on the smallest screens possible, as well, through worldwide channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. Is it reality though? Or is it a farce played out in real time? Isn’t every cut of unscripted footage essentially a lie?

Here’s a fun little read from Vanity Fair that puts in perspective the reality of television media.