Four Bites of the Real Effects of Reality TV

While on vacation, I FINALLY got to read Reality Bites Back the Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV by media activist and critic Jennifer Pozner.

I throughly enjoyed this book which reads as a 300 page expose on the underlying tones and effects of this genre of TV which has gained increasing popularity since the year 2000, thanks cheap & effective non-union programming

At times the book reads a bit severe BUT I quickly saw that this was a necessary “evil” used to counter the effects of a decade and a half, more or less, of the severe images TV execs and producers have been pushing in “reality” programming.

One of the biggest realizations I had while reading was seeing how even a smart and educated academic in training woman like myself has been effected by “unscripted” programming. I, like many in the US, vilianized Omarosa from The Apprentice Season 1. Reading this book I can see how much the TV execs/producers’ pushing of negative stereotypes about women of color is a problem.  I also realized that it is highly probably that I mostly saw Omorsa through their eyes as a Black female entitled diva and that’s the nice version of the summarization. An extension of this realization was my “dislike” of Yaya from America’s Next Top Model. Ironically, many aspects of her personality and her stance on many issues, the non-over -exaggerated TV versions, are closer to me as a Black woman of color born in the United States than not. Bite One.

Bites Two through Three are some of my favorite quotes in the book:

From a Section Titled “China Dolls, Dragon Ladies, and Spicy Latinas”

Second-cycle winner Yoanna House, named one of Latina magazine’s “It Girls,” notably avoided such typecasting [traditional Latina typcasting as "firey" and a "hoochie"]. Since she is fair-skinned enough to pass for white, the show chose to erase her hethnicity, playing into the standard Hollywood convention that positions Caucasians as the “default” American. Most viewers were unaware that she was half-Mexican. Instead, media outlets from NPR and Time Out Chicago to International Cosmetic News refer to Jaslene as “the first Latina” to win the sereis, an assumption ecoched by ATNM‘s fans.

From a Section Titled “Sex: It’s Only Okay if She Doesn’t Really Want It”

For a genre overflowing with casual sex, reality TV is surprisingly opposed to women’s desire. Looking the part of femme fatale is expected; acting the part will earn you a scarlet letter. We learn that women should be continually sexually available…so long as it is for a man’s pleasure, not their own.

From a Section Titled “It’s Not at All about Making Better Television”

In this “bold new era,” well-written TV fiction is more the exception (Mad Men, 30 Rock) than the rule. chasing Survivor-style ratings, networks give scripted series very little time to cultivate audiences, making it hard for new shows to survive. ABC yanked Sally Field’s drama The Court, about a female Supreme Court justice, after only three episodes; they let Geena Davis serve as Commander in Chief for only one season. Networks are not only decreasing the number of slots available for quality scripted programs (which, unlike reality series, offer union writers, crew, and actors fair pay and health insurance), they’re also slashing their budgets.

With that last quote, I have to say RIP Cashmere Mafia, Friday Night Lights, Lipstick Jungle, and Friday Night Lights

Basically, Pozner’s book really opened my eyes to a problem I began to see on my own prior to reading while giving me solid tools in addition to greater understanding so that I can counter the troubling messages reality TV is putting out there.

If you are reading this post, read this book, and don’t stop there. Share this book with the teens in your life and/or the big reality TV fans in your circles and homes.

To pick up your own copy or copies for others of this must read for men and women alike click here, follow the author on Twitter here and gain access to how you can combat mainstream corporate media’s slanted messages here.

-DNMP

NEW: The Edna Award $10,000 Award for a Young Woman Leader in the Social Justice Movement

Author’s Note: I heard about this new opportunity from a contact in my network. Feel free to share with others that you know. Also, the emphasis in this post is mine. 

*Press Release for Immediate Release April 19, 2011 Contact: Sarah Massey, sarah@massey-media.com 202-445-1169*

The Berger-Marks Foundation Announces The Edna Award $10,000 Award for a Young Woman Leader in the Social Justice Movement

(Washington, DC) — Today, the Berger-Marks Foundation announces a new award of $10,000 for a young woman leader in the social justice movement. The Edna Award will spotlight significant contributions to social justice and bestow a significant honor to a young woman whose leadership has already fueled social change. The Berger-Marks Foundation brings the benefits of unionization to women. The foundation is accepting applications online now through July 15, and the award will be presented in the fall.

The mission of the Edna Award: “The Edna Award is given to a woman who has made an extraordinary contribution to social justice early in her career. The recipient’s outstanding achievements to date indicate that her ongoing work will significantly improve the lives of working women and men.” The award is named after Edna Berger, the foundation’s namesake and an early organizer at The Newspaper Guild-CWA.

“With the Edna Award, the Berger-Marks Foundation is expanding its commitment to young women. We want to spotlight their important contributions to social justice,” says Linda Foley, President of the Berger-Marks Foundation. “Women are organizing unions; women are leading campaigns for universal health care; and women are demonstrating to young people what social justice means. Our vision for this award is to highlight one young woman’s remarkable work for social change.”

Women can apply for the award themselves or be nominated by others. The application requests a short essay, resume and two letters of recommendation from each nominee. All applications should be submitted online at http://bergermarks.org/news/2011/EdnaAward_apply.php Nominees must be 35 years or younger on 12/31/2011. Applications will be accepted through July 15 and finalists will be notified in August. Young women from labor unions, women’s groups, workers’ rights groups and other areas of social justice are encouraged to apply.

“The Berger-Marks Foundation and the Edna Award honor the vision of a social justice movement where all workers have an opportunity to lead. I encourage all young women to apply for this award and become involved in shaping a just future,” says AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler. Secretary-Treasurer Shuler is working to engage the new generation of workers both within and outside of the labor movement through the AFL-CIO Young Worker Outreach Program and its “Next Up Young Worker Summit.”

Last year, the Berger-Marks Foundation examined the relationship of young women to the union and social justice movements and issued a report, Stepping Up, Stepping Back: Women Activists “Talk Union” Across Generations. Among many key findings, the project identified the need to foster leadership development by creating pathways for new activists to move up the ranks. “The Edna Award demonstrates the Berger-Marks Foundation’s commitment to further engaging the next generation of social justice women leaders by creating a special honor just for them,” says Louise D. Walsh, Chairperson of the Berger-Marks Foundation.