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Since the 90s, reality television has captured the attention of viewers of all ages. From MTV’s The Real World (1992) to “Bachelor Nation” (the official monicker of the Bachelor Franchise given by its producers), the genre has managed to rapidly evolve and somehow stay the same.
Unlike traditional scripted media, most reality television keeps its content in bite-sized formats — generally wrapping up storylines within a singular episode or season. This format allows viewers to decompress and engage as little or as much as they see fit. The effort the viewer must give is low, yet the entertainment factor is high.
The marketing of reality television as “reality” as well as its promotion of parasocial relationships fulfills the voyeurism that both cinema and television foster. So what is it that keeps these fandoms thriving? Does it have to do with the content of these shows? Or does it have to do with the glimpse into what is perceived as the personal lives of the celebrities featured?
Reality Television’s Parasocial Relationship
From screen to page to meet and greet, the entertainment industry thrives off of creating parasocial relationships between the viewers and the stars they watch. As fans, we feel like we have a specific understanding of who the people are that we spend our time watching; this feeling has been amplified by the pseudo-accessibility social media provides us.
Where one used to have to rely on articles and broadcasts about our favorite celebrities, social media has allowed us to hear directly from those stars themselves on a regular basis — and for those that don’t have an active social media presence, we have fellow fans that share their own stories and encounters.
With traditional scripted media, oftentimes parasocial relationships start with a character rather than the actor themselves; from there, attention may turn toward the actor that portrays the character or may simply fizzle out. We often see this with characters such as Eddie Munson (Stranger Things — 2016-Present), who captured the viewer’s hearts in Season 4.
Immediately following the season, the Eddie craze ran ramped across the internet and everyone fell in love with Joseph Quinn, yet, since then, there has been very little mention of the actor. When it comes to reality television, however, from the start of the parasocial connection the viewer is already creating a relationship with the person beyond the camera.
Reality television, in theory, cuts out the need for outside sources like social media or third-party interviews because the personality that has caught our attention is simply themselves. Take Dance Moms (2011-2019), for example, where viewers formed strong opinions about Abby Lee Miller and the moms on the show; often questioning their character and morals as people rather than just on screen. When someone is drawn in by a character first, it allows for a separation between the actor and the character they portray.
During his run as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014), Neil Patrick Harris played a womanizing, conniving businessman and he played him well. Just one year into this role, Harris came out publicly through an interview with PEOPLE magazine, separating himself from the character of Barney.
Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsay has maintained a reputation for being no-nonsense, brash, and at times downright insulting, all personality traits that have his fans — craving more of his content. This comparison is in no way meant to villainize or criticize Chef Ramsay as it is abundantly clear that his personality is often made larger than life for television, as made clear by his interactions with the child contestants of MasterChef Junior (2013-present).
However, if his personality is amplified for television, do we assume that for all reality television personalities as well?
The Impact Of Reality Television
Alongside the beginning of a new parasocial relationship, a sense of loyalty is established. Likely this is where merchandise sales come in, this is especially true for scripted traditional media such as movies and television. In the case of reality television, however, it becomes about establishing or furthering the brand.
Chef Ramsay
As mentioned previously, Chef Ramsay, with the sale of his many cookbooks, the patronage of his restaurants, and the viewership of new shows all benefit from the parasocial relationship his fans have built.
These elements are not crucial to his success; the fanbase that Chef Ramsay has gathered from reality television is supplemental to his success as a Michelin Star Chef. That is not the case for every reality star who has become a part of mainstream media. When building an empire from the ground up as a reality star, a strong fanbase and proven loyalty are imperative.
Kylie Jenner
At twenty-one years old, Kylie Jenner became the youngest self-made millionaire to date, thanks to her brand Kylie Cosmetics. Prior to the creation of Kylie Cosmetics, Jenner was best known for her part in Keeping Up with the Kardashians (2007-2021), alongside her sisters Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner. The show quickly became, and stayed, a cultural phenomenon until it ended in 2021.
It served as a catalyst for the Kardashian-Jenner family’s rise to fame and ultimately gave Kylie a boost when starting her cosmetic company.
Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio
Comparatively, there are reality personalities such as Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, whose brand is completely themselves. In 2006, Devenanzio appeared in MTV’s The Real World: Key West, followed by MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel that same year. Since then he has competed in twenty-five seasons of The Challenge and won seven of them, all while building up a reputation for being a “villain.”
While not as widely known as Ramsay or Jenner, in the realm of reality television, he is considered a household name for better or for worse. His success and devious reputation have earned him a spot in E!’s House of Villains (2023), runner-up in Season 19 of Worst Cooks in America (2010-present), the title of host for NBC’s 1st Look (2008-present), and his own podcast Death, Taxes, and Bananas (2021-present).
Additionally, he sells videos on Cameo, recently opened up a boxing gym in Boca Raton, Florida, and markets his own merchandise line.
Character Versus Reality
On the subject of villains, scripted media has no shortage of morally gray protagonists, most of which are often at the center of fandom culture such as Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time 2011-2018). Despite their transgressions, they capture the hearts of fans around the world and bolster a thriving online community that usually outlasts the lifespan of the media they originated from.
Characters such as Hannibal Lecter and, eventually, Will Graham (Hannibal 2013-2015) received their fair amount of positive attention from the masses during the run of their show; in comparison, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) received backlash when a select group of fans started lusting over Evan Peters in the role of the titular serial killer.
So — when should we hold someone on our television screen accountable for their actions?
What Are The Ethics Of Portraying Characters?
When watching reality television, the personalities that we see on our screen are presented in a way that implies they are not a character… they are simply themselves. And while most of these personalities have not committed murder, we believe the ‘Hannibal versus Dahmer’ comparison still applies.
As society has evolved, we have become more socially conscious and have begun consuming media differently than we once had. Simply look at Will & Grace (1998-2020), in the first run of the series Karen often made blatantly racist jokes that never would have aired in the revival.
Similarly, MTV’s The Challenge (1998-) frequently had contestants who used racial and homophobic slurs with no repercussions. With this in mind, should we be holding reality personalities more accountable for their actions than we do the writers and fictional characters in scripted media? Do we choose to separate on-camera actions from those away from the camera, the same way we do Evan and Dahmer? Does ‘good’ entertainment outweigh morality, rights, and personal values?
Actor & Character Separation: “In The Name Of Entertainment!”
As we take a look at accountability within the media, it is important to note how we separate the character from the actor. When a character does something deplorable, it is taken at face value and written off as entertainment.
So long as there is a counterbalance to offensive actions, we as viewers will often continue to consume the television show or movie without pause. If the offensive or deplorable action comes from an actor or director outside of film or television, however, it is not uncommon for viewership to falter and the piece of media to lose its support and fanbase.
How does this balance out when considering reality television?
Big Brother (2000-2023)
In season 25 of Big Brother (2000-2023), contestant Luke Valentine was removed from the show barely a week into the season after using a racial slur. His actions went against Big Brother’s code of conduct, which has a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech. Viewers applauded the production for taking action and wholeheartedly agreed with Valentine’s removal. During this same season, Jared Fields used a slur when referring to fellow houseguest America Lopez, insinuating that she had a developmental or intellectual disability.
Notably, Jared was part of the season’s ongoing twist, and removing him from the house would have rendered the twist moot as well as possibly placing a target on the other houseguest involved in the twist, his mother Cirie Fields. Whatever the reason, despite his openness about having used the slur, production allowed him to continue to play the game with no repercussions and went against their own zero-tolerance policy they had enforced earlier in the season.
Since leaving the show, both Valentine and Fields have insisted that those actions are not indicative of who they are as people outside of the show; however, contestants of television shows like Big Brother are selected for their personalities and how they would fit into the experiment.
Popular Culture At The Crossroads Of Reality Television
It would be fair to say that reality stars have significantly more influence on society than scripted media does. We have been given the ability to take a glimpse into their perceived personal life from the moment we meet them, it gives viewers a sense of comradery and makes us feel as if we know the person we are watching. When one of these stars starts a clothing or cosmetic brand, tries out a new craft, or opens a restaurant they have a preconstructed fanbase ready to support their endeavors.
If we held reality stars to the same standards we do other celebrities, there simply would not be much reality television to consume. Often, reality stars have a way of flying under the radar when it comes to issues that society would normally seek answers from traditional celebrities. Rather if it is because we see these stars as nothing more than characters or because we believe they are exactly as we see them on television, there doesn’t seem to be as much of a need to gain further insight into their minds or beliefs.
While we often look for accountability in the people we surround ourselves with, reality television seems to miss the mark. The escapism promoted by reality television would be diluted by seeking accountability from these people who market themselves as just people who happen to be on television; no longer making it low-effort television for the viewers.
