Reality TV does more good than harm

First some framework We would like to start with definitions Reality Tv- television programs in which real people are continuously filmed - Oxford Dictionary Standard Weighing Mechanism We would like to set the standard as society Since reality TV can either do good or harm society, we believe that the team that improves society should win today's debate With that said, we have a few main arguments 1. Economy Reality TV stimulates the economy The Reality TV industry produces a stimulus for the economy. "If I pay a reality star 1/50 of what I'd pay Johnny Depp, my return is going to come back much quicker," said Mark Young, a professor at USC's Marshall School of Business. Judge, this is obviously a huge good that come out of reality TV. CNN reports that reality TV decreases unemployment rates in the US. "Career Makeover, a new series that promises to tap into the frustrating low points of millions of today's out-of-work and underemployed Americans. The show will give viewers something that's perhaps more telling than the government's eagerly-awaited monthly employment report." According to Washington Post, winning big on a reality television cooking show has helped catapult the careers of even established chefs. As Geoffrey Zakarin, a food network iron chef, stated "TV is the gigantic tide that lifts all boats" Advertising is also a huge factor since Tens of Millions of people watch reality TV- TIME Advertising....as most know occurs during the show in the middle of small breaks between the show. Heres the twist. Reality TV has advertising inside the show. New York Times---->It is typically easier to weave a product into an episode of a reality show like "American Idol" or "Survivor" than into a scripted series like "Grey's Anatomy" or "Two and a Half Men." Lets give an example. Lets say there is a family in a reality tv show using a vacuum cleaner. The actors in the reality tv show would compliment the cleanliness of the vacuum cleaner and this is a form of advertising. Oregon State University----> 23 million tuned in "Multi-Millionaire" and 51 million watched the finale of "Survivor". This was an advertisers dream. This is why we see advertisers paying $2.1 million for sponsorship on "The Mole" The initial "Survivor" sponsors paid $4 million but "Survivor 2" price tag jumped to $12 million (Friedman, Harsh ‘Reality,' 2000:4 & Grover, Off the Island, 2000: 48). How do the networks benefit? CBS collected about $52 million in advertising for the initial "Survivor" (Grover, Off the Island, 2000: 48). ABC's "Millionaire" brought up it's operating income by 33% (Lacter, "Blair Witch TV, 2000:64). The impact is that reality TV not only creates jobs and boosts employment rates, but it also boosts the economy and businesses through advertising. 2.It helps society Reality TV is an easy way to make money and stimulate the economy. It costs very little to run and It is cheap. It gives oppurtunities for many of the unemployed. As we said in our 1st contention, Career Makeover is giving oppurtunities. We have to take advantage. These shows teach others how to do different things. For example, Yankee Workshop teaches about building and constructing. American Idol and America's Got talent shows the love of music. The Impact is that If you lose, you got an opportunity and if you win, you win an oppurtunity. According to Martha Airth-Kindree, executive director of the Mile Bluff Medical Center Foundation, "Scores of people have been inspired by "The Biggest Loser". " The popular reality television show is the inspiration for a new weight-loss program in Juneau County According to an article written by Dr. Michelle Golland, a mental health professional, she believes that reality tv can be a good thing. As she states in her article, the shows "Intervention" and "Obsessed" bring us into the lives of people suffering with mental health problems, drug and alcohol addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. "Intervention" helps treat people who seek help on the show and also pays for their treatment, which many of them may otherwise be unable to afford. It also allows us to witness the damage inflicted on every person in an addict's life and the devastating impact on them. This show can help those who view it to realize they need help, or encourage a family member to stage their own intervention with the help of a professional, which they may never have had the courage to do until watching it on TV. "Obsessed" is a painful display of people who have severe anxieties and are seeking treatment for them. The impact is that Reality TV helps society by helping the economy, teaching different things, inspiration for better health, and showing the world the lives of those with health problems.