Pop culture is described as the muse for fads and trends that erupt in American society. Reality TV, however, has done so much more for popular culture than create short-lived popularity for fashion and styles of music. It has produced legendary musicians, comedians, and has changed the lives of a multitude of people. Reality TV has been around much longer than popular belief. The Miss America Pageant was first televised in 1955 and can be considered a reality TV show because the contestants modeled and responded to questions in an unscripted fashion and the winner gained instant national fame and recognition. Because there are so many subgenres, viewers may not realize that they are actually watching reality TV. Talk shows, game shows, and dating shows, all fall under the genre of reality TV.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, currently hosted by Jay Leno is a late night talk show that has been on the air since 1954. Shows like these have provided entertainment for over a half a century by hosting guests who normally perform lines written by professionals, and bringing them into a more authentic environment so the audience can get to know the person behind the script. Oprah Winfrey, now a household name, began her rise to fame on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1986. In 1993, she hosted an interview with Michael Jackson, “The King of Pop” which at the time was the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever (1). Not only did this interview allow the public to see Michael Jackson in a way they had never seen him before, but it also increased Oprah’s popularity dramatically. Since then, Oprah has hosted some of the most famous people involved in American pop culture today. Today, Oprah has such influence in the lives of Americans that the power of her opinions and endorsements has been named “The Oprah Effect” (2).
Another person who has taken advantage of the talk show genre of reality TV is Judson Laipply, an American comedian from Lakewood, Ohio. His popularity rose substantially through viewer ratings and comments on his youtube video “Evolution of Dance”. Though his popularity was sparked by youtube.com, his interview on the Oprah Winfrey show earned her stamp of approval and therefore, “The Oprah Effect” was put into place. Despite his fame throughout the United States Judson did not become an actor, or singer, or the star of his own reality TV show. Instead, he used his fame to propel his occupation as a motivational speaker at high schools and Universities across the nation. Since his first video, Laipply has released another video, “The Evolution of Dance 2″, and been referenced to on the hit TV show “The Office”.
Although reality TV has been around for over fifty years, the current format didn’t become popular until 1999-2000 with the hit show “Survivor.” Game shows such as survivor placed contestants in abnormal situations and gave them a task to complete. From Survivor, several other shows of this format were developed such as “Fear Factor”, “The Mole” and “The Amazing Race”. With the increased popularity of reality television came the birth of hit TV show “American Idol”. Currently on its tenth season, American Idol has produced stars such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks all of who are still very popular members of the music world today. American Idol, however, was not the first show of this format. “Star Search”, a talent show hosted by Ed McMahon from 1983 to 1995 found several of today’s most popular talents such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Ray Romano and Dave Chappelle.
In today’s society, there is a large population of people who look down on the genre of reality TV, referring to it as “trash”. When referring to “The Flavor of Love”, “Jerry Springer” and other mindless entertainment, this may or may not be true. However, the majority of reality television either brings an already famed person into the public eye to be seen as their true selves, such as in the show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” or it brings a nobody from rags to riches. In the Case of the show “Jersey Shore”, Mike “The Situation” Sorentino made over $5 million last year through endorsements, an exercise video, and $30,000 per episode of Jersey Shore. Recently he was featured on the roast of the “King of New York” Donald Trump. Whether or not reality TV is a good or bad thing, it has monopolized the influence of American pop culture today.