Is it real, is it fake? Azkaa Chaudhry & Nikki Lau Writing 10, Section 15 Professor Patel

Culture: Reality Television Celeb-reality: shows that follow the lives of celebrities or for the purpose of creating celebrities due to their lavish lifestyles. – E.g. The Real Housewives franchise The women are not typically well known celebrities but gain “fame” post-production of the series

Problem  Not relatable  Sets unrealistic expectations for viewers  False advertising  Corrupts moral values

History 1970’s: documentary style shows with strong focus on individual experience 1980’s: introduction to modern reality show formula of putting ordinary people together and observing behavior over time 1990’s: beginning of non- linear editing. Makeover shows 2000’s: rise of the reality show networks: MTV, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, TLC and Celeb-reality shows: Laguna Beach, Real Housewives, etc.

Research During the 1980’s studies showed that viewers were hardly influenced at all by television In the 1990’s, Dr. Mark Harmon proved that with the change in programming also came a change in the affect it had on audiences

Research With the knowledge that television does in fact influence viewer behavior, Rebecca Glover and a few colleagues performed a survey focusing on children and adolescents Results: younger viewers perceive morals differently than adults – Because TV is so ubiquitous in the 21 st century it has the power to shape children's idea of what right and wrong are

Solution The Real Housewives franchise along with other celeb-reality shows should be mandated an additional behind the scenes episode showing all items and aspects of the show that were either given to the cast for free or constructed as part of production. In addition, every episode should begin with a disclaimer stating that some features are simulated or added for the purposes of the show.

CULTURAL PROBLEM

History Around since 800 B.C 4,000 years ago Over past 10 years, amount of teens getting plastic surgery has tripled. In 2009, more than 209,000 plastic surgeries for teens (age 13-19).

Research John Maltby study Teens brains are still growing, not fully mature yet. If teens do not accept the way they look, they might not be able to mature properly. Side effects

Research

Solution A person must be 18 years or older in order to get a plastic surgery purely for cosmetic reasons. Minors cannot get plastic surgeries for nonmedical purposes done even with parental consent. Class to teach everyone about Dangers.

Question Should the age stay at 18 since it is the legal age or should it be increased more, for example 21?

Works Cited Glover, Rebecca J., Lance C. Garmon and Darrell M Hull. “Media’s Moral Messages: Assessing Perceptions of Moral Content In Television Programming.” Journal of Moral Education 40.1 (2011): academic Search complete. Web. 9 Oct Harmon, Mark D. “Affluenza: Television Use and Cultivation of Materialism.” Mass Communication & Society 4.4 (2001): academic Search Complete. Web. 9 Oct Real-or-Fake. Digital image. Helping Grow Deep Faith Roots. Cory Nikkel, 19 Dec Web. 16 Nov Reality-shows. Digital image. Kamaria's Kiss. Adia Kamaria, 20 July Web. 16 Nov

Works Cited Celebrity Plastic Surgery: 8 People Who Have Had Extreme Operations To Look Like Their Favorite Stars. Digital image. Huffingtonpost.com. N.p., 24 Oct Web. 10 Nov Collins, Lois M. "Teens Turn to Plastic Surgery; Experts Tackle the When and Why. Deseret News. N.p., 12 Mar Web. 15 Oct Finney, Meg. Italy Bans Plastic Surgery for Minors: Step in the Right Direction, Yet Symptom of a Dysfunctional Visual Culture. Digital image. Endangeredbodies.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov Hartmann, Margaret. "Should Teens Get Plastic Surgery to Boost Their Self- Esteem?" Jezebel. N.p., 15 Jan Web. 20 Oct Maltby, John. "Celebrity Worship and Incidence of Elective Cosmetic Surgery: Evidence of a Link Among Young Adults." Journal of Adolescent Health 49.5 (2011): UC E Links. Web. 12 Oct "The History of Plastic Surgery." Plasticsurgery.org. American Society of Plastic Surgeons, n.d. Web. 10 Nov Wansbrough, Lianne B. Bodies under Construction. Digital image. Fazeca.com. Faze Magazine, n.d. Web. 10 Nov Zuckerman, Diana. "Home Health Resource Center Body Image Web Content Body Image Teenagers and Cosmetic Surgery." Ourbodiesourselves.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct

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