Welcome!

This is our blog for the media literacy project we are creating.  We chose to analyze MTV reality TV shows, particularly Teen Mom, Pimp my Ride, I Used to be Fat, My Super Sweet 16, The Real World, Pranked, Jersey Shore, and The Buried Life.  The following is our blog analyzing these shows, and their influence on middle school students.  We discussed with each other, our peers, and young adults how these reality shows might affect this age group, and what messages MTV seems to be sending by airing them.  Each blog entry discusses a different reality TV show, and what messages it may send to young adults.  The general thoughts section is a summary of all of our thoughts, and the consensus we came to about MTV reality TV shows.  Please read the comments as well as the posts, as we commented on the shows that others watched as well.
Thank you, and enjoy!

Kyla, Ashten, Tammy, and Deanna

General Thoughts

Who is the intended audience?

· Overall, we discovered that both females and males are targeted. Various shows definitely attract more of a particular gender, but due to sexual content, there are many instances where both groups would easily be interested.

· Ages: 11-25 (Young teens and adults)

· Naive youth that don’t understand the difference between reality TV and lived reality.

· A lower socio-economic class, since these are the teens that are unable to live the lifestyles portrayed in these TV shows, but really want to since it's something they don't currently have.

What are the shows saying to teens?

· MTV as a whole is essentially making an assumption that young adults are immature and don't require much depth in the shows they watch.

· Foul language is an appropriate way to communicate, or to express your emotions (anger, hurt, anxiety...etc)

· Violence and cruelty is acceptable as long as it is perceived as funny.

· There are no responsibilities within life, and that you should just live day to day rather than working towards goals and a future. This can be seen in many of the shows through the cast member's work ethic; they come across as very "lazy people".

· Teens should have a sense of entitlement, meaning that they deserve everything they want when they want it.

· Image is everything! So, in order to 'liked' and excel in life you need to have a great physique, perfect hair, and stylish clothing. It's no longer about what's on the inside...

· Popularity is crucial, which means you need to have a lot of friends to be accepted and to be considered "cool". It's now the quantity of relationships that matter, not the quality of relationships.

· Promiscuity is now acceptable. Being faithful to one person has now become overrated, and having unsafe sex with numerous partners is now a more enjoyable way to live.
Drinking substantial amounts of alcohol is good for you, especially when it comes time to improve your social status.

Are teens able to access and understand these life styles?

· It is extremely easy for teens to access the shows (TV and Internet), but not an easy obtainable lifestyle due to the fact that most families don't have the financial resources to maintain these particular lifestyles. So for teens, it provides them with a constant feeling of worthlessness since they want to live the way the people in these reality shows live, but it just isn't realistic for their family. The sad thing is that, these shows make it look like these lifestyles are easy to attain since they get whatever they want, whenever they want; 'normal' teens begin to question why they aren't able to live in the same fashion.

· Teens don't have the experience necessary to know that these lifestyles are not only unrealistic but they are unhealthy, and aren't able to see the consequences involved. It is extremely rare to find one of the cast members ever admit to their mistakes, and what consequences they faced. So, teens may act the same was as the characters in the show because they simply don't realize the impact of their decisions.

What types of behaviour do the shows advocate?

· Arrogance

· Entitlement

· Irresponsibility

· Spoiled/Over Indulgence

· Lack of self control

· Disrespect towards others

· Judgmental of others

· Gossip (usually hurtful)

· Malicious behaviour/Mean towards others

· Motivation to be the best you can be (sometimes through the wrong messages)

· Promiscuity: Unsafe behaviors (drinking, unprotected sex, ..etc)

Jersey Shore

Well the Jersey Shore phenomenon began on the evening of December 9th, 2009 with 1.375 million viewers, and it has increased dramatically from that point, and still continues to attract viewers. Today, it is considered to be the most viewed series on MTV! The show follows the lives of eight roommates who have spent two summers at a Seaside Heights beach house in Jersey Shore, and a winter in Miami Beach. Their lives are completely dedicated to two "crucial" things, like partying and attracting the opposite sex. It is a reality show, since cameras follow their every move, and absolutely none of it is scripted. This is a bit scary because it makes you wonder if the people on this show are truly like this, or are they putting on "a show"... Nonetheless, this lifestyle is catching on alarmingly quickly, and real or not in the show, it is becoming a reality in our world!

The current cast consists of Deena, Jenni (J-Woww), Mike (The Situation), Nicole (Snookie), DJ (Pauly D), Ronnie, Vinny, and Sammi (Sweetheart). These cast members are of Italian decent, and claim that their show finally unveils the amazing lifestyle of the Italian-Americans, known as the "Guido", in this area. However, there has been a huge amount of controversy from the true Guido people because they don't actually live the way the people in the show do, and find it to be quite offensive. However, this show has also received other controversial reviews from other sources like parents and teachers.

After watching a single scene from this show, you will understand what all the controversy is about. The cast members are in their young twenties, however their actions are being viewed by a number age groups, including teenagers! Unfortunately by watching shows like this, teens are beginning to believe that their lives are going to be as dramatic and exciting as the lives on Jersey Shore if they live the way they do, but don't understand that it's an unhealthy and an unrealistic way to live. For example, parents usually raise their children in a respectable manner with a focus on abstinence, or at least refraining from intercourse until they are truly in love with with the other person. But on this show, the cast members are sleeping with a new person almost every night! So, teens are watching this, and suddenly everything their parents have taught them about safe sex is no longer applicable because the people on Jersey Shore look like they are having a great time, and are not facing any consequences either. So... who's beliefs are they going to follow now; their parents, or the Jersey Shore cast?

Here is an introduction to the show that can be found on MTV's website:

"Grab your hair gel, wax that Cadillac and get those tattooed biceps ready to fist pump with the best this summer at the Jersey Shore. MTV's newest docu-soap exposes one of the tri-state area's most misunderstood species, the Guido. Our Guidos and Guidettes will move into the ultimate beach house rental and indulge in everything the Seaside Heights, New Jersey scene has to offer. Beach by day, dancing and partying all night. They'll live, work, and rage together until the summer ends. There's no spray tan too orange, no hair too spiked, and no bod too tight for this crew. "

So, what is Jersey Shore saying to teens? Well, essentially that life is all about partying and having a good time, and there should be no other responsibilities. It is quite clear that the cast members have an unlimited income that comes from their parents, and their salary from the show because they buy whatever they want, whenever they want. They have absolutely no work ethic and are horrible employees, which can be seen in any of the scenes when they are working at the "Shore T-Shirt Shop" (working at this store is a requirement to be on the show). This show tells teens that it is okay to have poor work ethic, party all night, dance in disrespectful ways, drink large quantities of alcohol, have unsafe sex, cheat on your boyfriends/girlfriends, fight with your roommates, lie to your friends and family... and the list goes on. There really isn't any good lesson that can be learned from watching Jersey Shore, and it's a little frighting how popular this show has become amongst teens. Teens are of course watching this show, and convince themselves it's okay to act this way with no idea of the consequences involved.

The cast members in Jersey Shore make everything they do and buy look great, so teens are wanting anything and everything to do with Jersey Shore. Not only are there iPhone Apps, their slang is also catching on in everyday society. Words like grenade, which means an "ugly girl", and GTL, which means gym tanning laundry. The lifestyles in Jersey Shore are quite easy to obtain, understanding it is a whole other story. As I have already mentioned, the teens watching the show are unaware of the consequences, but choose to live the same lifestyle because it looks so good! No where on the show are the cast members listing the consequences for their actions, or telling the teens watching them that acting the way they do is not healthy!

Of course the show is aimed at various age groups that range from about 11 to 25. It targets both females and males due to the 4 females and 4 males on the show. An episode has an equal balance between males and females, so both genders remain interested. It is important to note that when a female watches the show, not only is she "checking out" the males for obvious reasons, but she is also looking at the females, and essentially seeing what criteria is needed to attract the opposite sex. Suddenly, being yourself is no longer acceptable, now in order to meet a guy, a girl needs to be tanned, have hair extensions, have breast implants, have flawless skin, and an "hour glass shape"!

There is no question about whether or not the cast members "defy authority"! They show absolutely no respect to themselves, or to the people around them. They are loud and obnoxious and behave in every way that we have learned to be unacceptable throughout our lives. Unfortunately teens, and are future students are watching this show and saying, "hey that looks really fun, I wanna live like that!"

I Used To Be Fat!

Now moving in a completely opposite direction from Jersey Shore to I Used To Be Fat! Yes, the name is a little dramatic, but it is actually a pretty decent show that teaches teens the importance of living healthy, which is definitely not the purpose of Jersey Shore!

It premiered December 29th, 2010, and is slowly gaining popularity. It is series that follows overweight teens through their process of losing their unwanted weight by following an effective diet and exercises. Each episode follows one teen who is teamed up with a personal trainer, who helps them to follow their new lifestyle, motivates them, and provide them with emotional support throughout the journey. Throughout the episode, the teen documents their personal thoughts, and shares any struggles and successes they are facing. Most episodes focus on the teen's last summer before beginning college. It's great this this show is showing teens the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, but at the same time... shouldn't we just be teaching students that it's what on the inside that counts, and that physical appearance doesn't matter. Of course we want our kids to be living a healthy lifestyle, so eating healthy and exercising is crucial, which is demonstrated on this show. However, it seems that there is more of a focus on one's physical appearance and how it will help to attract the opposite sex or to be successful in life.

By reading various blog posts, we discovered that many teens and parents consider this show to be very inspiring. It makes sense that it considered to be inspirational, since teens can watch the show and see that it's never too late to make a change to their physical and emotional health. For teens that are not overweight, it reinforces the importance of living healthy, and I think create a sense of compassion since they see what those teens go through on the episode, and will probably be a lot more understanding towards them in the future. It is safe to say that this show targets both females and males, and focusing on the age group of 13 to 18, which are the years of middle school and high school. I think the show intends to target those teens that are struggling with weight issues, but targets a wide variety of body types. Of course no matter what the body type, the teens are learning about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, which is good. It's just important that teens understand that physical appearance is not everything... and I don't think that this lesson is sticking out in their minds.

So what is the message of this show? As already mentioned, this show is telling teens that living healthy is important. A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by eating nutritious and exercising on a daily basis. However, the message from this show is a little bit skewed because it teaches teens that physical appearance is everything, and that their lives will be miserable if they don't change their lifestyle soon. Yes, it's important to eat healthy and workout to remain healthy, but it seems that the show is a little unrealistic in this area. The teen is working out about 4 hours per day, and not allowed to eat any "treats". In my opinion this teaches teens that in order to be healthy and look good you need to completely dedicate yourself to it, and this lifestyle is not realistic, especially with how busy teens are today. Of course it is important to remember that teens don't necessarily control what they eat, they eat what their parents cook them, and they can't really go to they gym unless their parents are driving them there or buying them their gym membership... so maybe this show should be more directed at parents instead of teens!?

The healthy lifestyle that is promoted in this show is definitely attainable to an extent, but the show exaggerates the process somewhat. I think teens may struggle to understand the real reason for living a healthy lifestyle. The show clearly focuses on the importance of looking physically good, and makes a very little effort to discuss the emotional benefits.

I don't think the teens featured in the show either respect or defy authority. Their only concern is working to improve their body so that others look at them differently. They constantly make comments on the show about their appearance, and they feel that's the reason why they don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It's quite sad how our society has made teens feel that appearance is everything! So yes, at first glance, this show seems great... but when looking more into it - it's pretty clear that it's sending teens a skewed message and once again, it's not what on the inside that matters anymore!

Teen Mom

Leah, Kailyn, Janelle, and Chelsea, the four young women struggling to figure out their lives with their babies, all the time being filmed. These ladies aren’t much older than the audience that is viewing Teen Mom, if they are any older at all. The show follows the lives of four young girls that were previously on the MTV reality show, 16 and pregnant. Now they have had their babies, and are working on their relationships while trying to care for their children. There is a wide variety of people that watch this show, but young adults are definitely the target audience, likely girls in particular. With these middle school aged kids watching shows such as Teen Mom, it makes you wonder if this show was created purely for entertainment, as a warning to young adults to practice safe sex, or if there is some other purpose altogether.

This show has a few things about it that the average viewer might find a bit odd. The first one is the lack of airtime the babies get, I mean isn’t this show supposed to be about girls’ struggles to raise their children? The second is the huge amount of airtime the boyfriends/ex-boyfriends/“baby daddies” get. Teen Mom has a bad habit of focusing on relationships, instead of on the kids. It seems that a middle school student viewing this show will likely pick up on this, and may come to accept the idea that a mother’s relationships with others, men in particular, is more important than their duties to raise their child. In reality, the child obviously needs its parents more than the mother needs a boyfriend, and the child should be the first priority of both parents, but Teen Mom seems to endorse a different concept altogether. Some of the parents in the show do make their children a priority, which is good to see, but it is generally only the mothers that are in a stable relationship that are putting their children first. The concept that a woman needs to first find a man to take care of her and her children before she can properly care for her children is without a doubt encouraged on this show. Should young adults, girls in particular, pick up on this concept at a young age, it will definitely hinder their ability to be independent as they get older, and come to have children as well.

One of the most concerning things in Teen Mom is how easy they make having children seem. If a young boy or girl is watching a show like this, they are only seeing one side of things, because the TV show seems to edit out parts that make parenting seem difficult. I cannot remember seeing a baby having a fit even once, the parents at their wits end because they don’t know what to do. This message that is being sent to young adults with this kind of editing is completely skewed, and dangerous even, because it gives them the idea that parenting really isn’t that difficult, and that if “those girls” can do it, then I can too. The mothers on Teen Mom do have great support systems, and rely on them very heavily, but it is edited in a way that makes that seem completely natural and normal. It is my understanding that although new moms definitely do rely on their families and support systems, they generally don’t, or can’t, rely on them in the way that the young girls on this TV show do. It all just makes parenting seem too easy to a young audience, which has the opposite effect on them that most people would hope it would. If this show is intended as “birth control” for a young audience, then it definitely needs to make a few changes.

My Super Sweet 16

This MTV reality show profiles extreme sweet 16 parties. I say extreme due to the outrageous nature of the parties, as well as the gifts these kids are receiving. MTV, however, describes it as a way to see "what it's really like to turn 16 these days." Are you kidding me?? Does this mean that kids watching this think that this is what they deserve simply for surviving 16 years of a pretty cushy lifestyle? Maybe if they had managed it in Rwanda or somewhere they would have real cause to celebrate.
The episode that I watched is "Margaret Ann's Carnival of Delights". It features Margaret Ann, a spoiled rotten beauty queen whose divorced parents give her everything she wants, including a BMW convertible and over $1700 worth of clothes in one shopping trip. She decides to have the biggest party South Carolina has ever seen, complete with a live band, acrobats and an extra party simply to hand out the invitations to those who work for it and don't have a chance of showing her up on her big day. Even that isn't enough for this princess, she gets her parents to hire a limousine to take her and her friends for custom made designer dresses for the big event. During the party she whines and even starts to cry because she's tired of people taking her picture. She cheers up though when she sees the brand new Hummer and matching jet ski she is gifted by Mom and Dad.
This show (at least this episode) is mainly aimed at teen girls , with the pretty dresses and beautiful girls. Margaret Ann repeatedly describes herself as "perfect", which to me is dangerous for girls to be watching. With the epidemic of body image problems and eating disorders in North America I don't think we need more shows featuring blond, skinny bubble heads as an image of perfection. The entire show is shallow, focusing on money, glamour and beauty as things to strive towards. I don't think this show either deserves or receives any respect, its not entertaining, no values are shared (at least not any worth sharing) and nothing is learned. What I don't understand is why anyone would watch it. The show is easily understandable, even by my youngest daughter. What isn't understandable is why anyone would choose to watch it. At least the majority of today's teens have a better understanding of what's important than Margaret Ann does. They may even be more intelligent than the producers who thought up the idea for the show. As my 13 year old daughter said as the show ended, "I can't believe I just wasted 30 minutes of my life watching that!" I completely agree.
My Super Sweet 16: Official Site

The Buried Life

For this assignment I chose to watch "My Buried Life" on MTV. I chose this one after a little bit of research on Wikipedia. I chose this one because it seemed a little more family friendly than some of the other shows (my TV is in the middle of my living room and I have younger kids) Wikipedia describes the show as a "flagship reality program that will usher in MTV's shift away from the superficial content currently dominating the network's programming." I totally agree that this is needed, so after reading this, I prepared myself for a enjoyable viewing experience. What I got was a surprise. The basic premise of the show is that 4 guys in their 20's are trying to cross items off a 100 item list of things they want to do before they die. Along with crossing an item off their list, they also try to do sometihing meaningful for someone else on each episode. The show features Canadian content, as the boys are from Victoria, BC. The episode I watched ("Escape From a Deserted Island") featured the boys being dropped off on a tiny deserted island in the South Pacific Ocean. To cross the item off their list they had to survive, and get off the island within 5 days. Each boy was allowed to bring only 1 item from home (they chose a machete, a pot, flippers, and a head lamp) and the clothes they were wearing. I quickly realized at the beginning of the show that my family friendly idea was about to take a hit. There were too many beeped out F-bombs to count, and one of the guys spends most of his time on the island wearing nothing but skimpy white briefs.
The premise of the show implies some really great values for middle school kids. Themes of doing things for others, being true to yourself and trying new things are all messages that some kids really need to hear in our self-absorbed society. The show appears to be geared towards 14-20 year olds, of both genders. Guys would be attracted to the list, which features some pretty crazy things (Go down a mountain on a long board anyone?) The girls would probably like the guys themselves; they are attractive and funny. The show is easily accessible to kids, it airs weekly on MTV. I think it would appeal to the "bad boy/girl in kids....they are doing things that people talk about but people rarely do in real life. Despite being touted as a move away from the superficial, many of the items on their list are just that. Things like making a million dollars and throwing the "most badass party ever" are hardly things that will change the world. There are some moments that are good, however. The boys do try to help others, from building a skateboard ramp for a local skate park to helping to rebuild a church that was destroyed by a hurricane. Unfortunately these moments on the show are tacked to a 1-2 minute spot at the end, almost as an afterthought.
All in all this show was marginally enjoyable to watch. Given the synopsis I had read prior to viewing, I was disappointed. I think the show is a great idea that falls short of its intentions and ends up not much different than most of MTV's reality fare.
The Buried Life: Official Website