Negative Effects of Stereotypes in Reality Television Programs

Reality television programs are shows that are un-scripted and usually have casts of people that aren’t very well known. These shows may seem like harmless entertainment, but they can actually cause harmful stereotypes. Stereotypes like aggression, racism, and sexism are some that have all been noticed on many of these shows. The stereotypes created can cause harm to a person’s mental health. Reality television shows can show an aggressive side of people and can cause dangerous stereotypes.

Reality television shows are known for having aggression in them weather it is verbal, physical or relational.

Reality TV mostly have verbal aggression. Verbal aggression comes up in a lot of shows but it is more exaggerated in this particular type of program. “Programs will show higher levels of verbal aggression that expected” (Coyne). Verbal aggression comes up the most when watching reality television. Verbal aggression consists of arguments and bullying. The television show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is one of the shows that has this characteristic.

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Although it isn’t used very much on the show people out there when thinking of middle-class white families, because of this show refer to them as white trash (Massey). This show has caused a stereotype without even trying. They are just being themselves and happen to have a show but some person in this world twisted it around and turned it into something negative. Watching people show verbal aggression can cause viewers to act in an equivalent way.

Physical aggression is one of the stereotypes that isn’t very accurate for reality television.

Some people on these reality TV show physical aggression by throwing stuff. Actions like physical aggression shown on television can be harmful to young people. “For example, Huesmann, Moise-Titus, Podolski, and Eron found that the TV violence viewed during childhood predicted aggressive and criminal behavior in adulthood” (Coyne). This mean that when people are older, and they think this is how people solve their issues they are more likely to use the physical aggression. With how much physical aggression is on television and not just reality TV it is hard to keep young people from seeing. The Gypsies from American Gypsy shows are criticized for being verbally and physically captured (Pusca). People are stereotyping Gypsies based on their show they make it seem like all of them are physically and verbally abusive, and that can be harmful to their community. It can also be harmful for their close communities like the Travelers because they are similar to Gypsies, but they don’t want to appear in a negative way.

Relational aggression shown on reality television is usually about arguments and cheating. In many cases the verbal and relational aggression works together although Sarah Coyne says, “televised relational aggression is portrayed more subtly than physical violence, however it appears that it still has an effect of viewers behavior” (Coyne). Fans that watch this shows that have relationships falling apart or just unhealthy relations are more likely to be in a situation like that. It is stereotyped as normal now that bad relationships are all over reality television. On shows like Are You the One? I would consider that to have some relational aggression because everyone is on there to find love but, on that journey, they usually end up cheating or just having unhealthy relationships. Shows like that aren’t good for the youth to watch because we normalize so much that this could be harmful in real life relations.

It was found that some people think reality television is harmless entertainment that doesn’t cause stereotypes. However, it is hard to get data that proves that to be true. When looking over data it seems that stereotyping is dangerous, and that reality television causes a lot of stereotypes. “For those who have missed this fine media offering, a carefully selected hunk of a guy-in the most recent case, Aaron- is presented with a Harmen of 25 also carefully selected young women, all slim, all conventionally pretty, and most blonde” (Douglas). This quote explains a stereotype brought up on the reality television show The Bachelor.

This stereotype of the ‘perfect’ woman may be dangerous for women who aren’t confident. It can cause depression to people who think they will never have a significant other because they don’t fit that category. People say that reality television shows don’t have stereotypical racism either. In contrast reality television editors can be racist and have racist people on the show. “Black men are shown as either angry and violent, lazy and stupid, or sexually aggressive and dominating” (Darling). The editors showing only the bad side of these men can cause a stereotype of them being mean, lazy, or dominating. Reality television has a few bad ways of showing who people are racist and causing them to earn a stereotype.

The effects that stereotypes can cause can be very serious to a person’s health, and it is harmful for them in many ways. “The impact of negative stereotypes is undeniably harmful for the individuals that are targeted by them” (Burkley). This can cause serious problems with certain people and their mindsets. Stereotyping people can cause them to have symptoms, “these include depression, poorer recovery from illness, and a host of physiological impairments” (Burkley). Stereotyping is bad for people’s health. I think that reality television shows can create dangerous stereotypes for people on the shows and the culture they come from. Jersey Shore creates stereotypes for all Jersey instead of just making a stereotype for themselves. They refer to south and north Jersey which makes people believe that all people living there are just like them or similar.

Reality television has the ability to stereotype so many communities and large majorities of people because they are casted all over the world. The stereotypes can be caused by the cast, but they can also be caused by the editors and what they decide to put on the show. Reality programs create many stereotypes on the shows because they are so popular. For example, Jersey Shore they always go out drinking, partying, and sometimes getting into arguments or fights. The people on that show don’t actually just do that stuff all the time, but the show makes it seem that way. Which can be harmful for the people of Jersey because they are stereotyped as partyers and problem causers.

All in all, my view on this subject is that people on and people around the areas where reality tv shows are filmed can be put into a dangerous stereotype that can lead to many issues in their lives. Although reality TV can seem harmless, when looking at the data and the issues that can be caused it could be dangerous for the viewers or people on the shows. The take away from this is to think about the effects of stereotypes and the issues that can be cause. This is a big problem in this world and it needs to be changed.