Reality TV (Video)

This is a safe space, so you can be honest. How much reality television do you watch? Some Real Housewives here and there? An episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians every few weeks? Every single episode of Survivor as soon as it airs?

Or maybe you're like us and the answer is "all of the above and then some." We're starting to feel like we need an intervention.

Eh, we'll just watch some Intervention instead.

Although most people don't take reality television seriously, it has existed in some form or another since the 1940s, firmly establishing it as one of today's dominant art forms. You heard us: we said art. By the end of these fourteen video lessons, we'll prove that reality television is just as worthy of critical analysis as the latest Coen brothers flick or Kendrick Lamar album.

• Get the inside scoop on how reality shows are made and whether or not they're real.
• Find out what life is like for people who find fame on reality TV.
• Investigate the history of reality TV and understand how it has reached its present form.
• Dive into the minds of the audience and learn what makes reality TV so compelling.
• Discover the many ways we can interact with media, like ironic consumption.
• Understand reality TV within the context of pop culture.
• Define literary terms like "trope" and "motif" and understand how they apply to reality TV.
• Compare and contrast reality TV with other literary genres.

Here's a sneak peek at a video from the course. BYOP (bring your own popcorn).

Unit Breakdown