“Stars are constructed, artificial images, even if they are represented as being "real people", experiencing real emotions.”
Talent shows have been around for years, and their popularity grew as they present the audience with what they want to see. One of the very first reality TV programmes to air in the U.K was Opportunity Knocks which aired in 1956. “The stars it launched over the years, included such luminaries as Little and Large, Peters and Lee” . The show promoted people of all talents and gave a chance for ordinary people to show off their extraordinary abilities. In recent years shows such as The X factor and Britain’s Got Talent have been extremely successful. The programmes give chances for people from the public to show off their vocal or other talents. But have these programmes helped to transform people’s perspectives of what a star should be? In this essay I will be answering the question: Do reality TV shows such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent challenge the concept of being a ‘star’? Why might this be so?
“Stars have a magical aura around them-a certain indefinable glowing something that mere mortals don’t have” . Stars seem to have an amazing charisma which normal individuals don’t have, this likability means people start to consider celebrities to be different from them. It seems that our perception of what makes someone a star has drastically changed according to many critics. Today’s celebrities are merely talentless individuals seeking fame according to piers Morgan who states in a Guardian article “Jordan, Jodie, Jade, Alicia, Tara, Lady Victoria ... the names trip off the tongue like Marilyn, Ava and Audrey. But none of them can actually act, sing, dance or write” . One of the most successful celebrities of the 1950s was Marilyn Monroe. The permissive society of that time, wanted to see someone who conformed to their ‘sexual’ expectations of a star. “In the fifties, there were specific ideas of what sexuality meant...and because Marilyn Monroe acted out those specific ideas...she was charismatic, a centre of attraction” .Marilyn Monroe acted in films, she famously sang to the president of America of that time, and she was also considered to be a model. She appeared on TV screens so often that she became an iconic figure and still remains to be. Similarly Elvis Presley became a phenomenon and was known as ‘Elvis the Pelvis’ for his gyrations. These celebrities were repeatedly presented on peoples TV sets, “through pin – ups, public appearances, studio hand - outs and so on, as well as interviews, biographies and coverage in the press of the star’s doings and ‘private life’” . Through interviews and TV appearances, the public gain more of an insight of the celebrity’s lives, this can make it easier for them to relate to the stars as they may gain some personal identification. On the other hand, comparing their own lives to that of the stars can also offer a sense of escapism to the viewers and therefore make them idolise them more.
The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, give a chance for normal people to audition in hopes of winning the show and achieve stardom. “Stars almost never wed or shack up with ordinary folk, and this only reinforces the “us and them” aspect of our relationship with celebrities.” Stars have always been segregated from the ordinary people, as audiences we see them as special people as they seem mysterious because we know little about them. However with shows such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, audiences are able to see that the resulting ‘star’ of the show is human like them. We then see them as “Complex, interesting “human beings” whose unique talents and gifts are accompanied by traits that are commonplace and familiar to ordinary people” . This then leads to people auditioning for the next series of the shows, as they see that they too can become an overnight celebrity. Susan Boyle, runner up of Britain’s got talent, caused hysteria amongst the viewers of the show, and also those who viewed her audition clips online. In her first audition, the judges and the accompanying audience laughed at her and a close up of Piers Morgan’s face shows him to be disgusted at Boyle. Alongside the shots of the audience laughing, the viewers at home immediately gain a negative perspective of Boyle. “One way in which ideology works through media texts is by the simple process of repetition. This is particularly true of repeated representations across media forms which can have the effect of naturalising a way of seeing an issue so that it seems that no other interpretation is possible.” With repeated shots of laughter, especially of the judges who are at the top of the hierarchy according to the mise en scene, viewers have no other option than to also accept these views and conform to the ideology presented.
However when Susan Boyle sang, people applauded her, close up shots of the surprised judges went on to make the viewers see that though someone may not look like a star they still can be. Amanda Holden said to Boyle after her audition “everybody was against you, I honestly think we were all being very cynical, and I think that’s the biggest wakeup call ever” . We are repetitively exposed to the same faces, with the petite figure, flawless skin and the amazing talent. Through repetition we start to accept these images to be a part of the norm. But through the revolution of Reality TV we have become accepting of other representations which previously we denied as we were ‘passive’ audiences. Online forums, and voting enable audiences to voice their opinions and chose who they accept and reject. This process naturalises the idea of unconventionally beautiful people becoming stars. Boyle’s success started to bloom as the media consumed stories of her journey.
However it could be argued that the production company of Britain’s Got Talent had constructed Susan’s story to make her seem like a star, rather than the audiences having their own individual opinion on Boyle. “We all like certain stars because he or she has that special “It Factor,” but almost none of us can define exactly what that factor is” and this maybe because we are guided to accept the hegemonic values of the production company. The hypodermic needle theory suggests that the production companies ‘inject’ their values into the audiences through certain shots and dialogue, which inevitably they start to accept because of how they are simultaneously exposed to the same material. With the comments of the judges, we can understand that society now prefer to see someone who they feel reflect ‘reality’ to win reality shows.
Another factor contributing towards people becoming more accepting of ‘real’ are programmes such as How to Look Good Naked which promotes ‘natural beauty’. “Stars are not simply objects to be admired; they are objects of worship” , audiences have always felt inferior against celebrities, as they feel that celebs are more special because of a talent they may have. However with shows like The X factor, people are able to change this point of view. Week after week, the viewers of the show learn more about the contestants, through stories about their past which we now call ‘sob stories’. This makes the audiences see them as normal people, who also face similar problems as them. “When girls are bombarded daily – if not hourly – with media images of thin and gorgeous female stars, it leaves many parents wondering whether it may push their daughters toward poor body image and eventually eating disorder.” Recently the issue about anorexia has been shown throughout the media. Images of thin celebrities, makes the people viewing these images think negatively of them. Whereas the healthy looking ordinary people are more appealing in a society where people are now accepting their own looks. Gok Wan is a gay fashion icon, a style guru who has hosted one of the esteem boosting shows: How to Look Good Naked. Wan takes people who feel low about their looks and by the end of every episode, the new equilibrium is that they feel happier with the way look. Shows like these make the public question what is stereotypically appealing. The copycat theory suggests that if people are exposed to something long enough, they tend to adopt it and copy what they see. As the viewers of The X factor and Britain’s Got talent are exposed to normal people becoming stars, they too accept the way they look and then go on to audition. This, alongside shows which heavily use the hypodermic needle theory, allows audiences to gain ideologies that a star born from reality TV, needs to reflect what reality is.
Although the winners are primarily ordinary, they go on to change all aspects of their lives, from the way they live, to the way they look. “The trouble with ordinary heroes is that they don't stay ordinary for very long” . It seems like the female winners have to keep up appearances more than the males “why are we so shocked when "ugly" women can do things, rather than sitting at home weeping and wishing they were somebody else?” Susan Boyle transformed her appearance, which we saw in several interviews and pictures. The media was in frenzy over her looks, and though people were criticised for judging the way she looked, she changed the way she looked. “A hairdresser, makeup artist and flattering lighting are credited with creating her spectacular new look” , this shows that we still expect people to look aesthetically appeasing, and ordinary people who become ‘stars’ feel they have to conform to the stereotypical representation of a star.
This is because society is heavily influenced by hegemonic values and feels that what the elite say must ultimately correct. The production company will always try to put their values across to the public. The media “are part of a battleground in which different power elites fight for supremacy in terms of the acceptance of their ideas” . With so many other shows around, every show must try and gain as many viewers as possible by setting views and ideologies which arguably the passive audience take on board. Though I have previously said that the audiences have become active, but through the cultivation theory, where certain ideologies are being represented every week, every year then the audience becomes passive, and the hegemonic values are injected into them. On The X Factor’s judging panel there are four respected people. Simon Judge is the boss and with his massive production SyCo TV, he is able to control every aspect of The X Factor production process. This enabled him to present certain hegemonic values yet also seem humble with comments where he commends people for their effort and their past stories.
In reality, all celebrities transform most aspects of their lives in order to conform to the stereotypes of a star. The hierarchy, where the general public are considerably towards the bottom and the elite are right at the top, shows itself how we look up to the elite and dream to be like them. We like the fact that celebrities are different from us. Shows such as The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent just give a sense of hope to the public, that they too can become stars (rich and beautiful), which is what the public want. They want to change their ordinary lives and they want to change the way they look. Though reality TV shows are condemned for their portrayal of real life, they are still made for entertainment purposes and therefore will show the viewers all they want to gain some escapism.
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Bibliography:
Works Cited
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