REALITY TV SHOWS: WHAT MAKES THEM DO IT?

(1) In 1968 Andy Warhol said, 'In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes'. He was referring either to the chain of command that allowed only certain people to be recognized or to the commercialization of all aspects of our lives. With the growth of audience watching reality TV, his prediction seems to be coming true. Reality TV shows are becoming more and more popular in the UK, the USA and other parts of the world. You may not understand why, but the ratings for these shows are high and they are relatively cheap to produce as the makers of the shows don't have to pay actors - they often star ordinary people eager for fame and who will do everything to achieve it. We'll tell you why later, but first, let's look at different types of show that come under the heading of 'reality TV'.

(2) Firstly there are shows that go into someone's home and life and follow them around – The Osbournes is a typical example. The people on these shows are often famous and unusual in some way. This isn't always the case, of course, and sometimes the cameras may follow an ordinary doctor around or look at an everyday family as they deal with their problems. We have to look at other people's lives and compare them with our own.

(3) Then, there are reality shows manufactured for TV, where the producers of the show put people into some kind of unusual situation and see how they react. In Joe Millionaire, 20 women were flown to a castle in France where they had the chance to meet Evan Marriott, who they were told was a multimillionaire. In fact, Evan was a construction worker. In The Real World, seven young strangers are put together in a house for four months and cameras follow them around; the audience gets to observe how they get along with each other as they gradually open up about who they are. By now, we're all familiar with shows like this.

(4) Next, what about those reality shows about real life where the people who seem to have no limits about revealing all - about their private lives and anyone else's! The Jerry Springer Show is famous for its controversial subject matter and guests on the show often get into physical fights with each other. Then, there are real-life courtroom TV shows such as Judge Judy where people dispute a legal claim before millions of viewers. It seems that people on these shows will give very intimate details away and have no worries about betraying their friends and family. Where do they find these people?

(5) Last but not least, dating shows like Elimidate or Blind Date. On Elimidate, one person (either male or female) goes out on a date with four people of the opposite sex and, one by one, eliminates them until they finally choose the one person they would like to go on a 'real' date with. People criticize and humiliate each other (and themselves in the process) to 'win the competition'.

(6) So, can someone tell why these shows are so popular? Why do we love to see people doing desperate things for their '15 minutes of fame'? Is it that we see ourselves in these ordinary people? Do we like to believe that we are normal and it's everyone else that's crazy? And anyway, do the people on these shows really act like this when the cameras are not following them around?

(7) Well, perhaps they're not crazy, maybe they are just trying to act naturally. Do you remember the days when people appeared on TV because they were famous? Times have changed and now appearing on TV is a good way to become famous. Many people are using their appearances on a reality TV show as a step into show business, hoping that their careers will take off once they have been seen by millions of people. Think about it - do you know any 'celebrities' who started their career on a reality TV show? Reality TV gives people an opportunity to be noticed and when they appear on the show, they're hoping for far more than the 15 minutes that Andy Warhol promised!

Задание 2. Заполните таблицу в соответствии с классификацией, представленной в тексте. Приведите примеры из российской действительности.

Задание 3. Определите, какие утверждения по мнению автора правдивы, а какие ложны.

a Andy Warhol's quotation is about reality TV.

b Huge numbers of people watch reality TV.

c Reality TV shows are usually very expensive to make.

d Ordinary people often want to be on reality TV.

e Producers sometimes lie to people who go on the shows.

f People never talk about their personal lives.

g People on daring shows are always nice to each other.

h Most people probably act 'unnaturally' on reality TV shows.

i After appearing on a reality TV show, some people become famous.

Задание 4. Объясните значения следующих слов.

a commercialization,

b ratings,

c star,

d eager,

e manufactured,

f controversial,

g desperate,

h appearances.

Задание 5. Найдите эти фразовые глаголы a-d в тексте и сопоставьте с их значениями.

a look at (paragraph 3)

b get along with (paragraph 4)

c give away (paragraph 5)

d take off (paragraph 8)

1 have a good relationship with.

2 tell something that you're not supposed to tell.

3 become popular.

4 investigate.

Задание 6. Выпишите из текста все неправильные глаголы в трех формах и переведите.

Задание 7. Подчеркните сказуемое в следующих предложениях, укажите видовременную форму, залог.

1. He was referring either to the chain of command that allowed only certain people to be recognized or to the commercialization of all aspects of our lives.

2. Then, there are reality shows manufactured for TV, where the producers of the show put people into some kind of unusual situation and see how they react.

3. In Joe Millionaire, 20 women were flown to a castle in France where they had the chance to meet Evan Marriott, who they were told was a multimillionaire.

Задание 8. Измените следующие предложения, используя конструкцию there + be.

1. The people on these shows are often famous and unusual in some way.

2. Times have changed and now appearing on TV is a good way to become famous.

Задание 9. Преобразуйте предложения в пассивную форму и переведите.

1. Sometimes the cameras may follow an ordinary doctor around or look at an everyday family as they deal with their problems.

2. People criticize and humiliate each other to 'win the competition'.

Задание 10. Cоставьте 5 вопросов различного типа к любым предложениям из текста.

Вариант № 10

Задание 1. Прочтите текст и переведите первый абзац письменно.

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