Assignment: Summary of Article
“Reality TV, Faking It, and the Transformation of Personal Identity” In the article, “Reality TV, Faking It, and the Transformation of Personal Identity,” Joanne Morreale writes about reality shows are remakes of older shows and effect their audience’s perception alter the audience’s reality. She describes a reality show called Faking It, which is a show that transforms a person from one career to another one. Faking It was a Europe based show that was shown in the UK on Channel 4, then was bought by the US in 2002. The US changed a few aspects of Faking It, but it’s essentially the same show. Faking It gets down and out people, take them from their familiar surroundings, tries to coach and mold the individuals…show more content… There are a few positives such as teaching new skills and better people aspect on their lives. On the other hand, one must analyze that shows like Faking It do not teach self-realization, they alter some people’s concept of reality and could possibly cause a person to develop personality issues. Faking It teaches that being yourself is suitable but self-transformation is better. Morreale writes “Faking It implicit premise is that these new selves will offer fulfillment, that transformation is commensurate with improvement” (par. 2). An individual should be comfortable in the skin they’re in and with the person they are. In this society, self-realization should be a must. Shows like Faking It tend to alter people concept of reality. For example, Morreale implies that “reality television continues to self-replicate, just as the boundary between public and private, subject and object, and reality and fabrication, representation and simulation continues to dissipate” (par. 9). A show participant Sian was a reserved cellist molded into an extroverted disc jockey she comments, “I started to feel a bit confused about who I was, which part of me was Faking It and which was real” (qtd. in Morreale). This statement shows that reality lines can be blurred when a person takes measurable steps to change oneself. This kind of behavior can also lead to personality issues. If a person does not have the mental stability to have a double life, the issue could become problematic. Reality television is fine in moderation but should not make an impact in one’s life and