Post #1B Authenticity of Reality TV – Gogglebox

The authenticity of reality TV has been questioned since its origins. Reality TV is a large genre of TV programs representing real people and often treading the line between documentary and drama (Hill 2005). While audiences have become more media literate and watch reality TV despite acknowledging its dramatised and sometimes even scripted nature, reality TV still remains highly popular. “One of the pleasures offered by the new reality formats is the knowledge that what is being offered for consumption is manifestly ‘staged reality'” (Kilborn cited in Hill 2005, pg. 175). The constructed nature of reality TV  is not as obvious in the reality show Gogglebox, but is still present.

The original UK reality show Gogglebox was first produced in Australia by Channel 10 in early 2015, and is currently airing its second season. The show revolves around watching average Australians reactions to watching certain TV shows which have aired the previous week. The show depicts different Australian families; a gay couple, an elderly wealthy couple, a middle-aged ‘ocker’ couple, a large family, a family with adult children, a family with two teenage daughters, an Indian family, two European female friends, two male Aussie friends, and two Aussie female friends.

 

Gogglebox Australia Season 1 Trailer.

 

Gogglebox presents itself as being authentic and not constructed, with its lack of dramatic elements and emphasis of real, average Australians that viewers can identify with. “This fixation with ‘authentic’ personalities, situations, and narratives is considered to be reality TV’s primary distinction from fictional television and also its primary selling point” (Ouelette & Murray, 2004, pg.5). They are perceived as being ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ because they are doing what most ‘average Australians’ do – watch TV, “if it was real life, I’d be watching someone sitting down watching telly all day” (Hill 2005, pg. 75). While the show claims to depict an accurate cross-section of Australia, the ethnic diversity amongst cast members is very minimal (two out of the ten families) in comparison to the multicultural country Australia is. Gogglebox cast their personalities via the traditional audition methods employed for any other television program (Knox 2014). The audition process implies that the ‘average Australians’ shown have been cast to have exaggerated personalities that will create funny and entertaining moments that will be talked about amongst the general public.

The presence of cameras in the cast members’ living rooms, and the knowledge that they are being watched by the public on TV, can also influence the way in which they behave; their reactions could be more exaggerated than if they were not aware of the camera’s presence. “Television audiences are highly sceptical of the truth claims of much reality programming precisely because they expect people to ‘act up’ in order to make entertaining factual television” (Hill 2005, pg. 54). The UK version of the show came under fire when an insider revealed that producers will tell cast members what comments to make, while a spokesman for the show denied this saying “their reactions are genuine and authentic” (Glennie & Reilly 2014). Reality TV loses its appeal when it’s realness comes under scrutiny. The way in which the families watch the shows is also not completely authentic, as the narrator states that the families tuned in while the shows were going to air, however this is not feasible as if a member cannot tune in to the broadcast it would put Gogglebox in jeopardy. It is most likely that the cast members are given DVDs of the shows they are required to watch and do so when it is most convenient for them, so they are not excluded from being in Gogglebox.

Despite the lack of dramatic elements typical of reality TV, the constructed nature and editing of Gogglebox replaces these elements. While reality TV shows often implement dramatic music and cliff hangers which are only revealed following the commercial break, Gogglebox does not employ these methods in creating a dramatic narrative for audiences. However, the selection and editing of shots used from the different families in reaction to the highlights of the show they are watching are cut together to create the most entertaining and dramatic TV possible. Quite often, some families are not shown for the majority of the episode which implies that their reactions were not entertaining. While this doesn’t make Gogglebox appear less authentic, it does demonstrate that it aims to entertain, just like other constructed reality TV shows.

Despite lacking many common traits of reality TV shows audiences have come to recognise, Gogglebox’s audition process, emphasis on exaggerated personalities, and use of constructed editing, demonstrates that it is not as authentic as it claims to be.

 

WORKS CITED:

Glennie, A & Reilly, J 2014, ‘Channel 4 in Fakery Storm: TV Insider Claims Gogglebox Makers Write the Jokes and Coach Families on What to Say’, Daily Mail, 4 April, viewed 25 October 2015, < http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596704/Hit-Gogglebox-faces-fakery-claims.html&gt;

Hill, A 2005, Reality TV: Factual Entertainment and Television Audiences, Routledge, UK, viewed 25 October 2015, EBL Ebook Library Database.

Knox, D 2014, Auditions: Gogglebox, TV Tonight, viewed 26 October 2015, < http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/10/auditions-gogglebox.html&gt;

Oullette, L & Murray, S 2004, Reality TV: Remaking Television Culture, New York University Press, New York.

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