Blog #8- Hunger Games Connection

For this blog I wanted to discuss the theme we talked about in class referring to American societies, and the people in it, searching for their "15 min. of fame." I believe rewinding to last week's blog entry that we can see their are reality shows that portray those 15 min. of fame into multiple episodes of fame. I think that in some way everyone tries to find their 15 min. through some kind of hobby, interest, or mainly through an act of stupidity.
A couple examples of different ways of acting out ones fame in today's society is through t.v. shows, video/computer games, or mainly through technological advances. We see today through shows such as American Idol, The Biggest Loser, America's got Talent, ect..., that people do whatever they can to show-off a talent, or display their efforts to the world. American Idol and America's got Talent has had horrible singers/talents with absolutely no talent on their show. Don't think for a second that the majority of those people are out their to gain attention from the rest of the world through live t.v., and they know they suck! The show, The Biggest Loser, may be a little change from the stupidity of people; however, I feel some of those people, not all, want to show the world that they can lose the weight. I feel as though some of their reason for joining the show is that they need to fight their own insecurities and have their 15 min. of fame to help them push through their weight loss. So maybe these 15 min. of fame can have a positive aspect overall.
In all, the 15 min. of fame in our society is for the most part, portrayed through acts of stupidity, (YouTube, Tosh.O, Rob Dyrdek's- Ridiculousness), and makes people look flat out unbelievable.  I believe our society today is most definetly attention deprived, and for some reason we are all guilty at seeking the attention of others in our 15 min. of fame.

Reality t.v.'s #1 fans

"Watching these programs is a way of safely exercising mishievousness in a society that allows for few opportunities to do so." This quote was taken from Gabler's article, "Behind the curtain of TV voyeurism," and is by far the most interesting part of the article. At examining this quote I was able to distinguish the difference between just simply enjoying a reality show, between the feedback or response that the audience/viewer actually establishes. Basically, when I sit down and watch Jr. V. Senior american choppers on discovery channel, (the only reality t.v show I actually enjoyed), I noticed I wasn't just watching and entertaining my mind, it is much more than that. Referring to the quote I posted above and relating to Gabler's article, I realized that I was allowing myself to act as a spy. I was able to view the in's and out's of Paul Sr., Paul Jr., and Mikey's personal family battles, giving me that sense of personal mischievousness that Gabler mentions. If we look back before the 90's before reality t.v. even existed, one can see that people before our generation were unable to relate themselves to others on t.v. With reality t.v. you can actually relate your ideas with that person on the screen because they are not just simply actors, they are real people! I believe the biggest difference in reality t.v. and shows, or movies, is that we are able to relate our personal ideas/interests to a certain character because we feel as though they are one of us, not just a "movie star."

A video clip of Sr. vs. Jr. video clip : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFbL9pcHJz4

This is a clip from the reality t.v. show, Jr. vs. Sr. American choppers, on the discovery channel. As you can see just through the beginning of this segment, Paul Jr. (son), Mikey (the other son), and Paul Sr. (the father), used to work altogether building bikes in previous shows. This season has taken a turn and Paul Jr. has now created his own shop and the two battle every week to show off their bikes. They are also ending a lawsuit that Paul Sr. filed against Paul Jr. Throughout the series of shows the viewer is able to see how the tension is displayed, and also each son and the father are trying to regain and fix their relationships.

I really enjoy this show for some reason because I love motorcycles, and I also loved the relationship between all 3 of the guys and the other co-workers in previous episodes from past years. I have always watched it, and for some reason I will admit the insane fights that Pauly and Paul Sr. have allow me to fully engage and be 100% entertained. I think  my "role" as the viewer is that I am able to subconsciously place myself in the argument and choose sides over what the guys are arguing about. I can relate these fights over my family, not because my dad and I don't get along, hell he is my best friend! I can relate because I know when my dad gets pissed you better move and I am the same way. The blow ups between the two are something I can relate to.