Although the Hunger Games are supposed to be a punishment for the rebellion of the citizens, I think that the reason that they are still being punished today is the enjoyment that the crowd and the Capitol get out of the competition. It is the biggest event of the year. I think that the betters and the observers enjoy investing themselves in something that they cant control.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Blog #7
American Idol, Survivor, and The Biggest Loser are three very popular reality TV shows today. Why is that? Some say it is human nature to enjoy the failure of others, which explains why people enjoy watching contestants on American Idol strike out time after time. My take on it is that maybe seeing others struggling makes us not feel so bad that we cant sing either, or can't lost that extra weight either. It is comforting to know that "its not just me" for a lot of people. I also think that shows such as survivor and the biggest loser play up the competition aspect. People watch sports because of the competition. It is intriguing to involve yourself in something completely out of your control and escape to the world of the sport. I think that shows like survivor and the biggest loser are the same way. People watch these competitive reality TV shows for the same reasons that people watch sports. They just need an escape from the reality of their lives and they feel the need to involve themselves in something else.
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ReplyDeleteHey! Great Post ...Was wondering.... Investing in something you can’t control… Is that what we do? I think personally that is awful if that is what are societies does. I understand down time but why is there need to escape and get fulfillment from a television screen with for the most part actors? If the Hunger Games punishment for rebellion or is it to keep the people in line and under control of the capital? Is our reality that bad we need to escape into mindless or competitive shows?
ReplyDeleteI love how you made the connection about how it makes us feel like we are not alone. I never thought about it that way before.
ReplyDeleteI had said in class that I had taken a psychology class and we had talked about the reason that we watch reality TV is because we like to compare ourselves to other people to see if we are normal. This seems to be exactly what you were saying with we watch reality TV to enjoy the failure of others because we can compare them to our failures.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the first part of your post. We love watching shows like American Idol, Deal or No Deal, Wipe Out, ect, because of who fails and who wins. I personally love watching competition shows like those. I dont compare myself to those people, though. I like the competition these shows bring. I like your outlook on this.
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