Unreal 'reality' TV

The 2006 cast of Big Brother have already sparked debate among the wider community.

Loathed by many but watched by more, the irresistible voyeuristic nature of reality television has seen programmers around the world entrenching their schedules with the controversy prone new genre.

As early as 1984 a 'reality' programme in America screened called 'Something About Amelia' which went into graphic detail of a real life story of incest and the emotion strain that it caused. It was a bold new step that took television drama from pure escapism into the darker realms of reality.

"What is forbidden, of course, is the obvious: nudity, explicit sex and dirty words," mused John Corry in a New York Times article at the time. "What is allowable is anything topical, just so it is treated tastefully. The paradox is that the topical is not necessarily the tasteful, and to treat it as such is to slight its reality."

More than twenty years on and not even the forbidden is out of bounds anymore, popular shows like Big Brother have built a reputation on the three unholy aspects that Corry outlined, nudity, explicit sex live on (late night) screens and streams of expletives that make Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson seem well spoken.

"I think like any genre the boundaries will get pushed," says former Big Brother contestant and journalist Tim Brunero. "I think people are aware these situations are false and don't reflect reality, in certain circumstances they can promote positive debate."

This may be true of the mainstream versions of reality television. Shows like Jackass on the other hand have been notorious for having copycat fans causing themselves injury trying to recreate what they saw on television.

'Bumfights', a reality programme in which filmmakers tempted homeless people with drugs and alcohol to partake in demeaning and dangerous stunts have lead to the filmmakers being criminally charged. Sadly though, it also lead to a string of copycats including a group of Mildura adolescents who in 2004 set fire to a homeless man's shanty, killing him and earning themselves five year sentences.

On the upside, these shows can act as a catalyst for intelligent debate in the wider community. Within the first week of the new series of Big Brother screening in Australia issues such as violence against homosexuals and the health implications of plastic surgery have been brought into the public arena.

"I think real issues touch the interactive mechanisms of the show and that can be positive," adds Brunero. "You don't like homophobia, you vote someone out. Also the good people get spared, so they become role models for our behaviour."

Perhaps it is the tag 'reality' which critics find the most troubling. A recently leaked email from the producer of American reality television programme Extreme Makeover: Home Edition gave instructions to recruiters to source new contestants for the next series of the show

The wish list included children with muscular dystrophy, victims of hate crime in their own home, parents with skin cancer, a grieving family who has lost a child to drunk driving and a family who has a child with progeria, or what the producer tastefully referred to as "little old man disease".

Niall Mason, producer of Backyard Blitz, a local show that shares a similar 'makeover drama' plot admits that his show employs similar tactics when searching for subject matter.

"I don't think there is a real problem (with picking contestants who have endured hardships)" says Mason. "We are showing an honest story at the same time as rewarding people who are deserving of some gratitude, they might have done a lot of work for the community or been through some tough times."

Mason asserts that programmes like his do not manufacture reality. "The world is a nasty place sometimes. We aim to show the nice side of reality."

The debate as to the worth and moral stature of reality television are fleshed out by recent ratings winner The Biggest Loser. Critics can claim that the contestants are being exploited, embarrassed or viewed like a freak show, yet the dramatic weight losses most of the contestants managed benefited them by improving their health as well as the greater community by inspiring other people with obesity to lose weight.

With all free to air networks now airing 'reality' shows of some sort there seems to be no end in sight for the genre. While the more tasteless versions of the genre continue to break television taboos, it has to be asked, at what point is too far?