Depicting Reality, Responsibly [television]

Is MTV finally trying to step up and be responsible for the imagery they market to youth?

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By the first decade of the 21st century, MTV had sunk from a pioneering music video channel, to a slightly less music-centric station that introduced the concept of "reality television" to the world, to the very lowest form of superficial, exploitative entertainment - all the while drifting farther and farther from the concept that catapulted them to the top of the pop culture spectrum.

Recently, however, the network seems to be more aware of the influence they hold over the youth of the world and - gasp - could it be that they've started taking steps to become more responsible with what they depict on their airwaves?

Tuning into MTV and its sister station VH1 today, you might never know that both stations once boasted a roster of all music videos all the time. In fact, you're not likely to ever see a video in its entirety anymore these days. Instead, you will find hour after hour of "reality" shows like their flagship "Real World" series, now in its 23rd season set in Washington, D.C.

"Real World" began as a kind of social experiment, putting seven strangers from all different walks of life in the same apartment for several months and filming the results.

The first few seasons sported castmembers as varied as police officers, standup comedians, cartoonists, doctors, aspiring musicians and even bike messengers. But by the time the show had reached its 12th season in Las Vegas, it had descended into non-stop booze-fueled orgies starring barely legal, barely functional, barely coherent 18 to 22-year-olds with no goals, no careers and no prerogatives other than partying and hooking up.

This was a trend that would continue until Season 20 of the show, which attempted to take away some of that stigma by requiring that castmembers actively pursue an individual career goal throughout the season. Even so, drinking and debauchery remained rampant, with one housemate even being sent to rehab for his substance abuse problems.

Sparked by the "Real World" legacy, MTV created several other reality shows focusing less on the social experiment concept and more on the potential for reality docu-drama. "My Super Sweet 16," "Laguna Beach," "The Hills" and "The City" took America's obsession with wealth, status and blind consumerism to new lows, packaging them as soap opera stories about the everyday lives of "average American teens."

In reality, the shows amounted to little more than how-to guides for leading frivolous, high-drama, low-awareness, image-obsessed consumerist lifestyles for young, impressionable youth. Often depicting underage drinking, rampant hookups and partying, shows like "Laguna Beach" and its spinoff "The Hills" taught teens - especially young women - that in order to be cool, you must wear the newest designer clothes and bags, sexualize your barely developed body so that men will shower you with affection, party in lavish beachside mansions and use school as little more than a place to meet potential sexual partners or makeout buddies.

"My Super Sweet 16" was devoted entirely to spotlighting spoiled rich kids as they devoted all their time and (parent's) money to throwing over-the-top, Hollywood-style parties in which they wear next to nothing (just like their idols), dance suggestively, feign drinking booze and inevitably receive a tricked-out luxury vehicle in front of a crowd of jealous, but awestruck onlookers. Essentially dress rehearsals for life as a coke addicted wannabe Hollywood debutante because, hey ... that's the dream, right?

The days of kids growing up with dreams of being astronauts or firefighters were long gone, replaced by such respectable career aspirations as "Bar Skank," "Person Who Is Famous Simply For Being Famous," "Insecure Drunk Slut Who Derives Self Worth From Anonymous Male Attention."

More recently with reality dating shows like "Flavor of Love," "Rock of Love," "Real Chance at Love" and "For The Love of Ray J," MTV Networks have yet again taken to seeking out unstable fame leeches, sticking them in a confined environment where booze is readily available at all times and the likelihood of stress-inducing situations are high and cashing in on the results. Even more disturbing is the image these shows put forth about the dynamics of romantic relationships.

Not only are contestants expected to fling themselves at a single alpha figure whom they are all vying for the affection of, they are treated as little more than outfits to be tried on, tested out and tossed aside before moving on to the next in the hopes of finding that perfect fit. One person making out with 10 different potential mates in the span of an hour is a common occurrence with no acknowledgment of how incredibly nasty and potentially dangerous that kind of behavior is. Uhh ... herpes, anyone?

But even in light of all of these negative, irresponsible images the network is portraying, I've noticed a new trend emerging, one that seems to be trying to counteract the harm they've caused and educate viewers on the potential pitfalls of the lifestyle the media so blatantly glamorizes.

In response to the images put forth by "My Super Sweet 16," MTV created "Exiled," a spinoff in which former stars of the "Sweet 16" show are sent by their families to live in third world countries for a reality check and to expose them to how most of the world lives while they waste their teen years coveting an unrealistically lavish lifestyle. The teens are adopted for a week by a family living in impoverished (compared to the society they come from) conditions and expected to live, work and contribute as they do in order to learn responsibility.

Dr. Drew Pinsky's "Celebrity Rehab" series sheds light on the end results of the glamorized party lifestyle made desirable by people like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and other stars idolized by susceptible youngsters. "Celebrity Rehab," "Sober House" and "Sex Rehab" attempt to expose the reality of substance abuse and more importantly, how trauma, insecurity, self doubt, family history and environment manifest themselves throughout people's lives in unhealthy, self destructive ways.

Viewers are not spared the explicit details of the patients' pasts, the inner workings of their minds and the depth of their self-reflection in hopes that average people will begin to understand the complexities of addiction and how it manifests itself in seemingly unrelated aspects of their lives.

Other shows attempt to teach people, usually the contestants on the network's more exploitative shows like "Rock of Love" and others, how to be responsible human beings through various forms of "charm school." These shows approach the psychology behind bad behavior and attempt to rehabilitate their castmembers by having celebrity figures and show hosts act as stand-ins for authority figures the contestants probably never had (or respected) in their lives growing up.

"Charm School," "From G's to Gents" and "Tough Love" are all examples of this kind of social experiment.

"Tough Love" especially is one of these psychological boot camps masquerading as a matchmaking show in which an alpha male acts as the disapproving father figure to a group of females that seek out male attention for validation or have unhealthy expectations of what a relationship is supposed to be. At first sight, "Tough Love" appears to be a very misogynistic show where a man stands on a high horse and belittles women in an attempt to mold them into "what men want." But on closer inspection, a lot of these girls really do need a stern hand to guide them and most women can tell you that something about the female dynamic makes it much easier for a woman to take male advice to heart than advice from a fellow female.

This is especially true of women who have a history of seeking male validation as they tend to view critical women as threats to them. When you take a step back and look at the ultimate goal of breaking down these women, it becomes less misogynistic and more therapeutic. They aren't being taught to be objects of male attention, but rather to respect themselves, have confidence, manners and common sense in order to start attracting the right kind of attention from the right kind of people.

In light of these attempts to seemingly balance out the images portrayed to youth and perhaps be a bit more responsible with the molding power the media giant possesses, more questions still remain. Is it too little too late? Are these methods actually effective? Have they already indoctrinated an entire generation of kids irreparably?

By exploiting the neuroses they themselves have actively contributed to the proliferation of, are they really helping the situation or just digging a deeper hole for themselves and their viewers? Is the fact that they still portray the negative imagery alongside the positive hypocritical?

Should MTV and the media in general be responsible for the images they advertise directly to children, teens and young adults? We're not talking about adult materials falling into the hands of minors here - this is no "Grand Theft Auto" violent video game scandal. This is meant specifically to appeal to minors and makes no attempt to cater itself to the mental susceptibility of the intended viewers.

It may take years to fully understand the implications and impact of the imagery and lifestyle the MTV Networks and other media outlets have burned into the psyches of the current generation of youngsters, but the discussion needs to happen now. On one hand, I'm proud of MTV for at least attempting to balance things out, but on the other I feel like they tow the line and even with the positive changes, weigh much more heavily on the side of negative reinforcement than being a positive role model for kids.

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repost from: www.insideblip.com