Does Reality TV Contribute to Gender Stereotyping?

Hard as it to believe, the paradoxically named genre of reality TV has actually been a force on prime time television for a decade now. Because these are really nothing more than game shows on steroids, it is the competitive element that is the locus of the worst elements of stereotyping. Whether the ultimate prize is a recording contract or a multimillionaire husband, the contestants on these shows are contributing to an ideology that already values competition over cooperation in the labor force. By creating a sense of drama in the form of competitive confrontation, reality TV shows reproduce the traditional madonna/whore duality by daring female contestants to put their dignity on the line by engaging in the worst of kind of stereotypical female behavior. Even just a cursory viewing of many reality TV shows reveal a pattern of gender stereotyping that serves to further inculcate an ideology in which human beings are reduced to commodities to be bought and sold.

Producers exert every possible effort to reinforce the belief that what is being viewed are situations in which real emotions are being expressed and not acted. But in order to achieve the ultimate goal of any television show-high ratings to increase advertising revenue-producers know they have to create drama and give viewers someone to root for...and against. Nothing creates drama better confrontation, so producers routinely choose contestants who exhibit slightly exaggerated stereotypical behavior and personality quirks.