Written Anayysis Wrap-Up

The Real Housewives Series

Taking a closer look into the series The Real Housewives, I learned to think about the program from a different point of view than the average viewer. I gained insight with each week. With that insight, I now feel that I have a better understanding as to the influence reality television has on popular culture. I feel that the theory of formula and the theory of cult of personality are the most noticeable theories in this reality television program.

            The enormous success of this series has been nothing short of unbelievable. The interest Bravo has stirred up by allowing us to take a look into the lives of those that appear to have it all was, in my opinion, a brilliant move on their part. I feel what has held our interest is the formulas that the show uses to keep us on the edge of our seats. The constant conflict and drama is a formula that makes viewers coming back for more.  Why do we watch every week? We want to see what is going to happen next, that’s why. We get entertainment out of the backstabbing, the arguments, the over-the-top lifestyles and the all together craziness these shows give us. I feel that so many people who tune into this program does it for 60 minutes of mindless entertainment.  So many of us live such busy lives and when you have 60 minutes to just escape you day to day routine, that in itself is relaxing.

            When I began digging a little deeper into The Real Housewives franchise, I was discovered that there are many different cities that are focused on in this series. The original show being Orange County, but in addition to that there is New York, New Jersey, Miami, Atlanta, D.C. and Beverly Hills.  It seems to have spread like wildfire and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. The series has given its reality television cast many opportunities. Some cast members have begun their own businesses, became actors on hit programs and even started singing careers. Regardless of where they are in life, it all started by allowing the cameras inside their homes.

            To some a show like The Real Housewives is pointless and mind numbing, maybe it is. But the bottom line is that Bravo found a something that the public enjoys and they ran with it. Reality television may have a bad rap in the whole scheme of things, but is reality television is so taboo, why are there so many networks jumping on the reality band wagon? I have learned a lot from this project. Like I said, I view the reality program in a different way, but I am still a reality TV fan and look forward to many years of The Real Housewives drama.

           

Journal Article Analysis

The article I chose to focus on is titled; Buying me love, 1980 Class Clash Teen Romances. The author speaks of many different movies from the 1980's. Each movie has actors who portray teenagers from different walks of life. Certain characters are from a wealthy, well to do family whereas others are from a less fortunate home. What the author has chosen to focus on the cultural differences between the upper class and the lower class and how romance can transcend the class divide.

Like the author wrote in the article, in the 1980's the United States was in a difficult financial state. Many felt that it was largely due to the ever growing unemployment lines and how the increase in inflation had to make the average American make their dollar stretch further than they had to in the 1970's. Not only were the working adults feeling the hardships of the economy, so were the American teenagers. The line between the “haves” and the “have not's” quickly became more defined and this made the high school years difficult for many young people. In the early 1980's film producers began to make movies that brought this issue to the big screen. Movies like Can't Buy Me Love, Loverboy and The Karate Kid all showcase the divide between the social classes.

In many of the movies of the 1980's, wealthy families were seen as arrogant, privileged and the writers made them look as if they felt they were above everyone else. The upper class always wore the best clothes, drove the best cars and lived in the nicest homes. On the flip side, the lower class was written into the scripts as the ones who deserved to have their romantic wishes come true. They always longed for the opposite sex that just so happened to be of a different social status. These films gave the viewers the hope that regardless of class a romance could blossom and happiness was to be found.

As I read the article I found that the author had written it in a way that was very easy to follow and he kept me intrigued by his views on the teen romances. The way Mr. Shary broke down the individual 80's movies as examples to the points he was trying to get across to the readers made it very easy for me to understand his way of thinking. It made me think of the movies in a different way, not just as a form of entertainment but as a representation of what the 1980's teen class-clash was like. As I read the article I was able to visually see what the author was saying because his words corresponded with the directors vision so well his words took me back to the the days of big hair, pegged jeans and blue eye-shadow.

The author, Tom Shary has many well thought out points in the article. He believed that if you are in the lower class you will ultimately want to one day be a part of the upper class. I believe this is true. If you see the upper class people living a better life than what you have it is only natural to want that. This is just as important for a teenager in high school. If a lower class teen sees how happy a upper class teen seems, he or she will want to fit into that popular group. It is human nature to want more than what you have, especially if what you have is not much. Tom Shary was able to touch on the fact that if the economical issues are poor then the social classes feel the brunt of economic problems. Economic issues play a huge role in social class. It can cause the divide to be wider and leaves people feeling defeated. The movies of the 80's showed this divide, but it also showed how a romance can overcome that issue.

I feel the article was well written and brought to light the affect the economy has on social class and the people to whose lives are affected daily by the status. I think that whatever the social status, people will always want to see the poor succeed and the rich fall. Many times that “green eyed monster” will show its ugly head and jealousy will prevail. Is it possible for a person to be content in where they are in life? Can two people from different social classes be happy together? These questions are some of life’s many mysteries. But as long as there are social boundaries being crossed, the producers and directors in Hollywood will continue to make movies that depict the struggles of the everyday person and we, as viewers will watch and relate to what is on the big screen.

                                                       References

Shary, T. (2011). Buying Me Love: 1980s Class-Clash Teen Romances. The Journal of Popular 

     Culture, 44(3), 563-582. Retrieved October 5, 2012, from the OhioLINK Electronic Journal

     Center database.