A1 BTC Reality TV History Discussion

Read the two readings and watch the two screenings, then answer the four questions.

Reading:

1. Readings: Bradley D. Clissold, “Candid Camera and the Origins of Reality TV: Contextualizing a Historical Precedent” (2004)

2. Lauren Hubbard and Kathryn Mathers, “Surviving American Empire in Africa: The Anthropology of Reality Television” (2004)

Screening:

1. Survivor (Africa), season 3, episode 1 (2000) https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5t4zfp

2. Selections from Candid Camera https://drive.google.com/file/d/15i9EnroCW8gUTt_x0…

Please respond to the following four questions in full sentences. Each response should be around 100 words. When possible, make specific references to the original text or media object.

1. Clissold’s article presents Candid Camera as the historical predecessor to contemporary reality TV. If the origin of reality TV indeed lies in Candid Camera, what are some of the issues Clissold raises that we should continue to look for in reality TV today?

2. How does reading Clissold’s article shape your own viewing of the Candid Camera clips? What do you notice about Candid Camera that you might otherwise have missed?

3. Survivor is one of the oldest, longest running, and most popular reality TV shows. Thus, early seasons of Survivor are now part of reality TV history. The Hubbard and Mathers article describes season 3 of Survivor. What potential concerns does it raise that may extend across reality TV?

4. How do you see the ideas from the Hubbard and Mathers article playing out in season 3, episode 1 of Survivor? Do you agree with their interpretation? Do you notice anything additional?