Reality television shows manipulate stereotypes of women and race to appeal to a large audience. Stereotypes tend to work in levels, building upon each other based on the identities of people. The basic stereotypical emotions that women are attached to are weak, emotional, and sensitive. The next level of stereotypes would arise when women are associated with men. Some common stereotypes found in reality TV shows are whores, gossip queens, and gold diggers.
Another level of stereotypes deals with race. A study shows that women of color and white women are trained to act as hyper-raced, hyper-sexed and essentialized versions of “difference.” It seems like that these women are empowering their culture, but they’re really just pushing to be a cookie cutter, socially influenced version of a woman. Culture is completely lost in these terms.
Please check out this article about reality tv representations: http://www.msmagazine.com/fall2004/unrealworld.asp
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