"The hottest and most talked about TV genre of our time"; "The genre has taken over our schedules" - Increasing popularity
"Real people in somewhat strange situations, and we expect to watch them, safe in the knowledge that they are unable to watch us back"; "The success of reality TV is partly due to the increasingly voyeuristic nature of the society in which we live, and in part due to the obsession with celebrity and everyone wanting to be one" - Voyeurism has a big appeal in reality TV; Audiences relate
"These programmes are relatively cheap to make, certainly compared to drama, and they appear to guarantee audiences" - Commercial channels can rely on them to be profitable
"People seem prepared to do anything to achieve fifteen minutes of fame" - Participants want and expect their fifteen minutes of fame
"Intelligence is being compromised to some extent" - Reality TV doesn't require intelligence so it can be held responsible for the dumbing down of the media and society
"It isn’t scripted, and should be conducted in private. But I’ve loved seeing Michelle manipulate Stuart into cuddles, kisses and even sex. I’ve enjoyed watching the anger of the Average Joes as they have been rejected and sent home. There is something much more gripping about watching someone crying, or losing his or her temper if there is no script or acting involved. It is a similar experience to craning our necks on the motorway to see an accident. Hoping that we won’t see blood and guts, but at the same time …"
"It certainly helps you forget about the stresses of the day when you can see people having a much worse day than you have had"; "Comparisons are a relatively natural thing to make: we either take the stance that we are better than the participants, or we want to be them"
"Once you see the mediation process involved, you are aware that it is not a real situation" - Structuralisation; Even reality TV isn't reality
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