CHAPTER 12:BELABORED

REALITY

Making It Work on The Simple Life and Project

Runway

Jocelyn Pimental

&

Justin Ernst

THE SIMPLE LIFE The series portrays two wealthy socialites,

Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie The two struggle to do manual, low-paying

jobs cleaning rooms, farm work, serving meals in fast-

food restaurants and working as camp counselors

Spent one month in rural Arkansas (S1,E1) Ledings; humble, hard-working farm family Nicole & Paris ignored their chores, French kiss

the local boys, and assemble slutty outfits

The Simple Life offers a Simple Moral: Rich people are stupid (yet sexy), while

working-class people are saints (but fat).

PUBLIC DRAMAS AT WORK

Reality TV is a genre that is obsessively focused on labor

Example: The Apprentice, participants construct business

strategies, and are asked to pound the pavement and do “grunt” work.

The self-production on the program; contestants put together special outfits to catch Trump’s eye.

On most programs the “work” demanded is not the kind of thing one would normally be paid for.

REAL LIFE VS. REALITY TV

In real life… Your job involves plugging information into a data

base, balancing ledgers, etc.

On TV, your job is to… Cheat on your girlfriend, pretend to be a millionaire,

room with fellow washed-up celebrities.

Though participants’ goals may be stated as “finding true love” or “resolving emotional issues” The vast majority of reality TV focuses in some way on

work. Often the work is redefined as “competition”

CONTINUED…

In regular jobs, the people who work the hardest do not necessarily advance.

But… If you do your job on TV, your effort is often

rewarded Win a million dollars, Chapstick contract, or the

chance to be on other reality TV shows

Reality TV is one of the few places where you can do hard physical labor for big bucks – If you win, that is.

THE SIMPLE LIFE VS. PROJECT RUNWAY

Project Runway celebrates a meritocratic work ethic Creates an illusion of the “American Dream” in

action, as we watch talented people move ahead on the basis of their achievement.

The Simple Life represents an abandoned work ethic Rich girls who seem continuously incapable of

work. Presents viewers with a static world: Rich people

stay rich, and poor people stay poor. However, it offers a more “realistic” lesson about

work and class in America.

PROJECT RUNWAY Aspiring fashion designers competing to win

$100,000 to start their own fashion line.

Each episode designers are given a new challenge with only a short time to meet it.

Each challenge has a winner & loser The loser is eliminated from the program, until only

three finalists remain. The finalists compete at a run-way show during New

York City’s annual Fashion Week.

Good work is consistently rewarded, and bad work is punished.

LABOR IS EXHAUSTING YET FULFILLING

Project Runway may reward virtue,

But… The program relentlessly abuses its unpaid

employee-contestants Budgets for material are small. The time for shopping, designing and creating new

fashion is VERY short. Produces continually push contestants to the

breaking point.

“Creative expression becomes its own reward…”

– McRobbie

LABOR BEHIND THE CAMERA

Reality TV has no writers

Videographers shoot endlessly

Editors collaborate with “story producers” or “story editors” Creating dramatic tension, sound effects, voice-

overs, or music. ‘Frankenbites’: Story editors switch around

contestant sound bites recorded at different times and piece them together to create what appears to be a seamless narrative.

CONTINUED…

Reality TV workers:Lower salary than guild membersNo health careNo pension12-18 hour work day

Writers tolerate these conditions because reality TV is seen as a stepping stone to better gigs.

Over-workedNo writing credit for their work

Since no producer wants his show to be tainted by a credit acknowledging that stories are often scripted.

QUIZ1. What two celebrities star in The Simple Life?

2. What state did the two celebrities relocate to during season 1, episode 1?

3. How long did the two celebrities stay in the state for?

4. Reality TV is a genre that is obsessively focused on ________.

5. The vast majority of reality TV focuses in some way on ________.

6. ________ _______ celebrates a meritocratic work ethic.

7. ___ _____ _______ represents an abandoned work ethic.

8. Reality TV has no _______.

9. What is it called when story editors switch around contestant sound bites recorded at different times and piece them together to create what appears to be a seamless narrative?

10. How many hours a day do writers work?