Talk Shows or Freak Shows

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the format of the original talk shows, as well as how the format has evolved over time to become more of a provocative freak show that harms the guests appearing on the show and promotes negative stereotypes of American society. The paper also describes how the guests are manipulated and antagonized on the show into exhibiting extreme reactions.

From the Paper:

"More than half a century ago, in November 1947, the first talk show in entertainment history was broadcast on American television. Named, "Meet the Press," it had first started two years earlier as a radio show that combined news and chat (Halter). The `chat' aspect acquired immediate popularity, motivating television producers to concentrate more on this characteristic and to produce more focused chat shows. The first of these specialized chat shows, aired in 1950, was named "The Tonight Show," (Halter). Hosted by the popular media personality, Steve Allen, this show took on "a more relaxed, conversational approach," with the guest list including both famous celebrities and ordinary citizens (Halter). Its popularity was based on the fact that viewers felt that the show appealed to their human and sociable side, in addition to informing them about the real problems of both ordinary and famous people. That is, it communicated the very simple message that life was both fun at times and difficult at others but, the important thing was to accept life as it was (Halter). This show, as with those that came later, was extremely popular among American viewers and, did present a positive and realistic picture of American society, in addition to entertaining and advising people. Despite the solid and positive foundations of the talk show, a great majority of those currently aired can only be described as unrealistic and negative, to the extent that they apparently focus on scandal and sex alone. Even though currently popular talk shows appear to be based on genuine emotional reactions and stories, they are based on extreme emotional reactions that guests are manipulated into displaying through the provocative nature of the questions asked. Guests are coached to lie and the audience is manipulated into incorrectly believing that they are watching `real life.' The consequence is the promotion of negative stereotypes of American society."

More papers on Talk Shows or Freak Shows:

• Term Paper # 144586 : "Dealing With A Control Freak Boss"
• Essay # 72286 : "Talk Shows"
• Persuasive Essay # 124698 : "Talk Radio and Free Speech"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: