Free Essay: Reality Show Jersey Shore
Introduction
There is a debate on the effects that the media has in terms of influencing individuals’ culture and this raises questions regarding the quality of the programs that are aired on TV. In families, television is a common medium of entertainment in different parts of the globe. The expectations of most people are that the aired programs will be friendly to all viewers regardless of their race, social class, or age. As such, inappropriate materials are usually banned from viewing by the public. This essay will discuss the Reality Show Jersey Shore.
Nevertheless, there are programs that have questionable materials based on the content that they convey. For example, the reality shows Jersey Shore is an obsession for many folks who follow every episode of it very carefully. They do this regardless of the obscenity and absurdity of the content. This show depicts youths as careless, immoral, and irresponsible. Its cast does not show a quality of life because most youths are depicted as lacking ambition or occupation. This implies that the youths do not have to worry about their future and instead, their focus should be on inappropriate behavior.
The argument of this paper is that this show ought to be banned from television since its content is inappropriate and it does not add any value to the viewers’ lives.
Reality Show Jersey Shore – The Background
Jersey Shore refers to a reality show series that was aired on MTV from December 2009 to December 2012. This show depicts the lives of 8 housemates, 4 males and 4 females in well-liked tour destinations that include Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights, and Miami Beach. Their life revolves around endless sex conversations, poor drinking behaviors, and hooking up while half-naked in some instances. They also use filthy language (Ruscitti 1). My belief is that the Jersey Shore show is unsuitable for family viewing because it portrays age-inappropriate content that can misguide teenagers and children on essential aspects of their lives.
Individuals in this age category are developing their identities. They have developing minds that are gullible to external influences. The influence of the media on the youths is great because they usually choose role models from what the television depicts as stars. In Jersey Shore, characters engage in immoral behaviors and this can have a terrible impact on the youth who choose role models from the television.
The majority of the characters on the shore, for instance, Mike will only teach young people to stay idle, participate in promiscuous activities, unnecessary conflicts, and fights (Ruscitti 1). As such, this show ought to be banned from television. This show ought not to be aired on television for various reasons.
First, the eight characters in the show drink excessively after which they engage in inappropriate activities. Social drinking is not usually the cause of misbehaving. Therefore, encouraging young people to misbehave pretending to be drunk is against the core values of society. Although watching inappropriate conduct that results from drinking can be entertaining for adults, its consequences are dire for the youth audience. Watching the television stars drink and misbehave can influence young people to start drinking and misbehaving as well. The consequences of this are long-term in their lives because they might end up wasting their lives due to excessive drinking which will prevent them from pursuing their dreams. Additionally, this misleads them because the characters in the show are just acting but the youths tend to adopt their behavior.
Secondly, this show appears to give the serious impact of skin cancer that comes from indoor, fanatical skin tanning a blind eye. This is not good because there are many Americans currently having skin cancer problems because of UV rays from bed and suntans (Schulman and Fisher 145).
According to a report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), using tanning beds before one attains the age of 35 years increases the risk of skin cancer by 75%. The risk is tripled by their occasional use. This show is therefore inappropriate for television because it promotes them. The false perception that this show creates is that using tanning beds excessively does not expose an individual to side effects. Being a reality show, Jersey Shore ought not to employ deceptive facts because the viewers might be unable to distinguish fiction from fact.
Thirdly, the characters get a lot of money when compared to the viewers. As such, this promotes inappropriate behaviors and stupidity that they portray in the show more so the impression it gives the young people who are struggling to get proper jobs. This show depicts a fantastic world in which individuals ought not to worry about job, morals, and money. Using this show, viewers are able to escape the real world to join the fantasy world so that they can get protection and utopia from the challenges in the world.
Nevertheless, after the show is when viewers realize that they are still facing similar challenges and that they have to handle them. Therefore, this show just compounds the challenges and problems that the viewers are facing while providing inappropriate means of escaping them which are indulging in promiscuity and excessive drinking. Most people do not know the impact of allowing their families to watch this show. As such, my belief is that this reality show is the worst example of a current medium.
Additionally, the show depicts risky sexual events which are inappropriate for youths’ viewing because they promote promiscuity. For instance, Mike is depicted as having sex with several partners. Their sex includes vaginal and oral intercourse. At no single instance are the cast members depicted as engaging in safe sex like using condoms as a means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases.
CDC (13) shows that approximately half of HIV infections are currently occurring among individuals aged below 25 years. Among the behaviors that contribute to these infections include having multiple sex partners, drinking sprees, failure to use preventative measures like abstinence and condoms.
Clearly, this coincides with behaviors and the age of the cast members of this show. This show does not raise concerns or mention the importance and severity of sexual health. The effects of this are negative because the youths who watch the series may find it appropriate to participate in risky sexual behaviors since that is what they see others their age do without suffering negative consequences later (Brown, 43). This is unsuitable because there are studies that also depict increasing cases of STDs and teenage pregnancies caused by sex encouragement through television.
Refutation
According to the opponents, this show is entertaining and it should therefore be aired. Laughter plays a vital role in the human spirit. It assists people in forgetting worries in their lives and also to remain productive. Additionally, the opponents argue that this show might not affect individuals negatively because it uses the ideology of reverse psychology. The viewers are repulsed by personally inappropriate behaviors so that they can choose appropriate relationships.
The show can also assist individuals in evaluating their relationships because it depicts characters that are in bad relationships. In addition, individuals have the freedom to either watch or avoid watching the show. Viewers can also opt to follow the positive attributes of this show only.
Counter-argument
Viewers are exposed to inappropriate behavior indiscriminately by this show. This is not right since studies such as the Journal of Sex Research indicate that high-risk sexual activities have a direct correlation with televised media (Brown 43). Television is basically important for family entertainment. Therefore, it ought to air appropriate content only. Additionally, the argument about entertainment is not sufficient because citizens have several options when it comes to entertainment.
Entertainment value and the essence of protecting citizens’ right to information should not be overemphasized. Nevertheless, the citizens can select other forms of entertainment from the available clean options instead of sticking to what is inappropriate for them. For instance, they can choose Oprah show by Oprah Winfrey which is also a reality show that is equally entertaining without encouraging inappropriate actions.
The major objective in the Oprah show is to enable individuals to handle different challenges in their lives. The impact of this on the entire society is positive because it can assist individuals with the same problems to handle them properly. Thus, Oprah provides a solution to problems in lives which is contrary to Jersey Shore which compounds them. This is important because the two are reality shows. As such, Oprah show illustrates that a reality show can be hosted while upholding the moral principles of a society.
Conclusion
In general, Jersey shore has a portrayal that contradicts the moral values of society. This show depicts inappropriate traits of the characters that include promiscuity, idleness, and heavy drinking. Despite having the capacity for choosing an individual’s actions, exposure to such inappropriate content can influence individual choices. This is the case especially for young individuals who cannot distinguish right from wrong. The programs are featured on national television and therefore the developing minds are likely to assume that the depicted behaviors are acceptable. Consequently, they will choose the behaviors especially if no sufficient guidance is provided.
The show is undoubtedly entertaining but its ability to entertain is accompanied by an expensive cost that entails the erosion of moral standards in society. Young people can only choose what they should watch and adopt after developing the ability to distinguish right from wrong. This is the only way via which the preservation of social morals can be guaranteed.
The side effects that the show has on young people are more important than its entertainment aspect. They include problems of excessive drinking, rude attitudes as well as contracting STDs. This show should be canceled to prevent the further promotion of destructive behaviors. It is also important that the program be banned because it promotes bed tanning which increases the risk of developing skin cancer (Schulman and Fisher 1). Only valuable shows such as The Oprah reality show should be aired on television.
Works Cited
Brown, Jane. “Mass Media influences on Sexuality.” Journal of Sex Research, 39.1(200):42-45.
This article provides an evidence-based analysis of the effect of mass media in changing society’s perceptions towards sexuality matters.
“CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2001;13-No. 2.
The center for disease control and prevention is an international health organization. In this article, the organization presents facts concerning the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other STDs among the youth. Further, it discusses the most common causes and preventive measures for these diseases.
Ruscitti, Keith. “Seaside Heights sees Good Times when MTV Show Returns.” McClatchy-Tribune Business News. 2010.
Keith Ruscitti analyses the Jersey Shore Show in the article published on the McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
Schulman, Joshua. and Fisher David. “Indoor Ultra-Violet Tanning and Skin Cancer: Health Risks and Opportunities.” Curr Opin Oncol 21.2 (2009): 144-149.
Schulman and Fisher seek to present facts about skin cancer and ultra-violet rays in this article.
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