Debate Tournament Round 1 --- ED vs BUTTERFLY

[USF Sam]

This is the second of four debates in the opening round of the tournament.

Please... ONLY Ed and Butterfly post in this thread until the results of this debate have been decided.

TOURNAMENT RULES
​

1. Ed will post first, stating his position and the reasons for it.
2. Butterfly will then respond, stating her position and attacking Ed's.
3. Each player will have a total of three posts, exchanging turns, with the maximum word count of 250 per post.
4. Quoting the other player's post in your rebuttal does not count against this 250.
5. Posts WILL NOT BE EDITED! If a post is edited, the player is immediately disqualified.
6. After both sides have gone 3 times OR if there is no rebuttal after 24 hours the debate will be closed.
7. After it is closed, all posters are encouraged to vote by PM'ing me their vote AND the reason for their vote.
8. After 72 hours of voting I will post the votes and the comments in the debate thread. The winner moves on to the next round.

For the first round we are keeping it light and the questions will be in the area of Popular Culture.

Trust me... for the next rounds the questions will get a LOT "deeper" in nature.


Ed and Butterfly- The question for your consideration is:


TV is cyclical in nature. For a while, the most successful genre was the Drama (NYPD Blue, LA Law, CSI, ER). This was followed by the success of the Sit Com (Friends, Frasier, Cheers). The hot genre for the last few years has been the Reality Show (Survivor, American Idol, Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars). According to industry experts, the Reality Show is ebbing in popularity. What will be the next wave?



Ed, you may lead off.

 

[edgray]

I disagree with the premise that Reality TV is waning in popularity. The current crop of reality shows might be losing interest, but the genre itself will continue to dominate the viewing figures for years to come, and the intrusion into every aspect of human life will increase as the demand does.

The reasons for this are obvious. Firstly, the viewing public is nosey and voyeuristic in nature, and for the first time, reality TV gave them a look at how others might be living their lives. This satisfies the natural curiosity that humans have in the most passive, and least effort needed of ways.

Secondly, the lure of fame and fortune is a strong one amongst the masses. The dream of being "discovered" and taken from their everyday living situation into one built upon instant fortune and fame, no matter how short lived, is incredibly appealing. This instant gratification sits well with our throw-away consumerist culture.

And, as user-created media dominates the internet, and the growing number of cable channels permits, the thirst for ever-increasing looks into people's lives, from how they cook, to how they raise their children and how they maintain their house, will continue to grow and eventually cover every imaginable niche of human existence.

Finally, competition from rival media sources such as the internet, and the increasing number of channels out there, producers will continue to look to ever cheaper means of filling the blocks between the revenue-generating commercial breaks.

 

[Butterfly]

I do believe that the popularity of the Reality Genre will begin to decrease. Yes, people are voyeuristic by nature, and yes, they enjoy watching other people in every aspect of their lives. However, I believe people will reach a point where they begin to feel that they are simply watching other people live the same plain, uneventful lives that they themselves are using TV to escape from. Furthermore, as people begin to realise that many of these shows are actually staged, they will feel as if the industry is trying to fool them.

Which brings me to your point of people hoping to "be discovered". Given the staged nature of many of the reality shows, people will begin to realise that the likelihood of them being discovered and cast into a roll on one of these shows is actually minimal, and will once again lead to the feeling of being duped.

As the industry wanes I believe it will create an opening for a fantasy based genre that creates true escapism for the viewer.

 

[USF Sam]

BUMP TO KEEP ON FRONT PAGE


Ed- You are up.

 

[edgray]

Fantasy based genres have been around for some time, and whilst a couple have achieved massive mainstream success, the majority remain in cult status. Fantasy based series have ranged from sci-fi, through to more horror based dramas including the most recent crop of vampire-obsessed shows. Their appeal is limited generally to young people with imagination, and as the amount of young people in society is on the decline, I cannot see this genre being taking the place of the reality genre, which has an undeniably broader appeal.

Youngsters, adults and the elderly alike can all relate to reality TV. They can picture themselves in the same situations, and can all judge the relative merits of human behaviour in the given situations in a much more real and tangible way than they can to anything fantasy-based. Everyone is able to comment on what they’re seeing, no one is left out. It’s a far more inclusive form of entertainment. It also strengthens real world relationships as people discuss what they’ve seen.

With regards to the idea of people feeling duped after realising they may very well not become stars through reality TV, I think that the option simply being there is more than enough for most people. Those that want to be on a reality show can, and the rest are just happy the option is there, as they are far closer to being there than they otherwise would watching a drama or other kind of TV show.

 

[Butterfly]

Television is escapism. If people wanted to dwell on their real world problems, they would not need something to distract them for a brief time. Sooner or later the voyeuristic appeal is going to wear off, and folks are going to realise they need only look around at what is happening in their own house or that of their neighbour to see all the content they would on reality TV. Sure, it's fun to play peeping Tom for a while, but they will tire of it and search for something that leads to better relaxation/escape.

Given, current fantasy based viewing is geared towards a niche market, but that does not mean that it cannot be expanded to the mass population. At this point in time they are competing with reality TV for viewing slots, but as these reality shows lose favour and ratings begin to drop, networks will be on the lookout for the next "IN" thing to fill those slots up, giving the fantasy writers a perfect opportunity to flight some new ideas that will capture the minds of the masses.

 

[edgray]

But reality TV delivers escapism. But it’s a tangible escapism that people can relate to. It’s “comfort food” escapism: it’s not too serious, it provides enough drama, enough excitement to satisfy the needs of the majority. It’s this satisfying escapism that makes reality TV so compelling - ordinary people in anything but ordinary situations. Perfect for these increasingly strenuous times.

For fantasy to grab an audience these days the budget needs to be enormous - great writers, clever directors, a talented cast, not to mention the expense of post-production effects. And because of that, few can be produced. Reality TV is cheap TV, and with more time to fill on the ever-increasing number of channels, budgets for all but the major evening slots once or twice a week continue to shrink.

The non-primetime slots on every cable channel will continue to be filled with more mundane forms of reality TV for budgetary reasons, and for that fact alone, fantasy simply can never compete. People love to watch people, and networks love shows that cost them nothing to make but still generate revenue.

Reality TV makers continue to find many ways to make sure that they’re not simply watching something that’s happening in their own house. Reality contestants are put in such varying situations, situations designed to bring about extreme emotional reactions that the variety is anything but what happens in everyday life. But the people, the people are real. And that’s the point, that’s where the connection comes from.

 

[USF Sam]

Once Butterfly posts her final response this debate will be closed and the voting will begin via PM.

Comments on the debate are still forbidden within this thread until the results are announced.


Butterfly, the field is yours.

 

[USF Sam]

BUMPITY BUMP BUMP

Just keeping this on the first page.


Butterfly, your final post is eagerly awaited.

 

[Butterfly]

There will come a time when the viewer will come to realise they are being fed reality TV as a way to bring more money to the pockets of those in charge. The average person does not enjoy feeling like they are being used to line someone else's pockets. They will begin to wonder why networks think it is OK to serve up inferior programing, and start to feel, once again duped.

This disillusioned mass will need something else to entertain them. And it will have to be big and over the top for the networks to be able to win back their approval. They will want to feel like they are getting something more than "cheap TV". And that is where a fantasy series of high quality and mass appeal will find it's footing in the viewers' world.

 

[USF Sam]

I disagree with the premise that Reality TV is waning in popularity. The current crop of reality shows might be losing interest, but the genre itself will continue to dominate the viewing figures for years to come, and the intrusion into every aspect of human life will increase as the demand does.

The reasons for this are obvious. Firstly, the viewing public is nosey and voyeuristic in nature, and for the first time, reality TV gave them a look at how others might be living their lives. This satisfies the natural curiosity that humans have in the most passive, and least effort needed of ways.

Secondly, the lure of fame and fortune is a strong one amongst the masses. The dream of being "discovered" and taken from their everyday living situation into one built upon instant fortune and fame, no matter how short lived, is incredibly appealing. This instant gratification sits well with our throw-away consumerist culture.

And, as user-created media dominates the internet, and the growing number of cable channels permits, the thirst for ever-increasing looks into people's lives, from how they cook, to how they raise their children and how they maintain their house, will continue to grow and eventually cover every imaginable niche of human existence.

Finally, competition from rival media sources such as the internet, and the increasing number of channels out there, producers will continue to look to ever cheaper means of filling the blocks between the revenue-generating commercial breaks.

I do believe that the popularity of the Reality Genre will begin to decrease. Yes, people are voyeuristic by nature, and yes, they enjoy watching other people in every aspect of their lives. However, I believe people will reach a point where they begin to feel that they are simply watching other people live the same plain, uneventful lives that they themselves are using TV to escape from. Furthermore, as people begin to realise that many of these shows are actually staged, they will feel as if the industry is trying to fool them.

Which brings me to your point of people hoping to "be discovered". Given the staged nature of many of the reality shows, people will begin to realise that the likelihood of them being discovered and cast into a roll on one of these shows is actually minimal, and will once again lead to the feeling of being duped.

As the industry wanes I believe it will create an opening for a fantasy based genre that creates true escapism for the viewer.

Fantasy based genres have been around for some time, and whilst a couple have achieved massive mainstream success, the majority remain in cult status. Fantasy based series have ranged from sci-fi, through to more horror based dramas including the most recent crop of vampire-obsessed shows. Their appeal is limited generally to young people with imagination, and as the amount of young people in society is on the decline, I cannot see this genre being taking the place of the reality genre, which has an undeniably broader appeal.

Youngsters, adults and the elderly alike can all relate to reality TV. They can picture themselves in the same situations, and can all judge the relative merits of human behaviour in the given situations in a much more real and tangible way than they can to anything fantasy-based. Everyone is able to comment on what they’re seeing, no one is left out. It’s a far more inclusive form of entertainment. It also strengthens real world relationships as people discuss what they’ve seen.

With regards to the idea of people feeling duped after realising they may very well not become stars through reality TV, I think that the option simply being there is more than enough for most people. Those that want to be on a reality show can, and the rest are just happy the option is there, as they are far closer to being there than they otherwise would watching a drama or other kind of TV show.

Television is escapism. If people wanted to dwell on their real world problems, they would not need something to distract them for a brief time. Sooner or later the voyeuristic appeal is going to wear off, and folks are going to realise they need only look around at what is happening in their own house or that of their neighbour to see all the content they would on reality TV. Sure, it's fun to play peeping Tom for a while, but they will tire of it and search for something that leads to better relaxation/escape.

Given, current fantasy based viewing is geared towards a niche market, but that does not mean that it cannot be expanded to the mass population. At this point in time they are competing with reality TV for viewing slots, but as these reality shows lose favour and ratings begin to drop, networks will be on the lookout for the next "IN" thing to fill those slots up, giving the fantasy writers a perfect opportunity to flight some new ideas that will capture the minds of the masses.

But reality TV delivers escapism. But it’s a tangible escapism that people can relate to. It’s “comfort food” escapism: it’s not too serious, it provides enough drama, enough excitement to satisfy the needs of the majority. It’s this satisfying escapism that makes reality TV so compelling - ordinary people in anything but ordinary situations. Perfect for these increasingly strenuous times.

For fantasy to grab an audience these days the budget needs to be enormous - great writers, clever directors, a talented cast, not to mention the expense of post-production effects. And because of that, few can be produced. Reality TV is cheap TV, and with more time to fill on the ever-increasing number of channels, budgets for all but the major evening slots once or twice a week continue to shrink.

The non-primetime slots on every cable channel will continue to be filled with more mundane forms of reality TV for budgetary reasons, and for that fact alone, fantasy simply can never compete. People love to watch people, and networks love shows that cost them nothing to make but still generate revenue.

Reality TV makers continue to find many ways to make sure that they’re not simply watching something that’s happening in their own house. Reality contestants are put in such varying situations, situations designed to bring about extreme emotional reactions that the variety is anything but what happens in everyday life. But the people, the people are real. And that’s the point, that’s where the connection comes from.

There will come a time when the viewer will come to realise they are being fed reality TV as a way to bring more money to the pockets of those in charge. The average person does not enjoy feeling like they are being used to line someone else's pockets. They will begin to wonder why networks think it is OK to serve up inferior programing, and start to feel, once again duped.

This disillusioned mass will need something else to entertain them. And it will have to be big and over the top for the networks to be able to win back their approval. They will want to feel like they are getting something more than "cheap TV". And that is where a fantasy series of high quality and mass appeal will find it's footing in the viewers' world.

THIS DEBATE IS CLOSED.

Please place your votes by PMing me your choice of winner WITH REASONS.


Thank you to both participants for a very entertaining debate.