My Argument

I am going to be looking at the representation of women in reality TV programmes. For this, I am going to look at specific examples such as Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore. And then as an opposite view of this representation I am going to look at Big Brother, and how it includes people from all over and not just from one specific area. This will give a wider area of research and will enable me to challenge stereotypes from these areas.
As part of my research and understanding of my chosen topic, I need to look at some theories that support or counteract my argument. The first theory that I am going to apply to my argument is the feminist theory. This examines women's social, experiences, interests and feminist politics. Some of the themes that are explored in this theory are discrimination, objectification (especially sexually) and stereotypes. An example of this would be in Made in Chelsea, especially, as the men often see the women as a prize to be won. This is particularly true when two men are involved and it becomes like a competition. However, a counter type of this would be Gemma from The Only Way is Essex. She is a very strong and independent woman, and is often the one to shoot men down and make them feel humiliated.
The second theory that I can apply to my argument is the uses and gratifications theory. This looks at how people's needs influence how they use and respond to the media. It also says that people use media texts for a variety of reasons, these are; information, personal identity, integration and social interaction, and entertainment. The audiences of reality TV programmes watch because they may be able to identify with the characters on screen. As human beings, we are interested in how other people live, whether if they are rich or poor. So watching reality TV programmes allows the audience to see how a different group of people in the UK live. They may also get enjoyment from this.
For my line of production I am going to look at creating a TV magazine interview for a new reality TV programme. This new programme will go against the typical norms that are expected of reality TV. This interview will cover all of the ins and outs whilst being persuasive and informative.
To conclude, the final question for my topic of choice will be "Why are women often misrepresented in reality TV?"

Representation of Women in Reality TV

Women in Reality TV:

• Women in reality TV programmes are represented very differently to the men.
• E.g: "The Only Way is Essex" (ITV2), the women are represented to be very beauty conscious and quite stupid and quite self indulged.
• E.g: "Made in Chelsea" (E4-Channel 4), the women are represented to be very posh, rich - the complete opposite to "TOWIE" because they seem to be more established because of the money that they have. However, when it comes down to the men, the women on both programmes become naïve, this is the similarity between the two.
• E.g: "Geordie Shore" (MTV), this is similar to the other programmes that I have looked at as they try to be the typical stereotype of that particular place in the UK - this makes the people watching believe that everyone in that area are like this, when it may not be the case.
• E.g: "Big Brother" (Channel 5), this is different as it offers a wider range of women from all over the UK with different values and ideologies. But they are set up to be in certain situations - so it poses the question, is it really reality TV? 

The women may be represented in this way because it is more entertaining and interesting for the audience to watch and enjoy. The people that are featured on reality TV programmes are represented as a much more exaggerated stereotype to what they may actually be like, and for this reason, people will either watch or avoid it. The characters in these programmes are often told how to act in certain situations and may even be given situations to be in, creating more entertainment for the audience.

Feminist Theory:

• It examines women's social roles, experience, interests, and feminist politics.
• They focus on analysing gender inequality.
• Themes explored are discrimination, objectification (especially sexually), oppression and stereotyping.
• In most reality TV programmes, the women are seen as a prize to be won by the men- especially in love triangles/rivals. This can be seen as objectifying women as they may not think about the women's feelings, only the prize at the end.
• Feminists would most likely not agree with Reality TV programmes such as these for these reasons.

Audience Theory - Uses and Gratifications Theory:

• People's needs influence how they use and respond to the media.
• Audiences use media texts for a variety of reasons:
• 1.) Information: Gaining a sense of security through knowledge.
• 2.) Personal Identity: Identifying with characters.
• 3.) Integration and Social Interaction: Insight into others lives.
• 4.) Entertainment: Getting enjoyment.
• Audiences may be able to identify with the characters of reality TV programmes and the situations that they may find themselves in.
• They may also get enjoyment from seeing how other people live too.