Acting and Entertainment in the

Acting and Entertainment in "The Simple Life": the 'reality' behind reality television shows The appeal of reality television shows began with the hit series "Survivor" in 2000, a program that features urban-living Americans trying to "outwit, outplay, and outlast" the other contestants in living life and 'surviving' in an island.

Following its success in primetime television, a host of other reality shows were produced, which includes, among others, "Fear Factor" and "The Apprentice," dating games like the "Blind Date" and "Fifth Wheel," as well as real life glimpses in the lives of personalities like the "Newlyweds," "The Osbournes," and most recently, the hit show featuring rich heiresses Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, "The Simple Life." Reality shows have changed the way programs are produced and conceptualized nowadays, since the audience -- that is, real people, take center-stage in assuming the role of a TV star, allowing cameras illustrate life as real people live it given a particular situation to live up to.

In discussing the nature of the reality show "The Simple Life," which is the paper's focus, it is vital to understand how the show (as well as other reality TV programs) is actually depict alternative forms of acting and entertainment rather than real depictions of real life by real people.

That is, this paper argues that the reality show "The Simple Life" is a reflection of "realistic" acting that intends, above everything else, to entertain people rather than give them insights about what real life is all about and as captured by the TV cameras.

In the texts that follow, this line of argument is supported all throughout by subdividing the discussion and analysis into three, with references to scenes and secondary sources that offer a discussion or criticisms of "TSL." The Simple Life," which was aired in 2003, features the life of rich people who are given the task of 'surviving' farm life in Altus, Arkansas.

Basing on the premise that the rich, extravagant, and expensive lifestyles of the lead stars, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, is drastically different from the simple farm life in Arkansas, the show treats the audience to Richie and Hilton's attempt to survive Arkansas (and as the show's tagline, "Can they (people of Arkansas) survive them (Richie and Hilton)?").

The show's concept is evidently a paradox: the simple life depicted in the show is not simple at all, since it has challenged two individuals with extravagant lifestyles in an environment which they evidently cannot tolerate. Richie, daughter of famous music artist Lionel Richie, has a life that matches Hilton's (granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton hotel chain) penchant for extravagant shopping, flirting with men, while at the same time, disobeying the rules imposed by people (particularly the adults and authorities) impose upon them.

The two personalities are well-known for their wealth, love for shopping and boys, and for being "mentally-challenged" when it comes to discussing more serious and complex issues in life. As stated earlier, "TSL" is an example of an emerging alternative form of acting and entertainment in TV programming, wherein realistic depictions of the lives of famous personalities are showcased in the homes of every American viewer.

There are three reasons why "TSL" is considered as pure and simple acting and entertainment within the "realism" genre of TV programming: this kind of TV show brings in high ratings, it showcases "raw" acting -- that is, acting around people as one would in real life, and entertainment, wherein interaction with real people is always based on the premise that what should come out from the interaction is an entertaining scene that is either comedic, dramatic, or carries with a certain degree of suspense.

TSL"s high ratings show that the reality genre has successfully invaded TV programming and has become the staple offering of TV networks in conceptualizing shows and programs to be aired on TV. Upon its inception and airing on TV, "TSL" has managed to have a weekly rating of 8 points out of 10, with a viewer age bracket of 18 to 49, and was viewed by a total of 8.3 million viewers (Ryan, 2004 & Advertising Age, 2004).

These ratings reflect the acceptability of the show, which comes with it the naughty and somewhat deviant characters and personalities of Richie and Hilton. Closer analysis of the "TSL" also demonstrates how, for the young adult TV viewers, the show is their 'guide' to the lifestyles of rich and famous people like Richie and Hilton, while the older age bracket subscribe to the TV program because of the humor, sexual appeal, and illustrations of conflict between adults and authorities and Richie and Hilton.

In effect, "TSL" portrays a life that attempts to show the audience that rich and famous individuals can do whatever they want because they are rich, and they can get away with their deviant and offensive behavior because they are famous and can be tolerated for committing "naughty antics" against other people.

"TSL" previews the lives of two individuals that ordinary could never have and probably would never experience, that is why the show remains appealing and interesting for its viewers -- they are given a glimpse of 'the simple life' that is not so simple and attainable after all.

Another reason that contributes to the image of "TSL" as a new form of realistic TV programming is that involves realistic acting around real people with actors or stars fully aware that the scene is being recorded and documented for its commercial appeal. As stated in the first reason, "TSL"s high ratings was due to the show's delivery of the kind of programming that viewers tolerated and wanted to have -- that is, actors acting naturally in a real environment and interacting with real people.

What completes the formula of reality TV programming like the "TSL" is that these real people acts as if the actors are indeed like normal people they usually socialize and interact with; thus, in "TSL," Richie and Hilton's unruly and naughty behavior are tolerated. Hence, "TSL" is all about natural acting in a real setting or environment, interacting with real people, but always with the consciousness that what they are doing will be broadcast and aired on television.

Combining both the high ratings and formula of a reality TV show, and "TSL" becomes an entertaining program that primarily aims to capture as many viewers as possible. It is impossible to think that Richie and Hilton's flamboyant and "slutty" outfits in Altus would be worn had they been put in a real situation thy were in at the show, sans the cameras and audiences.

The conscious effort that they put in irritating their employers as they seek (and get fired) job after job in Altus also demonstrate how the lead actors treat the challenge that was given them. "TSL" is simply a show about the Richie and Hilton, and they have the license to do whatever they want and be whoever they want to be, simple because "TSL" is their show.

Indeed, as Heffernan (2003) elucidates in her analysis of the Richie-Hilton duo in "TSL": Many of the punch lines in "The Simple Life" are merely cutaways to small-town bystanders looking blank. Or to the stars looking blank. These shots could have been pulled from anywhere in the show's action, and might have had nothing to do with the matter at hand; when juxtaposed against regional behavior, however, they seemed to point up broad cultural contrasts. The show also thrived on images of the sulky, coltish Ms. Hilton.

Still, it was thin gruel. Her analysis.