1. VIOLENCE-A MAJOR THEME IN REALITY TV BY: KYLE T. SHEMELIA

2. JERSEY SHORE (MTV) MTV debuted this brand new series on December 3 rd, 2009. The first episode garnered 1.38 million viewers. After a clip of cast member Snooki being punched in a bar leaked,the clip went viral and 2.48 million viewers tuned in to catch the fourth episode. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCvj4kTJqT8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCvj4kTJqT8 MTV did edit the actual punch out after receiving criticism for the preview. Season one featured fights between Jwoww and Mike “the Situation,” Snooki and a house guest, and Ronnie and a guy on the boardwalk. The show gained more viewers with each episode.

3. JERSEY SHORE (SEASON 2): MIAMI Featured two girl on girl fights, no male fights. This season averaged 5-6 million viewers per episode. The two cat fights received the season’s highest ratings.

4. JERSEY SHORE (SEASONS 3&4) Season 3 opened with yet another fight between Sammi and Jwoww, receiving 8.45 million viewers, it was Shore’s highest ratings up to that point. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGHifI_E5eE&feature=player_detailpagehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGHifI_E5eE&feature=player_detailpage Season 4 featured a male on male fight between Ronnie and the Situation and severa; fights between Snooki and the Situation. Both seasons received 6-8 million viewers per episode.

5. JERSEY SHORE (SEASONS 5&6) Seasons 5 and 6 featured a more peaceful cast, violence and aggressive behavior declined and so did the viewers. Season 5 started off strong, but gradually fizzled out; Season 6 debuted to 4.69 million viewers, but its most recent episode only had 2.41 million viewers tuned in. Season 6 also featured former wild-child Snooki pregnant. DID LESS VIOLENCE CONTRIBUTE TO LESS VIEWERS?!

6. BAD GIRLS CLUB 8 (OXYGEN) Bad Girls Club has been known for violence since its first season, but when Oxygen placed a set of twins in the Season 8 cast, it became BGC’s highest rated season. Episode 10 featured the twins getting jumped by the other housemates and consequently was the season’s most watched episode. The season contained plenty of other girl on girl fights. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrxIClxXaTshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrxIClxXaTs

7. BAD GIRLS CLUB 9 Season 9 of BGC had more fights than any other season and received 1-2 million views per episode. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8eKNtzCkWIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8eKNtzCkWI

8. REALITY TV STATS -In 2010, 15 out of 20 of the highest rated shows for the 18-49 age bracket were reality shows. -The highest rated unscripted television show for summer 2010 was Jersey Shore. -In 2001 the Academy of Arts and Sciences added the “Most Outstanding Reality Program Award” to its list of categories and two more were added in 2003 and 2010.

9. HOW VIOLENT REALITY SHOWS EFFECT VIEWERS -Social Awareness- many reality programs include messages about preventing violence or anti-bullying in their opening or closing credits. -Shifting of Cultural Norms- viewers see violence on TV and soon believe it is acceptable to society, when in reality if a person not on TV were to fight like the “stars” of their favorite programs, they would most likely be arrested and face assault and battery charges. -Desensitization – the more viewers are exposed to violent behavior, the less of a “shock factor” they have when they see these acts.

10. WHAT AN EXPERT HAS TO SAY: “I think that the biggest danger for our society is the fact that we are really becoming desensitized to things that are really awful and traumatic to watch.” “Things that we used to turn away from are now things that we watch on television on a daily basis; it sends a message to the viewers that its something that is socially acceptable in our society these days.” –Stacy Kaiser, psychotherapist

11. WHAT A REALITY TELEVISION STAR HAS TO SAY: While being interviewed by ABC News, star of MTV’s the Hills and E!’s Holly’s World was asked: “Does every reality show need a bad girl?” And she replied with, “yes.” She also shared that she made a lot of money being a bad girl and says, “I am forever marked as the instigator; known for stirring up trouble.” When asked how much the television shows producers have to do with the violence on these shows she said, “They create a lot of the drama and start a lot of the fights.”

12. CONCLUSION: -DO VIEWERS TUNE INTO REALITY SHOWS FOR VIOLENCE? -ARE THESE SHOWS NEGATIVELY EFFECTING VIEWERS? -ARE THESE SHOWS A REFLECTION OF TODAY’S SOCIETY? -SHOULD VIOLENCE BE AIRED ON TV?!

13. SOURCES: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/reality-tv-show-violence-real-life- consequences-teen/story?id=13256971#.UL6eyYO_KSp http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/business/media/13reality.html http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/10/11/reality-shows-battery- domestic-violence-jersey-shore-teen-mom/ http://www.businessinsider.com/reality-tv-turns-dangerously-violent-2010-11