tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999089465199150217.post4100281622057906549..comments2023-06-13T04:38:07.859-05:00Comments on High Concepts: Reality Bites BackDaniel McInernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17395718013706017328noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999089465199150217.post-15151905815989043652010-11-12T15:18:10.430-06:002010-11-12T15:18:10.430-06:00Or maybe it's the "WWF Effect"--ther...Or maybe it's the "WWF Effect"--there's no spontaneous action to observe, it's all scripted. On a brighter note, Tim, I think there are a lot of emerging screenwriters out there who have no intention of holding back. The ACT ONE Program in Hollywood, for example, has been doing some fantastic work in recent years training--and placing--young screenwriters. And it's not like there aren't some excellent things already out there, both on television and in the movies. The voyeuristic aspect of reality TV will always grab attention, but the superb writing in a series such as "Foyle's War" endures, though in a much quieter way. You're so brilliant, Tim--we must be related!Daniel McInernyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17395718013706017328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1999089465199150217.post-40888566321607485272010-11-12T13:25:56.984-06:002010-11-12T13:25:56.984-06:00It occurs to me that "reality" shows suf...It occurs to me that "reality" shows suffer from what behavioral scientists call the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthorne_effect" rel="nofollow">Hawthorne Effect</a>. Quantum physics has a <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980227055013.htm" rel="nofollow">similar theory</a>: the very act of observing affects the behavior of the observed.<br /><br />There can be little doubt that "reality" shows reflect not even the reality of their subjects' lives, much less reflecting anything to which the viewer might relate.<br /><br />It does seem strange, in a nation with twice the population it held in 1945, there are fewer quality screenwriters than ever before. I agree with you, Dan - that can't be true. I wonder how many are holding themselves back, and how many are blocked out by the economics of the entertainment industry.<br /><br />Fortunately, I think technology is changing those economics. There is more quality entertainment available than we know, but it is gradually becoming more accessible. At the same time, the economics of exhibitionism and voyeurism may lower the perceived entertainment value of "reality" shows on television.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com