TLC’s discovery channel has enraptured millions of viewers by producing reality TV shows such as John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting. Both of these TV shows are meant to portray the true lives of each family member as opposed to hired actors or fictional characters. As you may already know, John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting are meant to give viewers an idea of what a typical day would be like in each of their separate situations, something that is out of the ordinary to most of its viewers. But, are these two TV shows accurate portrayals of our culture? Are these shows being scripted, and if so, how does that change its perception? What do these shows contribute to our society? I will now begin to compare and contrast these two reality television shows to gain a better understanding of what each show says about our modern culture.

     John and Kate plus 8 is a documentary-style reality show about a Pennsylvania husband, wife and their extremely individualistic children. John and Kate met at a picnic on October 5, 1997 and got married on June 12, 1999. (Wikipedia) Unfortunately, the couple was unable to have children because Kate has what is called polycystic ovary syndrome. Doctors turned her to infertility treatment which ultimately led John and Kate to have their eight wonderful children. This information is included at the introduction of each episode. Many viewers override this bit of information but some couples who are not able to have children turn to this as a source of hope. The viewers’ mindset becomes more positive in thinking that if infertility treatment worked for John and Kate, then it can certainly work for most everyone else. Moreover, the 18 Kids and Counting reality TV show has many similarities to the former reality show but it does have some outstanding differences. To begin, it is a reality show about the Duggar family, which consists of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 18 children. They have resided in the state of Arkansas since their marriage on July 21, 1984. (Wikipedia) Yes, each family has their individual lifestyle, but neither show has specific plot lines nor do they contain multiple thread lines. Each episode has its distinct focus usually culminating with a happy ending. For example in John and Kate plus 8, an ordinary episode consists of going to some kind of amusement park, gymnasium, or museum with the intent of spending as much time getting to know their kids on an individual basis as possible. This teaches parent viewers to spend a little more time with their children because before they know it, their children will be all grown up and out of the house.

     Every family raises their children in a certain fashion. Viewers are interested to know how the Gosselins and the Duggars conduct their large families on a daily basis. With regard to punishment, the Gosselin family uses the time out system in which the children stay at a designated location in the house for a certain amount of time. Similarly, the Duggars chose to take their children aside and explain to them individually what they did wrong in a very low tone of voice. After their children understand what they did, they are then sent to a short time out. Whenever any of their children behave in a rude manner, they know what the consequences will be because they practice this particular form of punishment consecutively. This practice teaches their children to think of what they did wrong, and allows them to avoid similar situations in the future. As you can see, both the Gosselin and Duggar family chose to abstain from any physical punishment. A lot of debate circulates around this issue but research shows that practicing physical abuse on your children ultimately teaches them to be abusive in their adolescent years. So, both of these reality television shows indirectly lend examples on how to discipline your children in two very distinct ways.

     Every family has their opinions on whether to have their children homeschooled or sent to public school. Here, we get to see both pros and cons of each situation. In John and Kate plus 8, we see that they have chosen to allow their children to attend public school. Some advantages of sending their children to public school are having more options in their curriculum, having more access to sports and extracurricular programs, having certified educational instructors, and having the ability to create better socializing skills. The disadvantages which come with this decision are larger class sizes and the possible exposure to unacceptable lifestyles. On the contrary, the Duggars have chosen to home-school their children. This allows them to study what is of most interest to them, to have flexible schedules, to avoid peer pressure, competition and bullies, and to build close-knit relationships with each of their family members. But, along with that comes the inability to bond and develop friendships with peers. It is even said that homeschooled children are not prepared for the real world once they are done with school because they are not used to foreign outside pressures. Whether to home-school or not, all depends on the parents. In the end viewers learn that on top of all the learning materials and field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement. Again, these two reality TV shows set great examples to our society.

     Our society is full of stereotypes. Reality television has more racial and gender stereotypes then anyone could possibly imagine. For example, in one of the John and Kate plus 8 episodes we catch a glimpse of Kate’s views on Asian men. She states, “I’ve always had a thing for Asian men my whole life…John’s eyes are the most gorgeous Asian eyes that I’ve ever seen.” Another episode reveals how Kate feels about her own children when she states, “I wanted them to look like John…and look like little china dolls.” These statements, as well as the fact that they are a heterogeneous couple, portrays racial equality to its viewers and may be a leading cause as to why it has such high ratings. But, there is one circumstance that I can recall where Mady, one of the older twin sisters, declared that she was the “asianest” of them all. This, in a way, is portrayed as negative because it is as if Mady was taught that being “Asian” is better than not being Asian at all. Of course she is only eight years old, but we still see how children start developing racial stereotypes at such a small age. This shows viewers that parents should try to eliminate racial stereotyping so that their children will not in turn learn from their own actions or beliefs. On the other hand, in 18 Kids and Counting we don’t get much racial stereotyping as we do gender stereotyping. On many episodes of this reality TV show we see how the girls are assigned to do the majority of the chores inside of the house while the boys are mainly outside doing “manly” orientated housework. Many viewers chimed in on this issue and as a result the family filmed an episode in which the women of the house took on the jobs of the men for a day and vice versa. The boys helped Michelle cook green beans and Tater Tot Casserole for lunch while the girls were stranded 200 yards from the house and left to change a flat tire on their own. In the end, the moral of the episode came out to be that girls should stick to the chores in the house and that boys should stick to the outside housework. The Duggars lead a very traditional way of living in which much of society has diverted from. Many of its viewers may be more inclined to watch an episode of 18 Kids and Counting because of their interest to see how much the way of living has changed to different people in different parts of the country.

     By watching John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting, viewers don’t get a full sense of how devoted each family is to their religion. But, we are not left totally in the dark either. On certain episodes of John and Kate plus 8, they film their entire family going to their non-denominational Christian church called “Assembly of God” which is known for its liberal preaching style. The Gosselin family showed their devotion to their faith on one particular episode where they decided to buy presents for all of the cancer patients of St. Jude’s Research Hospital. On the other hand, the Duggar family from 18 Kids and Counting show their devotion through different means. The Duggars are what you call Quiverfull, “a conservative Christian movement which promotes procreation, eschewing all forms of birth control including natural family planning and sterilization.” (Wikipedia) This not only explains why they have such a large family, but it also explains why family as a whole is so important to them. Their devotion to their religion is shown on an episode where Jim Bob held an hour session of bible study, something that occurs on a daily basis in the Duggar household. They also show their devotion to their faith on a mission trip to El Salvador, where they visited two orphanages to bring them aid and presents.

     They don’t sing. They don’t dance. They are not dropped off on some distant island to compete with one another for survival. So why do viewers love John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting so much? The answer is because when viewers watch these shows, they feel better about their own lives. A lot of TV makes people feel worse about their lives because the characters on TV seem so much happier and seem better able to work through their relationships than in reality. With the onset of all of the allegations of divorce and infidelity, viewers can relate even more to John and Kate plus 8 because it is what’s going on in almost every American household. At first, people watched it from the angle of a news story because it’s interesting to see a show where people are taking care of eight children. But now, as the ball of twine has unraveled, they are watching to see if they can watch a marriage fall apart. As of yet, the Duggar family has no “drama” revolving around their reality television show and therefore viewers are still intent to see how a family of 20 can manage to live together in the same household. But, the question that still arises is “Are there any conflicts with raising 18 children that the Duggars do not portray on their reality television show?” The answer is yes. To raise 18 children at once is hectic to say the least. Financially it is almost impossible. Will there be enough food to satisfy everyone at the dinner table or how will we be able to send all of our children to college are just two issues that are not raised on the 18 Kids and Counting show. With this being said, we as viewers can conclude that these shows truly do not portray “reality” in the sense that they do not reveal every last bit of information that would result if it were indeed “reality.”

Cameron Williams

ENC 1102

18 January 2010

Reality Television

            TLC’s discovery channel has enraptured millions of viewers by producing reality TV shows such as John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting. Both of these TV shows are meant to portray the true lives of each family member as opposed to hired actors or fictional characters. As you may already know, John and Kate plus 8 and 18 Kids and Counting are meant to give viewers an idea of what a typical day would be like in each of their separate situations, something that is out of the ordinary to most of its viewers. But, are these two TV shows accurate portrayals of our culture? Are these shows being scripted, and if so, how does that change its perception? What do these shows contribute to our society? I will now begin to compare and contrast these two reality television shows to gain a better understanding of what each show says about our modern culture.

            John and Kate plus 8 is a documentary-style reality show about a Pennsylvania husband, wife and their extremely individualistic children. John and Kate met at a picnic on October 5, 1997 and got married on June 12, 1999. Unfortunately, the couple was unable to have children because Kate has what is called polycystic ovary syndrome. Doctors turned her to infertility treatment which ultimately led John and Kate to have their eight wonderful children. This information is included at the introduction of each episode. Many viewers override this bit of information but some couples who are not able to have children turn to this as a source of hope. The viewers’ mindset becomes more positive in thinking that if infertility treatment worked for John and Kate, then it certainly can work for most everyone else. Moreover, the 18 Kids and Counting reality TV show has many similarities to the former reality show but it does have some outstanding differences. To begin, it is a reality show about the Duggar family, which consists of parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 18 children. They have resided in the state of Arkansas since their marriage on July 21, 1984. Yes, each family has their individual lifestyle, but neither show has specific plot lines nor do they contain multiple thread lines. Each episode has its distinct focus usually culminating with a happy ending. For example in John and Kate plus 8, an ordinary episode consists of going to some kind of amusement park, gymnasium, or museum with the intent of spending as much time getting to know their kids on an individual basis as possible. This teaches parent viewers to spend a little more time with their children because before they know it, their children will be all grown up and out of the house.

            Every family raises their children in a certain fashion. Viewers are interested to know how the Gosselins and the Duggars conduct their large families on a daily basis. With regard to punishment, the Gosselin family uses the time out system in which the children stay at a designated location in the house for a certain amount of time. Similarly, the Duggars chose to take their children aside and explain to them individually what they did wrong in a very low tone of voice. After their children understand what they did, they are then sent to a short time out. Whenever any of their children behave in a rude manner, they know what the consequences will be because they practice this particular form of punishment consecutively. This practice teaches their children to think of what they did wrong, and allows them to avoid similar situations in the future. As you can see, both the Gosselin and Duggar family chose to abstain from any physical punishment. A lot of debate circulates around this issue but research shows that practicing physical abuse on your children ultimately teaches them to be abusive in their adolescent years. So, both of these reality television shows indirectly lend great examples on how to properly discipline your children.

            Every family has their opinions on whether to have their children homeschooled or sent to public school. Here, we get to see both pros and cons of each situation. In John and Kate plus 8, we see that they have chosen to allow their children to attend public school. Some advantages of sending their children to public school are having more options in their curriculum, having more access to sports and extracurricular programs, having certified educational instructors, and having the ability to create better socializing skills. The disadvantages which come with this decision are larger class sizes and the possible exposure to unacceptable lifestyles. On the contrary, the Duggars have chosen to home school their children. This allows them to study what is of most interest to them, to have flexible schedules, to avoid peer pressure, competition and bullies, and to build close-knit relationships with each of their family members. But, along with that comes the inability to bond and develop friendships with peers. It is even said that homeschooled children are not prepared for the real world once they are done with school because they are not used to foreign outside pressures. Whether to home school or not, all depends on the parent. In the end viewers learn that on top of all the learning materials and field trips, home schooling entails a lot of love, patience and encouragement. Again, these two reality TV shows set great examples to our society.

            Our society is full of stereotypes. Reality television has more racial and gender stereotypes then anyone could possibly imagine. For example, in one of the John and Kate plus 8 episodes we catch a glimpse of Kate’s views on Asian men. She states, “I’ve always had a thing for Asian men my whole life…John’s eyes are the most gorgeous Asian eyes that I’ve ever seen.” Another episode reveals how Kate feels about her own children when she states, “I wanted them to look like John…and look like little china dolls.” These statements, as well as the fact that they are a heterogeneous couple, portrays racial equality to its viewers and may be a leading cause as to why it has such high ratings. But, there is one circumstance that I can recall where Mady, one of the older twin sisters, declared that she was the “asianest” of them all. This, in a way, is portrayed as negative because it is as if Mady was taught that being “Asian” is better than not being Asian at all. Of course she is only eight years old, but we still see how children start developing racial stereotypes at such a small age. This shows viewers that parents should try to eliminate racial stereotyping so that their children will not in turn learn from their own actions or beliefs. In 18 Kids and Counting, we don’t get much racial stereotyping as we do gender stereotyping. On many episodes of this reality TV show we see how the girls are assigned to do the majority of the chores inside of the house while the boys are mainly outside doing “manly” orientated housework. Many viewers chimed in on this issue and as a result the family filmed an episode in which the women of the house took on the jobs of the men for a day and vice versa. The boys helped Michelle cook green beans and Tater Tot Casserole for lunch while the girls were stranded 200 yards from the house and left to change a flat tire on their own. In the end, the moral of the episode came out to be that girls should stick to the chores in the house and that boys should stick to the outside housework. The Duggars lead a very traditional way of living in which much of society has diverted from. Many of its viewers may be more inclined to watch an episode of 18 Kids and Counting because of their interest to see how much the way of living has changed to different people in different parts of the country.

                              Works Cited

Ruszkiewicz,Anderson,Friend.Beyond Words:Cultural Texts

        for Reading &Writing.NewYork:Custom,2009

     Saleem’s looks, for instance, are presented as a mockery of the traditional epic hero. His nose is his most prominent feature, so large that people remember him years after having last encountered him. His nose looks unheroic and, worse, it is always runny. In his childhood, Saleem has his hair pulled out by its roots and he loses a finger in a slammed door. All of these traits combine to make him look miserably grotesque. It is absurd to expect readers to identify with Saleem.

     There are many instances in the novel in which Rushdie makes the case that life in post-colonial India is absurd, from the power of Saleem’s archrival to crush enemies with his mighty knees to the cowgirl persona of young Evie Burns to the national fascination with the trial of Commander Subarmati to the fact that Padma, who is the only person who cares about Saleem in the end, has a name that means “Dung Princess.” There are elements in this book that indicate a higher significance, but there are also cases in which the notable elements are here to indicate that, even at its most grotesque, the world of this novel is a strange place full of wonders

Works Cited

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children. New York: Random House, 1981.

      On India’s Independence Day, flag-hoisting ceremonies are conducted by the local administration in attendance. The main event takes place in New Dehli, where the prime minister  hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally televised speech from its ramparts. In his speech, he highlights the achievements of his government during the past year, raises important issues and gives a call for further development. The Prime Minister also pays his tribute to leaders of the freedom struggle. A colorful pageant showcasing India’s cultural diversity, symbolic depictions of the country’s advances in science and technology, and a joint display of India’s military capabilities by the armed forces are an essential part of the Independence Day celebrations.

      Salman Rushdie’s novel, “Midnight’s Children,” is an allegory in which Saleem himself “acts as an everyday man at the center of the national-historical events that are much larger than he.” (pg 1, MC notes) The narrator is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947 in which India gained its independence from British rule. Rushdie explicates many instances of the day of independence by describing that there were “many gasps. And, outside the window, fireworks and crowds.” (pg 3) Rushdie does a mediocre job of describing the actual retelling of the story of India’s independence because he was only an infant at the time. Throughout the chapters of the novel, Rushdie emphasizes Muslim v. Hindu. Rushdie tends to depict anyone of Hindu origin as illegitimate and that of Muslim origin as wealthy elite. It is also ironic that Saleem Sinai, who is raised by a well-to-do Muslim couple, is actually the illegitimate son of a low-caste Hindu woman and Shiva, the son of the Muslim couple, is given to a poor Hindu street performer.

Works Cited

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children. New York: Random House, 1981.

“India Before and After Independence.” Connecting Indians online. 2009. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. <http://festivals.tajonline.com/independence-day.php>.

“Independence Day.” Independence Day. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. <http://festivals.iloveindia.com/independence-day/>.

      Mumtaz is described as “black as midnight” (57) and ultimately ends up taking care of Nadir Kahn’s everyday needs. Then, Reverend Mother’s reveals her ability to dream her daughter’s dreams but can’t accuse her daughter’s of anything because there is no proof. Nadir Kahn finally asks to talk to Aadam and asks “for his daughter’s hand in marriage.”(60)  (Mumtaz) After Mumtaz is secretly married to Nadir Kahn, she begins to lead a double life. In the year of 1945, Rani of Cooch Naheen dies and torrential rains fall only to lead Mumtaz to become very ill. Under the supervision of her father, Aadam finds out that after years of marriage to Nadir Kahn, Mumtaz is still a virgin. Surprisingly, Reverend Mother stated, “Daughter, is this thing true?” (62) after three long years of silence.

      Emerald realizes that “the fountainhead of her family’s troubles was that cowardly plumpie who lived underground.” (65)  So, she rushed to inform Major Zulfikar about Agra’s subterranean Taj. Major Zulfikar sends in fifteen of his fellow men to search for Nadir Kahn. But to their dismay, Nadir Kahn had escaped before they arrived. All that was left was a single note written to Mumtaz which stated “I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee.” (66) Emerald marries in January the following year. There, Mumtaz meets Ahmed Sinai and not to long after they decide to get married. Alia, the oldest of the three sisters, is remorseful because Ahmed Sinai was supposed to be her man. With no other choice, Alia changes her name to Amina Sinai for a fresh start. From there on, Amina Sinai vows never to get married.

      Some images/themes throughout this specific chapter include silence, inferiority, traditionalism, orientalism, and magic realism. Silence begins when Reverend Mother decides to stubbornly fall silent for the duration of three years. We also see silence appear when the cook, Daoud, “opened his mouth to scream but no sound emerged…” (62) We even see silence influence Alia’s marriage proposal from Ahmed. Here the silence can be interpreted as contagious because he became silent by being surrounded in their family atmosphere of no communication. Indian women are among the many women who are stereotyped as being inferior to their men. They live in a very patriarchal so when we catch a glimpse of Aadam Aziz telling his wife to be silent, dominant characteristics of male figures can be easily seen. We also see traditionalism take place on Reverend Mother’s part when she finally gives in to silence when she finds out that her youngest daughter is a virgin. She states, “…whose brain was so softened by fancy foreign ideas that he could send his child into such an unnatural marriage?” (64) Orientalism is seen when Aadam grabbed his old leather bag from the “west” because he needed to give Mumtaz a “thorough physical check-up.” (63) It is as if no other method of caring for his ill child would be as thorough as practicing western traditions.  Finally, Rushdie incorporates magic realism throughout his narrative. For example, Reverend Mother “began to dream her daughter’s dreams.” (58) We all know for a fact that this is not possible in real life but in this case, the Reverend Mother is able to see the thoughts in her daughter’s minds.

Works Cited

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children. New York: Random House, 1981.

               Livid is described as being “Extremely angry; furious.” I think that almost any line out of this novel that is said by Kincaid can be described as livid. “You murdered people. You imprisoned people. You robbed people. You opened your own banks and your put our money into them. The accounts were in your name.” (Kincaid 35). This is just part of one of the many ramblings Kincaid does in the book. All she does is complain about the former British Empire and the government established after their independence. Sometimes she uses interesting ways of describing things to really bring home the point of her grievances. “The hospital in Antigua is so dirty, so run-down, that even if the best doctors and nurses in the world were employed, a person from another part of the world – Europe or North America – would not feel confident leaving a domestic animal there” (Kincaid 65).  “A tourist is an ugly human being” (Kincaid 14). Ironically, the only money Antigua will be making legally is off of tourism. They may be ugly people, but they do usually have pockets stuffed with money which is better than the penniless peasants that live on the island.

Works Cited

Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988.

                By contrast, Rodrigo describes Olympico as “a demon of strength and vitality who had fathered children. He possessed the precious semen in abundance.” (pg 58)  This places Olympico on a high pedestal so to say because he is rewarded for being a man. In Macabeas eyes, Olympico is very macho. He radiates his machismo because of two reasons. First of all, he is a very ambitious character, unlike Macabea. He wants to become a very prominent politician so he can ultimately control his many victims. Secondly, Olympico has killed a man. It has been kept a secret for so long that it even gives him more power within him. Olympico also likes to attend funerals which is very odd to many people in society. This is yet another example of how he portrays himself to be “macho.”

                  Olympico ditches Macabea for her work colleague Gloria. She is the only woman in this novella that is actually spoken to with high regards. “Gloria was made for bearing children. Macabea, by comparison, had all the signs of her unmistakable doom.” (pg. 59) According to Olympico, Gloria had enough to transform herself into something of quality. Even though he had more respect towards Gloria, we can still see the male domination shine through. Another very memorable example is when Olympico refused to buy Macabea anything else besides coffee and milk. Not only does this critique gender, but also relationships. In today’s society, men don’t act that way towards their other half. They are usually more than welcome to pay for something as little and insignificant as a cup of coffee. Last but not least, we see the last female character to be introduced, Madame Carlota, explains, “I was poor, I had nothing to eat, no decent cloths to wear. So I became a prostitute.” (pg 63) This is the idea that the only thing women are able to do, given the fact that they have no education and money, was to sell their body. This last example just reinforces the idea of male dominance in this very dense and complex novella.

Works Cited

Lispector, Claire. The Hour of the Star. Great Britain: A New Directions Book, 1977.