Critical investigation - next steps

Ny Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/business/media/reality-tvs-instant-stars-populate-a-magazine.html?_r=0
This article talks about reality show stars, such as the Kardashian sisters to the teenage mothers on MTV. How they have been appearing on celebrity magazine covers for years now. 
“Reality stars, you can’t keep them away,” Mr. Spencer said. - This is a quote given about the reality T.V stars, and it implying they're always around, you can't get rid of them. This quote can be argued, and it could imply reality t.v stars are negatively viewed as well as positively. "You can't keep them away" can be implied in a negative manner, as it could suggest they inject messages into your head, whereas it can be viewed positively, as they may lead you onto the right path, from something negative. It could show a change in process within life of someone. 

Reality TV:  

- This article highlights all the key concepts such as: Hybird of two things coming together, the public services broadcasters, it talks about the BBC and how it carries on the more instructional observational styles. The demographics are mentioned and how reality T.V is an all round heater and entertainer.

Reality Issue: December 2009

- This article talks about how reality t.v shows are laid out in a documentary style manner, in the 21st century, they contain point of views of different people. This links to Keeping up with the Kardashians, as the genre is documentary style.

De-constructing Reality 

http://www.atomvic.org/index.php/pages/pd-events/92-atom/features/288-deconstructing-reality

This article talks about how the Media influences audiences, and how the society values them, and how we live our 'real lives' This links in with my critical investigation, as Keeping up with the Kardashians influence a wide audience in many different manners 

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110223082553AAB15ks

“Reality shows are all the rage on TV at the moment ... but that's not reality, it's just another aesthetic form of fiction.” - Steven Soderbergh.

- This quote could be argued, as some people may believe reality tv holds no rage on TV and they aren't fiction, and are real as some shows aren't scripted or rehearsed so the actors have to go with the flow of the show . 

“Television is actually closer to reality than anything in books. The madness of TV is the madness of human life.” - Camille Paglia 

- This quote is implying T.V is more real than books, this is purely due to the fact of that you can view T.V shows visually and see every movement that is being made. Whereas, a book you just have to read it and imagine the moves being made. However, it could be argued you can indulge into a book, and be intrigued by it and feel as if you're actually there.

"Clearly documentaries like every other genre have developed to keep pace with changing audience trends and this has involved 'borrowing' from fiction, particularly narrative techniques, structures, characterisation, leading many to question whether entertainment values are being pursued over content." - This is one way of viewing contemporary documentaries. But you could take into consideration if factual programmes have to be formal and authoritarian in order to be informative or if it has to be presented by a middle-aged professor or 'expert' in order to have credibility. Furthermore, even if documentaries include an unbiased 'truth'.

http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2013/11/kendall-jenner-turns-18-keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-stars-sexiest-model-photos.html
The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star turns 18 today (Nov. 3), and it's impressive to think how much she's accomplished before that milestone. Between her presence on her family's E! show to her professional modeling career, Jenner has made her stamp on the world.

- This article shows how much Kendall Jenner has grown before reaching her adult age of 18.

http://hollywoodlife.com/topics/kardashians/

- This article gives all the information about the Kardashians, the latest gossip and what has been happening in their family

http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/11/03/khloe-kardashian-swaps-wedding-ring-lamar-odom-divorce/

Alongside all the latest stuff that goes on in their personal lives, such as what Khole Kardashian does: Khloe Kardashian Swaps Out Wedding Ring — Closer To Divorce? This website contains many articles which link into my 

Khloe Kardashian, is 29 years old, and Lamar Odom‘s, is 33 years old, marriage has been on the rocks for a while now — ever since it was revealed that the athlete has been struggling with alleged addiction issues. Through it all, Khloe’s ring has been a sign of their relationship status, and that status now looks shaky. We’ve seen her take the ring off before, but on Nov. 2 she swapped it for another band entirely! Could this be a sign that the end is really near?

http://hollywoodlife.com/2013/10/31/kim-kardashian-crying-kuwtk-kanye-west/

Just as Kim is sitting down to tape an interview for her mom’s new talk show ‘Kris,’ she starts to cry. All of this takes place on the Nov. 3 episode of ‘KUWTK,’ and we want to know why you think she’s crying!

Kim Kardashian breaks down crying on the upcoming episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and we can’t help but wonder why she’s having a breakdown. Could it be because she’s emotional after having just given birth or perhaps something even deeper, Kanye West?

Kim Kardashian Has A Breakdown On ‘KUWTK’

Kim begins to cry when she is about to tape her first post-baby appearance for her mom Kris Jenner‘s talk show. While Kim is crying she says: “I don’t know why I’m so nervous!”

Even though Kim looks better than ever, she admitted that shedding her post-baby weight wasn’t easy. - this shows that they don't have an easy life and do face difficulties, and they aren't fully fake. 

“I can honestly say it was the greatest challenge of my life,” she revealed. “But I was dedicated and motivated.” We can definitely see the motivation, since her recent outfit choices and sexy selfie show how proud she is of her weight loss. Kim also shared who inspired her to try the Atkins diet after giving birth!- This shows how Kim has come out and become better than ever, even after facing a big challenge in her life.

Proposal

Working title: 
How are representations constructed in Reality T.V shows like 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'?

Angle:
My angle has a strong focus upon the positive and negative factors about: Keeping up with the Kardashians. There are positive impact on the audience, as of the success the family's going through, such as the clothing lines they have: Jenner Collection, Kardashians Kollection. Furthermore, Kim's perfume "true reflection" and "Glam" this would make the audience look up to them as they've become successful through the hard work they've put in a whole, this is direct correlation with the audiences. This hard work is shown in the episodes. The episodes consist of all 3 sisters (Kim, Khole and Kourtney) are at the store, managing and dividing up the work load, dealing with their staff members, giving out them jobs to do. Moreover, Katz and Bumblers theory of Escapism, would link with this, as the audience would want to be away from their daily lifestyle. Audiences may be able to make contact or relate with the actors lifestyle. However, Keeping up with the Kardashians has a negative impact on the audience equally. One of the reasons for this is Kim Kardashians sex tape, which was the main cause of the family being rich, well-known and famous. However, people may argue and say that were already rich before that due to the immense management skills they all require, and they were recognised for their role as entrepreneurs. Another reason is Kris Jenners lavish lifestyle, as she holds control over her husband and tells him what to do. Keeping up with the Kardashians is a series that follows the lives of the Kardashian/Jenner family. The executive producer of the series, Ryan Seacrest, said that rooting from the background of the family, the series will show a family that "truly loves and supports one another" Basically, the dynamics of the family became their key to be Hollywood entertainers. Not scripted at all, but definitely not a real life representation. On April 2012, a new three-year deal was signed with the Kardashian family, for continuing the series until 2015.
Furthermore, the different shot types used 

Hypothesis
I think that Keeping up with the Kardashians is represented in a negative manner, which affect the shows targeted audience of 18-49 year olds, socio-economic groups A,B,D and E. As, they get influenced by the show.

Linked production piece
I may consider doing a Reality T.V show, and showing a group of girls being affected through social networking sites, such as Facebook. Moreover, the girl will be listening to music, which will complement the situation/atmosphere the girl is in. The parallel music, would add onto the situation and would be a sense of exaggeration.

Another piece of production I could do is a news-report/documentary, of all the issues occurring within society nowadays, such as how TV shows are affecting teenagers,
and the problems with social networking sites, as well as music. 

Both options would have links to all my groups critical investigations, as their is mentions towards my Critical investigation of reality TV shows, social networking sites link to Ashwarias Critical Investigation and the adding off music links to Dupinders Critical Investigation. 

MIGRAIN
The Kardashians are being represented in a positive manner, as they have many clothing lines such as: DASH, Jenner Collections, Jewellery lines, Perfumes, Several books and T.V series. However, more so they're represented in a negative manner, as Kim is a role model to many youths, and she is being represented in a negative manner mainly due to the sex tape she released, which made her look like a whore. Kris Jenner's lavish lifestyle and  the control she holds over her husband. 

The genre for Keeping up with the Kardashians is reality TV, but is presented as a documentary-style. Despite Kim being pregnant, she wasn't shy to embrace her body, she was exposing her swelling of her body, and Karl Lagerfeld  reffered to her being a Natural beauty. Also, it is a documentary style, due to the different camera angels being used when there is an argument, tension and suspense is created through the close-ups, which allow the persons facial expressions to show. As well as, a mid-shot portraying the movement and shows the body language, as well as the reaction. The conventions of a documentary-style drama, consists of a lot of series mixed together.

The narrative is structured in a continuous drama manner, as the tempo builds up, and it just consists of what the actors do on an everyday life basis. The audience may be able to make relations to the actors, as they may be going through some of the problems on an everyday basis, so they may feel they have someone to relate to. This initially intrigues viewers due to the focus on different people on every episode. This show appears to be on E, for 3 hours, which includes of 3 episodes - 10AM, 11AM, 12PM. There is a lot of recap of episodes, which allows audiences to watch it again later. The narrative follows Todorovs narrative structural theory as there is an equilibrium, disequilibrium than a new equilibrium. The cast have to practise their lines as some parts may be scripted by the director of the show, so they have to rehearse beforehand. The editor has to decide which footage to show, and how much of it they must put on air, they must plan the storyline. And as a whole the team must decide what footage they wish to cut out, as the Kardashians would want some privacy. 

Keeping up with the Kardashians targets 18-49 year olds, as well as BC1C2DE, as these are the people who would make connections with the show. They target the lower socio-demographics as they would be able to relate to the show, and what is going on. They target the higher socio-demographics, as they would have a similar lavish lifestyle. The show is aired on channel E, at different times, there isn't a specific timing for the show.

SHEP;

Socially 
- How Kim's sex tape went around worldwide, people think the whole family is like that. This affected audiences views upon her and her family, they were presented as negatively as possible and how Kim done playboy, within the first series and her mum encouraging her.
Historically 
-An American Family (Craig Gilbert, USA, 1972) An American Family, was television's first reality show, shot documentary style in 1971 and first aired in the United States on PBS in 1973. The show was twelve episodes long, edited down from about 300 hours of footage, and chronicled the experience of a nuclear family, the Loud family of Santa Barbara, California. This is an example of how bricolage occurred  the mixing of two types of T.V shows. 
Precedents for television that portrayed people in unscripted situations began in the late 1940s. The 1946 television game show Cash and Carry sometimes featured contestants performing stunts. 
Economically 
- The current on-going recession, channel E, is paid for by the audiences, so if they chose not to have the channel they can't watch the show. 

Politically 
- The issues that women and men aren't equal, and women shouldn't be working. The Kardashians have their own store. 

Issues/Debates

• Representation and stereotyping
• Media effects
• Reality TV
• News Values
• Moral Panics

Representations and stereotyping relates to Keeping up with the Kardashians, as there is a lot of exaggerated and repetitive representations, which reinforces stereotypes. 

Media effects, as audiences identify with the texts and may change the way they do certain things. As, after arguing the sisters talk it out, to see where misunderstandings may have risen. The audiences could re-evaluate their lives after watching the show and make sure these issues don't occur in there lives. 

Reality TV relates to this as well, as that is the genre of Keeping up with the Kardashians, as they show their everyday lives and what they do.

The news values relates to Keeping up with the Kardashians, as whenever something big happens it appears within the news such as: Kim's sex tape, when Kim got pregnant, about her affairs. Anything about Kim appears within the news. 

There is a sense of moral panic in Keeping up with the Kardashians, as some events occur more than once, which makes the audience more concerned about the issue. As, the Kardashian sisters have issues with their DASH store, this issue has arisen more than once, which creates moral panic. Them three arguing on a regular basis over them believing someone isn't putting in enough effort and isn't participating enough in the store. This could be a reflection to their parents upbringing.

Theories

• Semiotics
• Structuralism 
• Post-structuralism
• Postmodernism and its critiques
• Audience theories

Structuralism 

The relationship between objects (signified) and its meaning (signifier) a system of meanings, a generic understanding used in all texts. This has links to semiotics e.g. red means anger or passion and this is understood by many people who consume texts.

Post-structuralism

This rejects structuralism- Nothing can be represented as "real" or the truth. Meanings of objects cannot be fixed: polysemic. So, what is shown isn't exactly how it is, as sense are cut off, and some of it may be script written. 

Post-modernism and its critiques 

Bricolage - when combining two different types of T.V shows such as: Reality TV, and presenting it in a documentary style, which is what Keeping up with the Kardashians does. 

Audience theories 

The hypodermic needle and effects theory would link in with this, as the theory suggests that the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by ‘shooting’ or ‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response. This would be a way of challenging and engaging the audiences, being influenced. As Kim has many fans and people who look up to her, she would be injecting her personality into the audience. 

Research plan (media texts, academic texts and websites)

Media texts
My main focus will be on the Reality T.V show Keeping up with the Kardashians.

Other media texts
- Big brother 
- The only way is excess 
- Wife Swap
- Come dine with me 
- Super-nanny

TV documentaries
Research videos online, e.g.:
BBC One - Panorama, Addicted to Games? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wlmj0

Academic texts/books
Suzan Murray, Laurie Ouellette, Reality TV: remaking television culture (2009)

Su Holmes (Editor), Deborah Jermyn (Editor)Understanding Reality Television (2003)

Civilisation (BBC 2, 1969)

Annette Hill, Reality TV: audiences and popular factual television, Routledge, (2005)

Joanne Mattern: Kim Kardashian: Reality TV star 

Internet Links

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/reality-tv
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/23/how-about-not-keeping-up-with-the-kardashians
http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/sep/24/kris-jenner-kardashian-brand
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/23/kim-kardashian-threat-western-civilisation
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2013/feb/21/africa-keeping-up-kim-kardashian

http://www.uni-weimar.de/medien/historiographien/inhalte/lehre/2012_WS/SE_Communio/pdfs/12%20Andrejevic%20-%20Rediscovering%20Reality.pdf
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s1532785xmep0604_3#.UluvANKsjTo
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165176510002302
http://www.realworldhouses.com/MTVRealWorldLaunchedARevolution-USAToday.pdf