Abstract
Many elements in the Truman Show illustrate the reality of our current society and how it works. I will particularly talk about the attitude of viewers who, perhaps unwittingly, are partly responsible for the broadcasting of this kind of program (reality TV shows). I shall also tackle the ethical and moral issues present in the Truman show that one finds in everyday life, the controversies that these programs representing the so-called ''reality'' create (Are they really authentic? Are they representing the world as we see it, or rather as we would like to see it?) . I will thus come back in this penultimate part on the attitude of the viewers by explaining why this type of program is so successful despite the fact that its heroes are usually perfect strangers (as we see it in The Truman Show or in our society). To finish with, I will present the various similarities between the Truman Show and our society reality TV shows, but also how they contrast.
Firstly, the attitude of the show's viewers is somewhat contradictory: by watching the "Truman Show" for years, they have voluntarily participated in this gigantic enterprise of manipulation, particularly in letting it to be financed by advertising (as explained by Christ of (the director). They have been accomplices of this show, but at the end of the film, they all seem happy that Truman leaves the show's world and thus put an end to it. They therefore applaud the choice of Truman, who finally stops the show they have followed passionately for years. We might believe that they give up, like Truman, on this world of lies and that they will also join the "real life". But the only reaction is that of a guard who asks his colleague "what else is on" and "where is the TV guide" (last scene of the movie).
In this way, it seems that viewers, even if they applauded at the end of the "Truman Show", they do not give up TV shows at all and are even certainly ready for a new show of the same ilk. In real life, the picture is the same: almost twenty years ago already (since 1992 to be exact with the show "The Real World"), "the first reality TV as we know it today was created" and the more years went by, the more shows of the same kind each time with a new concept (but always based on the principle that everything is "real"), have emerged, to the delight of television viewers.
Extract
[...] http://www.reality-tv-online.com/articles/history-reality-tv.html 2. http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blphil_eth_realitytv.htm http://www.s427.ch/blog/?2005/06/27/55-truman-show 3. http://vanessalalo.free.fr/wp-content/Pourquoi%20regarde-t-on%20la%20t%C3%A9l%C3%A9vision.pdf 4. http://marredescritiquesalacon.centerblog.net/2190081-The-Truman-Show 5. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AcKSJFjNN00C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=history+of+reality+tv&ots=hSA9CamkWw&sig=vZCAAqd8M3tm6oSAaG1VUnb72HE#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20reality%20tv&f=false 6. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/why-america-loves-reality-tv 7. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Docu-fiction 8. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mockumentary 9. [...]
[...] They convince each other of this fiction's authenticity by their comments and they speak about the characters (Truman or Meryl for example) as ordinary neighbors. Silvia is almost the only one who watches the movie alone, because she does not adhere to this television program. The viewers in the movie are just like us, they are a reflection of us and our own habits. They are common characters that live through identification, projection and mimicry of the fiction's characters they watch on TV. [...]
[...] The Truman Show asks: when can we know when something is real or not? What prove us that this is not the case in real life too, for the Big Brother's or Temptation Island's candidates? Candidates are sometimes guided by the director of the program to make these "documentaries" more interesting to create buzz and get a larger audience. Also, the lies are not generally aimed at the actor, like in "The Truman Show" (except in candid cameras), and it is quite the spectator who is the victim of ambiguities more or less voluntarily maintained. [...]
[...] Then, even though it is barely shown, we can see the end of this movie as a pessimistic lesson. Truman may be free but viewers are not and they will continue to support, by their audience, this kind of artificial and absurd show. Finally, as viewers of Peter Weir's movie The Truman Show, our own responsibility is reflected: aren't we giving support and fructifying, by our complaisance, shows, broadcasts, audiovisual productions as aberrant and unhealthy as 'The Truman Show" directed by Christof? [...]
[...] Indeed, Truman might be manipulated in this movie, but ultimately the viewers (those in the movie and those of our society) are manipulated just like him. Thanks to the film, we realize the dangers that this "audience race" can sometimes have and this makes us think, makes us have a new perspective at this kind of program, and thus more or less space ourselves. Once again, fiction (offered by this movie) appears to be the best weapon to depict and decode reality. But by the way, what is reality? "?And in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night " 1. [...]
