Alexander Galloway makes the distinction between realisticness and realism. What is Galloway's preferred definition of realism in gaming? Apply Galloway's definition to Reality TV. Would Galloway consider Reality TV a form of realism? Why or why not? Be sure to use quotes from the text to support your answer (and yes, Project Runway is indeed my favorite reality show).
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Alexander Galloway’s distinction between realisticness and realism in gaming is most clearly defined by his example of the SIMS versus SOCOM. Though both games are designed to show some sort of real element, the SIMS shows more realism because its narrative is closer to that of every day life and SOCOM, though not as real-life based in its narrative, has more realistic renderings of its avatars. Galloway states, “… [G]ames are generally either realistic or fantastical.” He prefers to think of realism in gaming as what narrative function best mirrors actual life, so as to prepare the gamer for real life scenarios.
When these concepts are applied to Reality TV there are differences that must be understood, the most important of which is the ability for the viewer to actively participate in a television show. Once this is understood then Galloway’s distinction in types of games can be applied easily to types of Reality TV shows including both the realistic and the fantastical, whereas MTV’s The Real World would be more realistic (at least in its beginning) and VH1’s The Surreal Life would be fantastical. In The Real World ordinary people are placed in a situation and filmed going about their everyday life. On The Surreal Life several celebrities are placed in a situation to live together in a circus themed house) and compete in unusual activities. Though both shows have realistic qualities, only the Real World can be related to the average life of the viewer thus making it an example of realism. The narrative of both shows however represent one idea that Galloway suggest, “realism often arrives in the guise of social critique.” Since on both shows the main focus is people and their interactions with one another, it is easy to draw social commentary away from the context of each episode.
Though many Reality TV shows are non-interactive for the viewer several are, including NBC’s Last Comic Standing and Fox’s American Idol. These shows require the audience to participate in order to survive, both in that the viewing audience votes on winners and that the cast of the show is made up of the audience. Galloway says of gaming, “… [I]t is because games are an active medium that realism in gaming requires a special congruence between the social reality depicted in the game and the social reality known and lived by the player.” As both Last Comic Standing and American Idol require a full interaction with its audience, the show must therefore reflect some sort of social normality. Both shows display not only the competition that each program is centered upon, but also the situations that arise behind the curtains and in the homes of each contestant. This not only brings the show to a more realistic sense for the viewer, but it also creates a narrative driven by characters based in realism.
(Also, my favorite reality show is Last Comic Standing.)
Robert Francis Curtis
TA: Stephen Wetzel
Galloway says that when something is realistic it merely looks like the real thing. To have the element of realism, it must reflect everyday life. It must have “some kind of congruence, some type of fidelity of context that transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again” (78). I guess that even if the graphics are of poor quality, but the premise of the game lies in everyday life, that game would have an element of realism. But even if the graphics were of top quality, if the premise isn’t realistic or doesn’t reflect real life and social situations, then it doesn’t have any realism.
It’s hard to make a blanket statement about all of reality television using his definition, since there are so many kinds of reality shows (none of which actually I watch, by the way). I suppose that the ones where they follow people around during the course of their day would have some realism to them in that they show aspects of real life, even though I’m sure a good chunk of them are probably staged by producers and clips are carefully edited together to make the show more dramatic than the average person’s everyday life. But other reality shows, like American Idol, wouldn’t necessarily have realism to them. Sure, viewers can participate by voting in some of these shows, but the shows themselves don’t seem to reflect real life very well.
Katrina Schwarz
TA: Kate Brandt
Galloway defined realism in gaming as the extension of one’s own social life. I thought this was a great definition. When I read this, I couldn’t help but recall just this past week, when I discovered that one of my roommates had Call of Duty 4 (A military, first person shooter video game). Last semester I really enjoyed playing Call of Duty 4 online, so I put it in and played for a few minutes before class. When I came back from class, a different roommate of mine was playing it. This particular roommate had been in the military, and had been to Iraq for two tours of duty. The entire time he was playing he raved about how real it was. When I came home from my next class, he was still at it. Even though I had played this game before and really enjoyed it, I could tell that it was a far more intimate experience for him—which in turn made it far more realistic.
I’ve always thought that reality T.V. couldn’t have a worse name. I’ve never watched one segment of a reality television show and thought, “This is just like my life.” In order to apply Galloway’s theory to reality television, however, I find it most important to go back to what he said about Bazin, since we’re referring to television and not video gaming. He states that, “Andre Bazin defined realism in the cinema as a technique to approximate the basic phenomenological qualities of the real world. (74)” By phenomenological he was referring not only to a visual representation but also life’s “dirty details, hopeful desires, and abysmal defeats. (74)” In that respect, yes, reality T.V. does have a way of revealing people’s mean, dirty sides. It also has a way of satisfying peoples hopeful desires and broadcasting others’ abysmal defeats. However, when it comes down to it, I would still argue that reality T.V. is not realism. The problem I have with actually calling reality T.V. realism is that it certainly isn’t an extension of my social life! It does show me how a number of pretentious, and immature young adults act when their taken away from their real lives and forced to “play” together on national television, but it definitely doesn’t speak to me as a 19 year old film student and valet driver. So no, I would argue that, according to Galloway, reality T.V. is not realism.
Danny D’Acquisto
TA- Steve Wetzel
Galloway equates realism with not just the technological representation of the scenes and action, but also with what he calls the “congruence requirement”. He believes it is not enough for a game to provide a realistic format and action, but that the context of the gamer himself (or herself) is what determines whether it is a realistic game. “…Toywar constructed a meaningful relationship between the affective actions of gamers and the real social contexts in which they live.” (Galloway 223) Taking this definition further, you could argue that since the reality of a game depends upon the gamer “…realism in gaming is about a relationship between the game and the player.” (Galloway 229), any given game could at one time be both realistic or not realistic. Galloway states that the Under Ash game meets his definition of realism based upon the social context of the Palestinian player. Put an American teen at the controls of Under Ash and that element of congruence is probably not there.
We have a huge variety of reality TV shows at this time. There is everything from the private life of an old rocker to men and women who want to be top models, men and women who want to be top designers, men and women who want to lose weight, families who want a loved one to stop doing drugs or drinking and on and on. These programs don’t meet the formal reality tests listed in the essay (absence of histrionics, amateur cinematography, grainy film stock, long takes, etc.) nor do they meet what Jameson views as realist “…neorealism was fundamentally a socialist political practice.” (Galloway 220) If we apply Reichlin’s description of neorealism in Italian literature to reality TV, though, there are some similarities. Programs such as Cops are filmed in a documentary manner, they do adhere to the thoughts and language of the social origins and personalities of the characters, and they do provide a direct criticism of the current society and morals. If we add Galloway’s “congruence requirement”, however, neither Cops nor any of the reality TV shows would fit the bill.
TA: K. Brandt
Galloway goes into much detail about the numerous differences of reality and realism, but when you weed through the main ideas and premises, the truth is very clear. In Galloway’s words, “The challenge is not only to capture the social realities of the disenfranchised, but also to inject the game back into the correct social mileu of available players where it rings true.” In other words, in order to achieve a sense of realism, the player must somehow connect to the alternative reality, and yet be able to compare it to plausible and common acts of the everyday life. Through subtle yet defining characteristics, the gaming world has become much an extension of our reality, through graphics, extremely real scenarios, and one on one attention with the player and the system/game. This leads to Galloway’s preferred definition of realism in gaming as “a documentary-like attention to the everyday struggles of the disenfranchised, leading to a direct criticism of current social policy.”
I strongly believe that Galloway would consider Reality TV a form of realism. Though some of the events that may occur may be pushing the limits, overall, the events and people are very believable and relatable. “Realism requires a special social, congruence between the social reality depicted, and the social reality known and lived by the [viewer].” Take American Idol. In the pre-competition phases, we see people waiting outside stadiums, putting their heart and soul into their passion of singing, and sticking next to their families day in and day out. This may not be a full blow documentary like you would see on the Discovery Channel, but we do see the lives of the participants as well as the journeys and hurdles they faced to get to a certain stage. In addition, with the viewers being able to call in votes, the show becomes “an interactive medium that requires constant physical input by the [viewer],” making the viewers believe that without them, the show couldn’t go on. Overall, we can relate to them, and literally see ourselves in their shoes.
Dan Gorchynsky
TA: David Witzling
Galloway first stresses that realism and "realisticness" are not the same. Though a game can mimic the real world though high polygon counts and realistic graphics engines, it does not make the game realistic. He asses that realism in literature is though narrative, visual arts is though images, and gaming is though action. He also stresses that because it is an active medium, realism requires congruence between social reality in real life and in the game. In effect the game, “transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, and back again.” Furthermore, the game has to have fidelity of context by reacting to real world social problems. In other words, “Realism requires are more or less direct criticism of current society.” It is in this way that the game relates with the player; “by constructing a meaningful relationship between the actions in the game and the world in which the gamer lives.”
As far as reality television is concerned, though they operate under the guise of the unscripted “real life” scenarios they are in fact guided by producers and morphed through editing. Also, the congruence between the viewer and the show is incredibly blurred. Though the characters in the program are real people, they are generally detached from the real world. Many would have a hard time relating to the people seen on Jerry Springer or Cops. Furthermore, many reality shows revolve around a scripted plot or goal, such as Survivor or Project Runway. Because of this, the characters are placed in unusual environments and put in ridiculous situations unlike those of the real world. Due to the fact that “realism is to be conceived as the moment in which a restricted code manages to become elaborate or universal” these types of controlled environments are unrealistic and unrelated to the viewer. This makes reality television inherently unrealistic.
[Garrett Katerzynske]
[T.A. David Witzling]
According to Galloway, realism in gaming is defined by a game’s ability to “transliterate itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game and back again” (78). In so doing, a game fulfills what Galloway calls the “congruence requirement,” or the necessity of contextual support which must be present to achieve realism in gaming. This is most clearly illustrated in Galloway’s discussion of games like Special Force and Under Ash. These games, produced by designers in the Middle East, demonstrate a “true congruence between the political reality of the gamer and the ability of the game to mimic and extend that political reality” (83). Such games not only represent the current political state of war-torn nations, but also give the gamer a chance to have a dramatic effect upon the reality presented within the game. Thus, context and action are the determining factors in defining realism in gaming.
I believe Galloway would not consider reality shows to be a form of realism. Although some shows meet the requirement of participation from the viewer, for example, American Idol, no reality show today is contextually significant for the average American. Shows like Project Runway, Survivor, or, my personal favorite, The Ultimate Fighter, are more concerned with fantasy than reality. Though many dream of starting their own fashion line or fighting in the UFC, it remains just that: a dream. Thus, these shows do not meet Galloway’s “congruence requirement,” in that they are not an extension of reality, but are rather an excursion into fantasy.
Joseph Otterson
TA: Laura Bennett
Galloway's preferred definition of realism in gaming is the same as Bruce Shelley's definition of realism in gaming. Shelley states, "Realism and historical information are resources or props we use to add interest, story, and character to the problems we are posing for the player. That is not to say that realism and historic fact have no importance, they are just not the highest priority." For example, Shelley says, "The infamous 1988 game NARC presented a realist window on urban blight by depicting police violence and drug dealers, couching its gory imagery in an anti-drug stance." The violence and drug dealers are a picture of realism. They are ideas which actually exist in the real world being set as a backdrop to create a story.
This definition applies to Reality TV shows. For instance, on "The Real World vs. Road Rules Challenge: The Island", the idea of the show is people are competing in challenges against one another in the hopes of winning money. While this is the significance of the reality show, it emphasizes the conflict and hostility among the cast members to make the television show more interesting for viewers. The editing is catered to the problems which occur between the competitors rather than focusing on the actual competition. Therefore, realism is not as important in Reality TV just as in gaming. It is rather a tool to bring interest to the story. The atmosphere of the island is the realism of the show.
Galloway would consider Reality TV a form of realism because many reality shows use the environment which the show takes place in as a tool of realism. The environment in which the show takes place is a resource that is being used to add interest to the problems that are being posed.
Rachel Marten
TA: Steven Wetzel
Alexander Galloway’s article on video games is unlike any other gaming argument I have read. Instead of concentrating on the negative affects of video games on players (which they so commonly talk about), it looks at the ‘real’ elements of the games themselves and how that can have an affect on the player. Galloway uses a wide range of examples by braking games into to broad groups; “…those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of various kinds” (Galloway 72). He uses examples from these to groups to formulate a definition of realism in gaming. “…realism in gaming requires a special congruence between the social reality depicted in the game and the social reality known and lived by the player” (Galloway 83). In other words the game must be an extension of one’s on social life if this happens they realism in the gaming world can really happen.
If I take a step back from the article and apply Galloway’s ideas and definitions to the ‘realism’ of reality television we can find some things in common and some differences. First of all the unlike video games in reality television we, the viewer, do not control the action on the screen. In some reality shows the viewer may vote but this still doesn’t control want the actual people on TV do. After that we can ask ourselves; does reality TV create a special congruence between the social reality depicted in the show and the social reality known and lived in the viewer? I think that it would be very hard to say yes or no to the question if we are talking about all reality shows on television. Instead I broke them down into two groups; shows designed for entertainment and others for achieving a dream. Shows like Real World and Surreal Life are just fantasy worlds having fun all the time no jobs, etc can’t possible be considered to have realism because it doesn’t connect to most peoples every day social reality. I feel it is easier for shows like Project Runway, American Idol, and Next Food Network Star (my favorite reality show) to connect to people and there social reality because it shows people trying to achieve their dream and that is one thing that everyone wants to do. I thing this is way show like this are so successful and addicting for the viewer. So in the end I think that Alexander Galloway would consider some reality shows as a good example of realism in media, according to his definition in his article Gaming.
Kirk McCamish
TA: Stephen Wetzel
Galloway's Definition of realism in gaming is more or less the idea of adding real life events, pysicallities, and emotion. It's best represented in his moment of relating SOCOM to The Sims. SOCOM is a example of realisticness and Sims is realism, because Sims depicts everyday life, the idea that every average American may go through in a day. SOCOM, a Naval game, is realistic in the sense of it's accuracy of depicting a naval base and such, but exagerrates it's series of events majorally for the effect of entertainment. "Within the world of gaming, it is possible to divide games into two piles: those that have their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of various kinds." (217) This is a good differential between realism and realisticness. Where a fantasy game could be out of this world different but still holds real-life situations. In the game Half-Life, it is possible to fall from a very high area and fall to your death. They are depicting the frailty of the human body to give a more realistic sense.
Reality TV is split in these catogories as well. Shows like the Real world and The Osbournes depict realism. The Real world would depict real life people doing their everyday routine. The only sense that's different is it's a group of people forced to live together. The Osbournes, although they are celebrities, would depict a family going about their everyday life. These are "Basic" examples to me only because I fear that they are in some sense simulated and edited in a way to appeal to the audience more. Almost every major Reality TV show is realistic in a sense but I don't feel the majority of them fit Galloway's definition of realism. Shows like "Beauty and The Geek" and "Survivor" will put contestants through different stages and courses but really for the average soul, the only part of realism is when they do the 'Talking Head' interviews for the contestants to express how they are feeling. "Real life in all it's dirty details, hopeful desires, and abysmal defeats"(219) is a good example of what the reality shows want from the contestants, because we all know how the real world works, but that is as close to realism reality TV gets. ("Murder in Small Town X" was my favorite reality show, and talking heads rule. Remain in Light: one of the best albums of all time."
Andrew Megow
TA: Laura Bennett
According to Alexander Galloway, what is to be said about realism in gaming is that, “…it is possible to divide games into two piles: those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of various kinds.” By this he means some games provide real life themes, like dating and sports, while other games contain fictional worlds/characters. Galloway also states that these lines can be blurred and parts of different games can fall into both categories.
Galloway’s definition of the realism in gaming can easily be applied to that of Reality TV. There are reality shows that have a realistic premise, while there are reality shows that have a theme that would never happen in real life. Unless you were to consider news and sports and such a form of Reality TV, I don’t think Galloway would consider Reality TV a form of realism. He calls realism in the text a “representation of reality.” The Reality TV everyone knows and loves occurs mostly during primetime television. The shows mostly consist of contests or throwing people in a house together to see how they’ll get along, which obviously doesn’t occur in your everyday life.
Derek Reilly
TA: Laura Bennett
Elizabeth Miller
Alexander Galloway's description of realisticness is described as "naive and unmediated or reflective conception of aesthetic construction." Galloway's realism is viewed as a "sort of tool that can be leveraged for greater effect in gameplay but is ultimately non-crucial." Galloway's definiton of realism in gaming is when "gaming has been limited mainly to talk of screen violence and its supposed deleterious effects on gamers."
I feel that some of the Reality TV shows could be viewed as realistic. Shows such as Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, Top Design, these shows all include people who are chasing their dreams. Chasing your dreams is something that I find very realistic. In Project Runway there are 13 people going after their dream of participating at Bryant Park for fashion week and become a famous designer. However only 3 can do this, so 10 other people's dreams get crushed. There is the same concept with America's Next Top Model and Top Design. In America's Next Top Model, the same concept occurs. There are 13 girls trying to pursue a modeling career, but towards the end only 2 will compete to walk in a runway and become a Covergirl. I would definitely say that these shows give you an idea that you can pursue your dream, but that the realistic part can also hit you hard.
T.A. Kate Brandt
Elizabeth Miller
In Galloway’s “Social Realism in Gaming” he has many definitions or aspects of realism, because they tend to get muddled and blurred. He says, “[D]efine realist games as those games as those games that reflect critically on the minutiae of everyday life, replete as it is with struggle, personal drama, and injustice”, but most importantly he boldly states the definition of realism gaming as “some kind of congruence, some type of fidelity of context that transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again”. Galloway also said that the “congruence requirement” (the quote above defines) is what’s necessary or achieving realism in gaming, and there is no realism without it. According to Galloway, realism in gaming is about the gamer’s extension of his social life.
Today, reality TV has become a huge phenomenon, and basically every channel has a at least one show based on reality. In Galloway’s book he writes about two types of realism in gaming, which can also refer to reality TV. They are, “those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life” and “those resigned to fantasy world of various kinds.” So, basically they’re either realistic or fantastical reality shows that Galloway would consider for forms of reality. For example, shows such as The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers are classified under the first type, with the mimetic reconstruction of real life. The show films the truckers and fishers as they go on about their jobs and mimic America’s most difficult jobs. They are real people doing real jobs. But this is where things get blurry. Like Galloway says in his book about the game Special Force (based on Israelites) an American cannot feel the same realism as an Israelite would, playing the game. So, in The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers I could not feel the same reality an actual truck driver or fisherman would feel, watching the show. The other type; fantasy worlds of various kinds, includes shows such as The Surreal Life, because they create a fictional world of plots and games in this show. Nobody in real life lives with a bunch of famous people and competes to be the winner. It is realistic in the fact that they are real people as themselves competing, but the scenario is not real. Galloway would consider this a fantastical genre of reality.
Carly Rieder
TA: David Witzling
Reality put in a box would probably be the more accurate term for these "reality shows". In Galloway's article, he talks about the neo-realism films of Italy where "all narrative means tending to bring an added measure of reality to the screen. With it's non-actors, long takes, and grainy film stock neo-realist film was none the less scripted, yet the element of the working class attributed to it;s realistic properties. Today's reality shows, however unscripted, are contained and restricted modes of reality. In The Bicycle Thief the element of unpredictability was displayed within the scene where the son and father are in front of the football game (soccer match), and the father is pondering wether to steal a bike or not. The shots compelled the unpredictability, where as the predictability/unpredictability of the reality show is demonstrated by it's shallow attempt for viewers and ratings. The spectacle which reality shows place themselves in disqualifies their status as realism in Galloway's perspective, because of their restrictive code which stays restrictive and never achieves to become elaborated or universal.
Nicholas Lawrence
Galloway discussed how games can be reality and how they are not. He stated," One of the central theoretical issues in video gaming is how and in what way one can make connections between the gaming world and the real world, both from the inside outward in the form of affective action, and from the outside inward in the form of realistic modeling" (p. 216). Galloway divided the discussion into small components of the
games, and how each of those individual components is related to reality and what is not. For example, The Sims, a player can interact with other players and do things that realistically happen in life such as ordering pizza, playing music, or listening to music, watching tv, hanging out, etc. Other games like SOCOM are more like training for the military. Not everyone has experienced the military or combat situations or war. Real life TV that demonstrates a particular experience as more as information and exposure for the general population is not realism exactly. The game shows which can be described as reality are those which parallel closer to a person's actual life. No one would say, "Oh wow this game is a lot like my life." People may think and possible believe that because they know that the games are not truly realism. Reality TV is not 100 percent real, but is does come close.
I would say that Galloway does not consider Reality TV realism because of how the shows are staged. The characters are chosen to elicit potential situations. Personalities are carefully sought after to create certain responses. Situations are staged and if it has been staged then it does not me the criteria set forth by Galloway as realism. In addition to the chosen participants there are ancillary people always present on the scène such as the stage crew and cameramen as well as all the props. This makes for a poor quality of realism depicted by, camera movement (jerky movements) and other sloppy techniques. According to Galloway in regards to The Bicycle Thief as a form of realism, "...is defined by several formal techniques. These include the use of nonprofessional actors, the absence of histrionics, real-life scenery, amateur cinematography, grainy film stock, long takes, and minimal editing" (p. 219). Reality TV does have these techniques, but of course, with digital equipments. The only parts that are not reality would be the games where characters are stationed in, like Project Runway. In this show the contestants are to designs outfits. The contestants need to design the best outfit to win the game. That is staged where there are purposes. In order to be more reality, leave the situation completely alone with the characters in its real-life scenery. For example, in their home and how parents may raise their children.
Catie Eller
TA: Steve Wetzel
Galloway talks about two forms of realism in the text: realistic representation and realistic narrative. Realistic representation can be described as how good the graphics of a game is, and realistic narrative can be described as how close the plot of the game is to reality. This quote by Galloway comparing SIMS Hot Date to SOLCOM outlines what I’m talking about
“listening to music, ordering pizza, and so on in The Sims is most probably closer to the narratives of normal life than is storming an enemy base in SOCOM, despite the fact that the actual visual imagery in SOCOM is more realistically rendered” (Galloway, 72)
Galloway does point out, though, that the definition of “real” depends on the context of culture. Galloway makes this point through the game Special Force, which is a militaristic first person shooter of a young Palestinian participating in the Islamic jihad.
“a typical American youth playing Special Force is most likely not experiencing realism, whereas realism is indeed possible for a young Palestinian gamer playing Special Force in the occupied territories.” (Galloway, 84)
It’s hard to say what Galloway would say about the whole genre of Reality TV, especially since I am very much not cultured on that subject. I know someone who has worked in that industry, and according to her the scenarios are often set up and it is often filmed out of order, so the actual production of reality TV shows are not much more real than a traditional SitCom. But what we are talking about is not the production of the show but the actual product.
I’ll use the example of Project Runway, since it is shown in the post. Referring to my quote above, I believe Project Runway might be much more of a form of realism to someone like Heather who I’m sure has an experience as a fashion designer than someone like me, who’s only fashion design experience is fixing the holes in the crotch of his jeans.
The main argument for reality TV in general, I believe, is that it is producing reality (which is, for the most part, false). But Galloway would also argue that this does not make it any more “real.” Just because the techniques used in producing the show may be more real than a staged film showing the everyday stuggles of a college student does not mean it represents reality more. Galloway would argue that the film with a more realistic narrative is more a form of realism than a TV show produced in a way that is less staged but is not as accurate of a narrative (since none of our lives are anything like the designers’ on Project Runaway).
I would compare Reality TV to what Galloway talked about as “neorealism” in cinema, which he describes in this quote as,
“the use of nonprofessional actors, the absence of histrionics, real-life scenery, amateur cinematography…” (Galloway, 74)
Galloway goes on to say that neorealism is not the same as what he talks about as realism. Case in point. If anyone argues with me, they are wrong.
Chris Schasse
My TA is Laura Bennet
Kevin Witkowski
TA David Witzling
Alexander Galloway states his preferred definition of realism directly in the text. He says, …a documentary-like attention to the everyday struggles of the disenfranchised, leading to a direct criticism of current social policy” (Galloway p 80). By this, he means a game must have a social impact in “real life” in order for it to have realism. Being able to present a world that looks real to the eye involves how realistic it looks, not realism. The Sims is a good example of realism in gaming. You can interact with other users on-line and this can have a social impact. Games like SOCOM put gamers in situations that they normally wouldn’t get into in real life. It may look realistic, but it doesn’t involve realism.
Reality TV, like video games, comes in many different shapes and sizes. By this, I mean that some reality TV shows can be considered to have realism while others can’t. I don’t think Galloway would consider shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, Project Runway, ex… to have realism. These shows represent life out of the ordinary. These people would never be in these situations if not for the TV show. I would compare my argument to these shows not having realism to Galloway’s arguments on war video games not having realism. He says these games, “transpire in fictional worlds with fictional characters and fictional narratives” (Galloway p 72). These shows don’t have realism because they’re set up, they’re “fictional”, maybe not the reactions of the people, but the situations they’re put in and that’s why they don’t show realism. Other shows like Dirty Jobs, Ice Road Truckers, or Dangerous Catch could be considered to have elements of realism because they show the everyday lives of people. They display the people’s lives and allow anyone to criticize what they do for a living.
Kevin Witkowski
TA David Witzling
Galloway makes the distinction between realisticness and realism when talking about different military games. America’s Army, a game produced by the U.S. Army, has realistic graphics, realistic settings, realistic situations, etc. But the game itself is not realistic because it lacks “a… direct criticism of current society and morals” (79). On the other hand, in the game Under Ash, made by a Syrian publisher, player’s take on the character of a Palestinian fighting against the Isralis. Because the game’s main character is Palestinian, and it is played by Palestinians, the players “have a personal investment in the struggle happening each day around them” (82). You can make the same argument using The Sims and SOCOM. SOCOM has much better graphics, but The Sims has more realism because it is (basically) so similar to our lives.
Knowing this, one could assume that Galloway would not consider reality TV to be a form of realism. Most reality TV shows are really more like glorified game shows or contests. We don’t spend our every day lives trying to out-model or out-sing somebody else or trying to win a date from a celebrity. Even the few shows that try to show real people in real life situations are so staged and heavily edited that it would be very hard to call them “real.”
Gus Ingebretsen
TA: David Witzling
Galloway says that realism in gaming is “a documentary-like attention to the everyday struggles of the disenfranchised, leading to a direct criticism of current social policy”.(80) They have to have some kind of realistic representation to give a sense of realism. When Galloway describes the difference between realistic narrative and realistic representation he goes into how SOCOM and The Sims are both realistic in their own ways. While the actual doings and actions in The Sims is more relatable to everyday life the realistic renderings of the characters in SOCOM is more realistic than that of The Sims. Galloway says that “realisticness and realism are most certainly not the same thing. If they were the same, realism in gaming would simply be a mathematical process of counting the polygons and tracing the correspondences. Realisticness is a yard stick help up to representation.” (73)
Galloway’s definition of realism can be applied to reality TV in the sense that others can be more realistic than others. Shows like Project Runway would not be considered a form of realism by Galloway in my opinion. Because shows like that are set-up and the people on those shows could not achieve what they are trying to do with out the show, so in that sense it is not realistic, but having real “ordinary” people does make it realistic. Most of the shows use what realism is called in cinema: “neorealism”. Which is “the use of nonprofessional actors, the absence of histrionics, real-life scenery…?” (74) So some can be more realistic than others but for the most part Reality TV is not realism.
Doug Mellon
TA: Steve Wetzel
Galloway states, “...realism in gaming is about a relationship between the game and the player.”(Galloway 84) In other words, realism in gaming can be defined as it's abitity to relate to a gamer, taking into account the context in which the gamer is playing the videogame. For example, the average American citizen would see a game like the Sims as having more realism than a game like Socom:U.S Navy Seals because it better portrays their life. On the other hand, if a U.S. Navy Seal were to play both games they would conclude that Socom:U.S. Navy Seals has more realism than the Sims. The context in which the gamer is playing the game is essential to how the relationship between the two develops. In this sense, Galloway would define reality TV as a form of realism, because for every reality TV show there is most likely someone out there who can closely relate to the premise of the show. For example, Project Runway may not depict realism for the majority of us, but for a runway designer it may establish a close relationship, thus portraying realism. We also know that Galloway would define reality TV as realism because he states, “Reality is thriving today...in the form of reality TV.” (Galloway 70)
Nick LaVake
T.A. Laura Bennett
Alexander Galloway goes into great detail about the differences of reality and realism in his essay on gaming. Galloway seems to believe that although there are distinct differences between video games and reality they can be considered very similar as well. For example Galloway states, “The time spent playing games trains the gamer to be close to the machine, to be quick and responsive, to understand interfaces, to be familiar with simulated words. The was Ronald Reagan’s argument in the 1980s when he famously predicted that action video games were training a new generation of cyber-warriors ready to fight real foes on the real battlefield” (70-71). Games are becoming so realistic that they can parallel what is real and begin training people for the actual, physical task at hand. Galloway also goes into saying how video games are interactive where we can determine the final outcome, unlike movies and books. This adds to a realistic feel to the games.
I believe that Galloway would consider Reality TV to be a form of realism, although there are some strong counter points against it which I will go over first. Reality TV is actual events happening, but those events are heavily edited to create whatever emotions the producers want. They could take different clips and ideas from certain characters and splice them wherever they want to create massive drama and events. However, the editing that can happen to Reality shows does not overshadow the true realism of them. All of the emotions happening, all of the people talking, everyone’s interactions are real. The viewer knows that this is a reality show, so they can easily connect with the emotions of the people on them. This connectivity and these emotions expressed are truly what makes Reality TV shows so realistic.
Mark Scholbrock
TA: Kate Brandt
Alexander Galloway stresses that realism and realisticness are not the same. Realism, he writes, is a “representation of reality” (73), while realisticness IS reality. To achieve the element of realism in gaming, for instance, the game must “be an extension of one’s own social life” (78). In other words, the player must connect with the game and be able to relate it to aspects of his own life. Games that portray an element of realism usually parallel real-life conflicts or happenings, which explains why military games are often the most popular.
I think Galloway would consider reality TV to be included in his definition of realism. Although most viewers know that what they see on shows like “Survivor” or “The Real World” would never truly happen is real life (which pertains to realisticness), they can still relate to the show emotionally, thus connecting it to their own social life, which is Galloway’s definition of realism. He writes that “realism in the cinema [is] a technique to approximate the basic phenomenological qualities of the real world,” which includes “dirty details, hopeful desires, and abysmal defeats” (74). Although a viewer may not be able to literally relate to people on the reality TV show “Survivor,” where people win by surviving on a foreign island for a given amount of time, they can still relate to the feelings of hopelessness that a participant of the show might have from time to time. Viewers can relate to the happiness a participant feels when he or she has overcome a tough obstacle, or the giddy and excited feeling a participant has when they admit to having a crush on another participant. From a literal standpoint, reality TV does not portray realism; however, it is still an element of realism because the emotions that it evokes in viewers. For this reason, Galloway would consider reality TV to be a form of realism.
Bryn Unger
TA Laura Bennett
Alexander Galloway describes realism in gaming as an act within a game that is similar to real life. He gives an example of the sims as a game that is based upon realism. Realism is different from realisticness because it does not have to be exactly real life, only an approximation of it. Galloway describes the difference between realism and realisticness in this quote, "realisticness and realism are most certainly not the same thing. If they were the same, realism in gaming would simply be a mathematical process of counting the polygons and tracing the correspondences. Realisticness is a yardstick held up to representation,” (Galloway 73). Galloway makes clear that realism is not a perfect representation of reality, but an environment that bases itself within the limits of reality. The sims is a game that may not be photorealistic, but it holds realism in that it depicts normal everyday life.
I believe that Galloway would find reality television a form of realism. It is based upon real life, but does not necessarily constitute everyone's lives. Reality television may be far fetched in certain cases, but it is based in reality and that makes it a form of realism.
Charlie Ripple
T.A. Kate Brandt
IN this passage we read Galloway's diffrences between realism and realisticness. In this passage he refers to the SIMs and SOCOM as his main example. He says that "the Sims is more probably closer to the narratives of normal life" which makes it have mre realism because it is a game based on every day life while SOCOM "is more realistically renderd than its simplistic avatars", it less realistic than the Sims because in normal life people don't storm enemy bases. Thus SOCOM has more Realisticness, because it is more realistic looking but its story is less realistic.
I think in reality TV Galloway would classify it as Realisticness. This is because like SOCOM it is realistic lookin, but is in situations that would not happen in everyday life. Take Survivor for instance, this is a show where ordinary looking and acting people (well most of them anyway) are told to do things that in everyday life they would not do. Like in SOCOM some people have to do it, but most do not. Also Reality shows are more minipulated in regareds to who wins. Such as Joe Millionare, Joe was told who to pick as his winner. Thus making it look real, but in fact is far from it. So I do not think Galloway would consider reality TV a form a Social Realism but more like realisticness.
Oh and My TA is Kate! :)
Realism in gaming is measured by the accuracy of the experience in relation to the user’s reality .The realisticness seems to be more about the appearance qualities of the game. The Sims game, for example, depicts a more realistic experience of an average person’s life, but the images look like they exist in a fantasy world. Galloway states that “realism in gaming is about a relationship between the game and the player” (84). That relationship is important because everyone’s own reality is different. Various games may have more realism for players based on the experiences they relate them to.
Most reality TV shows would not be considered a form of realism because the context is created outside of real circumstance. They do have realism qualities. For example, the contestants on Project Runway, “nonprofessional actors” (74) have to audition for the opportunity to be on the show. This isn’t something that happens every day in the fashion industry; it’s a special situation. They bring professionals on to judge their real talent though, so it does have a realistic quality. Also, since it is on television, the program is edited for dramatic effect. We have no way of knowing if the order events shown is how they truly transpired.
Cassie Hutzler
Steve Wetzel
According to Alexander Galloway, a realist video game should "capture the social realities of the disenfranchised" and also "inject the game back into the correct social milieu of available players where it rings true." In other words, a realist game should incorporate as many details (good and bad) of a society as possible, and it should use itself as a medium to carry a social message back to the gamer. Galloway includes the Syrian game 'Under Ash' as an example of a realist game. The game follows a Palestinian man fighting against the Israeli occupation, It is not a simple shoot-em-up - it is difficult to play, and the gamer faces negative consequences when he or she kills civilians. What completes this as a realist game is the fact that it was released in a Palestinian market. People who play the game will recognize it as a cry of social disenfranchisement, corresponding directly to real life.
So, what would a realist Reality TV show look like? It is important to point out that while a video game is active, a Reality TV show, like film, is passive. In order to make a realist television show, it would not be necessary to "inject the game back into the correct social milieu." The producers would only need to "capture the social realities, in some capacity, of the disadvantaged classes." Therefore a Reality TV show that incorporates realism would need to document social injustice in some form. Very few Reality TV shows attempt to accomplish that. I do not watch a lot of television, so I am no expert, but I can only think of one show that would fall in the realist category: '30 Days.' In each episode of this Reality show, Morgan Spurlock spent thirty days in a person's disadvantaged living situation. Something like this, however, is very uncommon in Reality TV. I think it was canceled. 'Project Runway' is a better example of an average Reality TV show. And it is not realist in any way. For the most part, it isn't even realistic - people just don't behave like the men and women in the show. It is a spectacle, providing pure entertainment value. To provide an analogy, '30 Days' is to 'Under Ash,' as 'Project Runway' is to 'Unreal Tournament 2003.' With shows like 'Project Runway' as the standard, Galloway certainly would not consider Reality TV to be realist.
Eric Grycan
TA: David Witzling
Galloway’s definition of realism is the more a game mimics actual everyday life the more realistic it is. He uses the SIMS as an example. This game is about creating and controlling life in an everyday society. It doesn’t get much more real than that. He also mentions SOCOM. This game is very unrealistic cause most people do not go around blowing up terrorists. He says the games must reflect situations that many people encounter.
Using Galloway’s definition of realism I don’t think he would consider most reality TV shows to be realistic. Most reality shows take ordinary people and put them in extra ordinary situations. Galloway says realistic things must have “ some kind of congruence, some type of fidelity of context that transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again.” Although he’s talking about games he’s saying that the event must reflect ordinary life. While the people on reality shows are somewhat ordinary, the situations they are put in are certainly not.
Matthew Axberg
Katherine Brandt
In Galloway's essay he talks about the differences between realistic game play and realism seen in video games, or online gaming. The realistic part is basically
seen in almost all modern games, even if it is a fantasy world, the games generally follow real world actions and physics. But the actual game play and the options/choices available to the player(s) is what makes the game's realism. Most video games lack this quality except recently with open world games that started with GTA: III and games were you choose how you are going to live your character's life. Such as games like Fable were you choose if you want to be a good or bad; or the most recent installment of Grand Theft Auto. In GTA: IV you are given choices that affect all aspects of later game play, making the player feel like it is a realistic world that they can affect.
I personally don't feel that any reality TV show is really real, personally I feel more shows on HBO or Showtime are more realistic than most of the reality TV shows. Because they say it is realistic, but really it is written and acted out dramatically by people just like in other shows. It actually less realistic because I have never seen a reality show were a character seems real they are all over the top stereotypes. Where as shows on HBO like Oz, or The Sopranos, and Six Feet Under seem more realistic than any other show, because the characters deep development throughout the series and things are not shown as black in white. Another reason I believe HBO and Showtime have more realistic shows that network TV is because they do not censor the shows, they have swearing, drugs, sex, and violence, but not in the over the top way of Reality TV they do it just because that is how certain characters are. Making it more real.
-Marco Cannestra
TA: Kate
today all video games are trying to become more realistic. A video game is more realistic when it looks more real and it has a believable plot and physics system. All though games are trying to get more realistic, most of them don't have a lot of realism. Realism on the other hand is when the games is has aspects that the player can relate to. Such as the SIMS. Games like
MADDEN and Call of Duty are more "Realistic."
When it comes to reality shows, i would say 99% of reality TV shows do not have a lot of realism. I've never watched a reality TV show and said to myself, "Wow! this is just like my life." It seems that reality TV shows take the most real everyday situation and make it compliantly over the top and unrealistic. On the other hand there are a couple that i would say are pretty real, like wheel of fortune and American Idol. These shows have, what i would consider, normal people in them
Zach Cosby
ta: Laura
In recent years we have seen a rise on television of a certain genre of shows typically referred to as "reality television." First off I would like to state that I don't really watch TV and that this specific kind of programing is especially uninteresting to me so I have very little "hands on" experience with reality TV. Still I know what has filtered through in pop culture. Usually these shows either follow a group as they endure some kind of challenging game/competition or they concentrate on one person, usually a so-called celebrity, as they walk around and pretend to live. But is any of this real?
Alexander Galloway has written a neat article on social realism in video games that I think has some good points that could also apply to reality TV as well. In the article he says "I suggest that game studies should follow these same arguments and not turn to a theory of realism in gaming as mere realistic representation, but define realist games as those that reflect critically on the minutiae of everyday life, replete as it is with struggle, personal drama, and injustice." In the gaming word all of this boils down to an argument that says that even if your 3-D models are photorealistic and your physics engines are top notch it doesn't make your game realistic if the actual content is not dealing with the blunt, un-glamorized truth of human existence. So now back to reality TV. Could the same not be said here. These shows indeed feature "real" people and the events are really happening in front of a real camera and being shown to real people in their real houses, but they are not realistic. Trying to win a challenge in the jungle has little relevance to the viewers life and the finely sculpted dramatic arch of the latest narcissistic jerk being followed by a camera crew has maybe less.
-John Olsen
Kate Brandt
Galloway defines realisiticness as a measure of aesthetic accuracy; a gauge used to define how "real" something appears on a screen. Realism, on the other hand, deals more with the viewer's personal relationship with the events displayed before them. "So it is because games are an active medium that realism in gaming requires a special congruence between the social reality depicted in the game and the social reality known and lived by the player." (p.83) Galloway also discusses the unique qualities in gaming are concerned with the player's power to choose, dealing with cause-and-effect relationships. The player is fully engaged in the events occurring in front of them, with toggles and buttons translating the impulse of the mind into action on the screen.
Concerning reality TV, Galloway's theory of realism could be applied in different ways. In the sense that reality TV depicts real people dealing with real problems, then Galloway's theory does apply. These programs "...reflect critically on the minutiae of everyday life, replete as it is with struggle, personal drama, and injustice." (p.75) Although he is referring to games in this passage, I believe that the same idea reflects the major themes and purposes behind the broadcast of reality TV: real people living real lives, all for the sympathies and entertainment of the real people sitting at home.
On the other hand, Galloway's theory is not completely universal for all reality TV and all viewers. Specific social demographics are depicted in individual reality shows. The average cab driver or hamburger cook won't completely relate to the trials and tribulations of a contestant on "The Apprentice". Someone who has no real interest in preparing gourmet dishes is not very likely to sympathize with the anxiety issues rife in "Top Chef".
However there are some basic human emotions that are derived from specific and unrelated incidences. We see success and we feel it ourselves. We see defeat and we feel defeated. Watching someone becoming frustrated for some reason or another makes us frustrated. On this more universal level Galloway's theory does apply. And now that reality TV has taken over such a significant amount of air time, it would appear that eventually everyone will have a certain reality program that truly speaks to them.
-Nick Westfahl
TA- Steve Wetzel
Galloway's preferred definition of realism in gaming would be found o page 76 in his article as he explains, "To find social realism in gaming, one must follow the telltale traits of social critique and through them uncover the beginnings of a realist gaming aesthetic." What Galloway is saying is that, not only does a game have to have realistic graphics and game-play, but it must depict real life, such as an event in history or a specific thing in today's society such as the NFL or the Navy Seals. I do not think that Galloway would consider "Reality TV" a form of realism. I believe Galloway would consider it to be realistic at times but, he would not consider it a form of realism. Often times Reality TV is actually the exact opposite. In other words many Reality TV shows are scripted and have a pre-determined outcome but are built around a realistic idea and/or events.
I believe that Galloway would consider some Reality TV shows to be realistic at times, but he would not designate any of these shows as a form of realism. For instance the show Project Runway depicts realistic events, which is fashion designers competing for the same job. This happens every day in America, but it is not a form of realism because in the real world fashion designers do not go into a room together and design their clothing under a time constraint and then walk out onto a stage and get criticized by famous fashion experts. The idea for the show and certain aspects of it are realistic, but what actually takes place is not a form of realism, because much of it is designed for TV and for ratings, and that is why Galloway would not consider Reality TV to be a form of realism.
Connor Murray
TA: Katherine Brandt
According to Alexander Galloway, in order for a game to have the element of realism it needs to reflect real life. As Galloway states, games must have “some type of fidelity of context that transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again.” Using the example of the different military games, the game America’s Army does not have the same realistic quality to it as Special Force or Under Ash because the games’ narratives are more closely related to Lebanese or Palestinian life. You can have a game with low-quality or cartoon-like graphics but if it can accurately portray real life it’s realistic.
I think whether a reality show can be considered realistic depends on the kind of reality show. Most of the reality shows on VH1, like Flavor of Love and The Surreal Life, wouldn’t be considered realistic. Shows like these, while filming real people, put their subjects in extreme situations that you wouldn’t encounter in everyday life. A show like The Hills, while not the best example because it is clearly scripted, is more realistic because it follows the stars through their everyday life and is more easily relatable to.
Tanisha Richter
TA: David Witzling
Galloway gives a definition of realism in gaming in his essay about social realism. According to Galloway, there are two different kinds of games; "those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of various kinds" (72). Galloway explains that a game like "The Sims" uses realism in that it is "closer to the narratives of normal life" (72) compared to "SOCOM" which is farther from reality having gamers "storm[] an enemy base" (72). The Sims games offer something that could actually happen in a person's life. Sims characters get married, build/buy houses, get jobs, have kids, do things most people do. There is more realism in that than in a game where a character go around shooting people on a daily basis, unless the game creator was basing the game around the life of a killer which is unlikely.
I think Galloway would consider reality television a form of realism. While there are some shows out there that seem completely unrealistic and non-believable, there are others that are the opposite. Shows like "The Hills" or "Laguna Beach" may not be a good representation of how everyone lives, they do in fact follow lives of people living how they normally live. Even with shows like "Project Runway" and "American Idol" that are competitive shows, one could argue that we all compete in our lives. The contestants in "American Idol" are competing for their dream job as many americans do on a daily basis. While reality television doesn't depict everybody's lifestyle, it does depict someones.
Sara Nesbitt
TA: Kate Brandt
In Alexander Galloway’s “Social Realism,” he explains realism in video games. A game is realistic if the action occurring in the game is similar to that of real life. However, in Galloway’s opinion, realisticness and realism are not the same thing. “If they were the same, realism in gaming would simply be a mathematical process of counting the polygons and tracing the correspondences. Realisticness is a yardstick held up to representation.” (73) Realisticness is merely a tool used to judge a game’s realism in its aesthetics and representation of the real world. Games are also realistic in their ability to involve the player physically. Most video games require the player to do an action (press buttons, control a stick, etc.). “Because of this, a realistic game must be realist in doing, in action. And because the primary phenomenological reality of games is that of action…it follows in a structural sense that the player has a more intimate relationship with the apparatus itself, and therefore with the deployment of realism.” (83) Thus, video games can do things that film and images cannot: they allow the player control and to create his/her own destiny within the game and therefore, the actions by the player are the only realism in video games.
Though reality television is, for the most part, a representation of real life, Galloway would not consider it to be a form of realism because the audience does not control the people in the episode. The viewer is not involved in the show besides the fact that he or she is watching it.
Alison Korth
T.A. Laura Bennett
Alexander Galloway distinction between realism and realisticness is that realism is based and helps prepare people for everyday events, while realisticness is the idea of realism being based in a fantastical world, a larger than life event, or an event that is only done in real life by a sole group of people.
With the idea of reality tv, I do not believe that he would categorize it as based on realism although one could see otherwise. One quote from Alexander makes me think quite a bit about this. He says about gaming on page 228 of the course reader that "It boils down to the affect of the gamer or whether it is a dreamy, fantastical diversion from that affect, or whether it is a figurative extension of it." This suggests that it is based on the gamer, or viewer in our case, and their opinion of the tv show.
His argument seems to be that if the person watching it believes that it is an everyday situation or occurance then it must be realistic to them. I disagree, but that is besides the point. If someone believes "I Love Money" is something they will go through everyday in their life then so be it.
Kyle Arpke
“One of the central theoretical issues in video gaming is how and in what way one can make connections between the gaming world and the real world…” Alexander Galloway explains that the difference between realisticness and realism in his book Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture. He goes on to say that realisticness is based primarily on how a game looks and all the little details the programmers were able to cram into the game. Realism on the other hand doesn’t deal with how the game looks, but instead is about how true to real life the scenarios and events of the game are.
If we are using Galloway’s definition of realism meaning that realism is how true something is to real life, I do not consider Reality TV a form of realism. I can honestly say that I have never had to compete against other men for the heart of a bachelorette, sing in front of a panel of judges, or vote anyone off of an island, nor has there been a large sum of money or SUV waiting for me at the end of my troubles. “…it would seem that gaming is a purely expressionistic medium with no grounding in realism no matter how high the polygon counts or dots per inch.” This quote drives home the idea that how photo-realistic something looks is no basis for the realism of it.
Nelson Schneider
TA: Kate Brandt
Galloway states that, “Realism in gaming is about the extension of one’s own social life,” thus stressing the social application of the term, while realisticness is more often used by Galloway to suggest technological capabilities and aesthetics. Through reading some of the examples in the text, I’d venture Galloway would, in some regards consider reality television a form of realism, but discount it in others. To paraphrase, there is no realism without the “congruence requirement,” or quite simply the connection a gamer or viewer feels between the world of the game and their everyday experience.
The, “congruence requirement” helps explain the breath of reality programs. Consider the following: Flavor of Love, Top Chef, Wife Swap, My Super Sweet 16, My Big Fat Red Neck Wedding; it’s clear that several so-called “realities” are being offered in an attempt to connect (or disconnect) with a wide variety of audiences. These “real” scenarios are completely manufactured, but strive to bridge the real and the imagined.
Further convoluting the analysis of reality television is Bruno Reichlin’s definition of neorealism as, “A surgical examination of matters in society, an almost documentary attention to the everyday, an adherence in thought and language to the social origins and personalities of the characters, a more-or-less direct criticism of current society and morals.” The Aesthetic traits of which are marked as, “the use of nonprofessional actors, the absence of histrionics, real-life scenery, amateur cinematography….long takes, and minimal editing. Thus, reality TV employs some of the aesthetics of neorealism, and
the allure of, (or more often the direct diversion from) the congruence requirement, yet, it requires heavy editing and short takes, all of which contribute to my very scientific diagnosis of reality television as something of a bastard hybrid.
…which isn’t to say it doesn’t have it’s moments…
Meghan Strobel
+ Steve Wetzel
Alexander Galloway's opinion of realism based on the games SOCOM and THE SIMS are in my opinion accurate and reasonable points. These games represent two different types of games "those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of various kinds" (72). In the game THE SIMS the player is asked to reenact life. By taking care of a family, getting a job, paying bills etc. Where as SOCOM is a more stylized sort of realism. Yes the Physics are realistic and the guns maybe too but the actual premise of the game is not.
Reality shows are difficult to classify because they're almost in a their own category. I do not believe that Galloway would consider reality shows a form of realism. They do have elements of realism incorporated into the show but the actual act of going out and completing task while competing against other hopefuls are not realistic.
There are other shows such as the Hill and Laguna beach which I would not consider realistic because they're very exaggerated but according to Galloway's statement those shows would be closer to the SIMS of reality shows where reality shows like survivor could be considered the SOCOM of reality TV. The purpose of reality TV is not to depict a realistic life but depict aspects of ones life, everyone has different experiences and life styles depending on age and status so to me a show like the hills may be unrealistic, but for people who have been raised in a wealthy home. This may be a closer form of reality than others would understand.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
oh yea,
Nick Aldrich
TA - David Witzling
Galloway’s requirements for realism boils down to two elements; the “extension of one’s social life” and “some type of fidelity of context that transliterates itself from the social reality of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again”. Meaning that for a game to be realistic it has to relate and interact with a person’s social life. Galloway would consider a few reality television shows to be realistic only by the interactive quality of the show. So, shows that have the viewers vote in to decide the outcome of the characters or contestants would be more realistic than purely documentary shows. As for the “extension of one’s social life”, the only people to have this experience are those who are actually featured on the show. So, the shirtless drunk on Cops and the whiny drama queen on , well, any show on television can refer to these shows as reality tv. By this conclusion, we can see how personal the perspective on realism is, and how difficult it is to define realism.
Nathan Irish
TA Kate Brandt
Realisticness, according to Gallow, is just a way that we can measure how realistic a game is in representing the real world. Thus any game that has actual places in it are realistic in representation but not in “the extension of one’s own social life” as Gallow defines realism in gaming. To elevate a game from just a representation to realism it needs what Gallow calls a “congruence requirement”, where not only the social realities of the gamer are reflected in and influence the game environment but the reverse must also be true. When a game is about real life problems that the gamer faces they then “have a personal investment in the struggle depicted in the game, just as they have a personal investment in the struggle happening each day around them.” Most games only serve to distract us from are daily struggles instead of allowing us to explore them in a virtual world or games take place in a real world setting where we can act out the fantasies of living in a world where there are no consequences such as in the Grand Theft Auto series.
With the recent popularity boom that reality TV has seen, there are now many different subtypes of this genre and some do come close to realism well most fail miserably in the attempt but still have the ratings. Well all reality shows use real people instead of actors, these real people are placed in unrealistic situations (everything from surviving on an island to creating a complete outfit in two days) that no one experiences in their everyday lives. Gallow searches for games that reflect the player’s struggles in real life and thus creates more investment for the player in the game. In TV, shows like Project Runway and Top Chef, even though they are staged competitions that don’t take place in real life, they still reflect people’s struggles with climbing the professional ladder. These shows can only be given the label of “realism” however, if they are viewed by people in those specific fields, in that way can people get something out of the show that effects their lives.
Lanae Smith
TA: David Witzling
Galloway quite clearly describes his preferred definition on “Realism” in his article when he states, “There must be some kind of congruence, some type of fidelity of the gamer, through one’s thumbs, into the game environment and back again”. He also describes realism as “a documentary-like attention to the everyday struggles of the disenfranchised, leading to a direct criticism of current social policy”. Using the examples of America’s Army, Under Ash and Special Force, he explains his definitions further. While America’s Army may “appear” more realistic because of better graphics and higher resolution, this alone does not constitute realism. In a game like Under Ash where the “game is not fantasy escapism but instead takes on an almost documentary quality” the realism exists much more strongly. A game like Under Ash is considered to have realism because the game allows them to play out real life scenarios, scenarios they find themselves in often. The game comments on politics and social structures affecting the gamer while games like America’s Army puts players into environments they aren’t familiar with and allows them to “play” inside them. In terms of Reality TV, I don’t feel that Galloway would consider them as a form of realism. Reality TV shows are very contrived and many things are done in the editing room to distort the realism of any event that may be considered as such. While I don’t feel reality television fits into Galloway’s construct of realism, there is one aspect that does apply. While the actions of the reality shows are often manipulated, the emotions tend to be genuine, depending on whom you ask.
Lisa Casper
TA: Steve Wetzel
In realistic games, you can see the reflections off the water. You can see shadows and wind. In essence, realisticness looks like real life, but the content can sometimes be fantastical. In the Social Realism chapter of Essays on Algorithmic Culture, author Alexander Galloway uses Unreal Tournament as an example: “Likewise Unreal Tournament 2003 has a more photorealistic graphics engine than Grand Theft Auto III, but the former narrative is sci-fi fluff at best, leaving it at a loss for realism (pg 73).” Realism, then, is different than realisticness, in that it portrays something a little more like everyday life (although I doubt many of us steal cars, shoot police, and pick up prostitutes for a day job). The SIMS is another example that Galloway uses: it mimics everyday life – ordering a pizza, going to the bathroom, feeding the dog – without very realistic graphics, or realistic ways of looking. For instance, the roofs in the game are invisible.
So keeping in mind that a realistic game looks like real life but isn’t, and realism in gaming mimics real life, we can apply the same concepts to reality television. A TV show that looks like real life, but isn’t, is American Idol. Termed a “reality show,” the only thing real about it is that it uses non-actors as its main attraction. If it had realism, American Idol would follow the singer from early on: joining a band, learning music, etc. It would not put the singer up on a stage with three judges deciding their fate. A show with more realism, then, is The Osbournes. Yes, these people live somewhat fantastical lives, but like Grand Theft Auto III, it depicts them simply living day to day. There are no tasks for them to complete, no panel of judges, no trophies.
We can, therefore, apply the concepts of realism and realisticness to reality television. Both occur in different variations. The concepts can even stretch to other mediums: Gus Van Sant’s Elephant has far more realism than the realistic Saving Private Ryan.
That last post was by
Kurt Raether
Steve Wetzel
Alexander Galloway is very clear with his distinction and ideas about realism in gaming vs. realisticness. He talks about realism portraying real life, rather than realisticness through graphics. He describes the realistic attempt to achieve realism by mocking, “it would seem that gaming is purely expressionistic medium with no grounding in realism no matter how high the polygon counts or dots per inch.” This quotes shows that games like The SIMS are more near realism than war games like SOCOM. He prefers to see realism displayed in a more likely chance to happen in real life, which games like The SIMS portray. When transferring this idea over to views on reality TV, Galloway would simply have to take views on certain types of shows. Some are so unlikely to occur in real life he would laugh at the idea that something this crazy could actually happen and he would say that it would never happen in normal day-to-day life. However, some shows like Big Brother, would be his exact definition of realism due to the fact that they show people doing exactly what one would do throughout their day. I would think that different shows would get different rates of realism from Galloway if they like games, could be too abstract and unrealistic, or the complete opposite. When referring to Project Runway I feel the show is extremely realistic and portrays the real world of competition for jobs, and a situation that could take place in the given world, making the reality TV show, a true reality.
Matt Prekop
TA: Katie Brandt
I think that Alexander Galloway's best definition of realism is seen using the game by Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto III. This game does a perfect job of portraying an actual real human being. This game is perfect for “training a new generation of cyber-warriors,” p. 71 it lets you steal, kill, and die all for money. This game gets very intense and real and I could see where it would be really easy to get caught up in thinking it was real. Games do a very good job at hooking people into there intense story lines, and people start to feel for the characters in the games that they are controlling and moving around with that little piece of plastic in their hand.
I believe that Galloway does consider reality tv a form of realism. I believe he considers this a form of realism because it is showing real things happening to real people and that influences people that are watching it thinking its real. I think that reality tv is very much connected to video games hence why he would consider it realism. Reality tv shows show people things that they want to do someday or something they want to be someday.
Brad Schiefelbein
TA: Laura Bennett
Galloway focuses much of his argument in analyzing and comparing video games, but his points about the difference between “realism” and “realisticness” can easily be applied to reality TV. He describes “realism” as portraying real-life scenarios and “realisticness” as real-looking scenarios. With “realisticness,” it’s all about the visual representation. Galloway states that, “Realisticness is a yardstick held up to representation.” The more real the representation of life is, the more realistic it is, but it’s not necessarily realism. Realism represents real-life everyday situations that anyone could be involved in. Galloway’s example of The Sims vs. SOCOM, the Navy Seals game is a good way to distinguish between his two ideas. Although The Sims’ graphics aren’t as good as the real-looking characters and landscapes in SOCOM, the subject matter in The Sims is more applicable to an everyday person’s life, whereas only soldiers could identify with the SOCOM scenarios.
In relation to reality TV, I think that Galloway would not use “realism” to define most reality TV. Competition shows like American Idol, Survivor, and Project Runway have no relation to a real-life situation. Most people do not compete for fabulous prizes everyday by proving themselves through physically or creatively challenging tasks. Shows like The Hills and Miami Ink, however, are closer to “realism.” They show real people in their real-life situations, or mostly. These shows sometimes include planned situations or use editing to change the story around. And it’s true that not everyone is a tattoo artist or a rich twenty-something in L.A. But these are situations that people can relate to; home life, work situations, and social relationships. They are as close as you get to representing real-life on TV. I think that, for the most part, reality TV would be described as representing “realisticness” rather than “realism.”
Megan Linner
TA: Laura Bennett
Galloway defines realism in gaming as having a direct correlation to the gamer's personal experience. While a game can be realistic, i.e. possess powerful imagery and create a sensory experience that mimics reality, it does not always possess a realistic narrative, one that the perceiver can place themselves within and relate to.
Reality tv is a very difficult topic to apply this to, as it is not television that claims to revolve around truth and experience as life actually exists, rather it is just a label to define a certain type of programming. Having the word "real" in the title leads us to believe that it is "real", when, truthfully, the programming is often scripted and nowhere near close to what life is actually like. I believe Galloway would argue that reality tv is just a title, and is no way shape or form a type of realism. I could see Galloway, however, arguing that reality tv seeks to represent some alternate form or referent of what the programs themselves have deemed reality to be.
Galloway claims that "it is important to make a distinction between games that are modeled around real events and ones that actually claim to be an extension of real-life struggle". I believe that this is very much applicable to reality television. What is it that these shows are attempting to represent? Are the struggles of the people on the show "extensions of real-life struggle"? Are they real? Or are they merely modeled after real events?
Finding these distinctions are critical when attempting to analyze reality television.
Andrew Tolstedt
TA: David Witzling
Galloway wants to show that there is a difference between the realisticness of gaming and the realism in it. The realism is more based on the graphics of the games and how real the pictures look. But the realisticness is more based on how “real life” it is and how anyone can do that sort of thing in any scenario of life. He gives examples of realisticness and realism with The Sims versus SOCOM. SOCOM has more realistic imagery while The Sims have a more realistic narrative.
In the case of Reality TV, most reality shows are so out there that it wouldn’t be seen as realism because it’s people eating sheep’s eyes, winning thousands of dollars by opening boxes, or living in a house with about ten others and being watched. These are not things regular people do on a day-to-day basis. Even other reality shows such as The Hills, Laguna Beach, or The Real Housewives of Orange County, that have more realistic plots and activities could not be considered realistic because they are so interlaced with drama that the producers have the “actors” create because otherwise no one would watch the show and there wouldn’t be any ratings. Galloway quotes Bruce Shelley saying, “Realism and historical information are resources or props we use to add interest, story, and character to the problems we are posing for the player. That is not to say that realism and historic fact have no importance, they are just not the highest priority.” This is true for the more real life reality TV because these shows have characters that are actual people but they have things added to the story lines to keep things interesting to the audience.
I think Galloway would not consider reality TV a form of realism because realism is supposed to show real life people in real life situations and reality TV is not a realistic representation of real life.
Kaitlyn Murray
TA Kate Brandt
Alexander Galloway he uses the example of realism in games by using the games SIMS and SOCOM. I would agree with the fact that the SIMS is very realistic, however not the most realistic game out there. Alexander states "realism in gaming is about a relationship between the game and the player”. I agree with this statement because you as the gamer are going to make what you want to make out of the game. If you think that its realistic to go around and shoot terrorists on a regular basis, then I guess SOCOM is very realistic to you. I feel as in SIMS you are build a house, furnish a house, have a family, and have a job. Nothing is to out of the norm there. However on SIMS you can do some pretty unrealistic things too, such as having a house full of amazing items including a magic lamp that allows a genie into your home, or all the different tactics that you can do to 'kill your sim' (you know you've done it). I would say those are unrealistic. Then again that is what the gamer has made it, if they decided to torture their 'sims' they as the gamer are the ones that are making it unrealistic. Now as far as reality television goes, I think that is a whole different story. Since the start of reality television there is now numerous, somewhat infinitive amounts of reality television shows. In most cases on reality television shows they are putting normal people into extreme or not normal situations. In those cases I think that takes away from it being realism. Those shows would definitely include Survivor. How real is it for those people to really be stranded out in the middle of Africa. Although the situations they might be dealing with might be normal, they aren't normal to those certain people. Then again that is also what the show is about, putting people into situations they have never been in before. Another example I think of a reality show not really being realism would be Real World. In general no one can really afford to go out and party night after night after night. However somehow they manage to do it in the Real World with their job that never really seems to require much work. Shows that I consider to be realism would probably be American Idol. The contestants were singers before, so singing to them is normal and real. I would also say that Project Runway and Americas Next Top Model could fall under being realism as well. These contestants in these shows have been picked for there talents because they know how to model, or how to be a fashion designer, nothing is unreal about them.
Amber Blanchard
TA: David Witzling
I'd like to start my post with the reality shows. I am a huge hater of reality shows for sure. I am really skeptical about the plot lines, even the dialogue sometimes...it all seems too planned out. I honestly don't thin Galloway would call these shows realistic. There are some that may be a little more than others, such as...American Idol, or even Project Runway, but it is so hard for me to believe, considering the amount of money there is to be made, that even those shows don't tamper with the story lines to make it a little bit more interesting.
Now I will switch to the gaming aspect, and get into what realism actually is to Galloway. He states that realism and realisticness are two separate concepts, and by knowing this alone, and by looking at the two words & what they mean, I totally understand what he is saying. When talking about realisticness he says "Realisticness is a yardstick help up to representation". What I get from that quote is that when realism would be an actual replica, or at least extremely close/attempted, realisticness is more of an imitation of that realism. He brings up SOCOM as a good example something that has real qualities, but is not actually real in most peoples lives. I would assume sports games would be considered realism, seeing how they are pretty much exactly true to the real life form.
Garrett Hopkins
TA Kate
Alexander Galloway depicts realism as the aspects that portray real like or “realism in gaming is about the extension of one’s own social life” (Galloway 78/223). Where the realistic is how close the visuals of something appears to be real. An example that shows us the difference between the two are “For instance, listening to music, ordering pizza...and nondiegetic wall cutaways in The Sims” (Galloway 72/217) The Sims reflect and allow the users to interact with the game as if it were real life, doing common things where as SOCOM may reflect an aspect of a Navy Seals life it doesn’t come close to everyday life or the actual lives of a Navy Seal.
If you take these ideas and apply them to today’s “reality TV” I would say that this form of entertainment relates closer to the realistic aspect of his article than the realism. On television shows you are watching real people, doing real things but the fact that what they are doing normally wouldn’t occur in every day life would make it less of the reality aspect. This is all the attempt at “a technique to approximate...the real world” (Bazin 74/219) Sure the dirty details are shown but usually manipulated through editing. Yet in a sense it is an “extension of one’s social life” because these shows are viewed often in groups of friends and later discussed and television shows like American Idol allow us to “participate” they still do not depict real life. There are aspects of each of these shows that do show things people do every day but because its all usually based on winning a title or a prize it shifts how people would usually approach these daily activities. People are often thrown into a house with several strangers to see how they will interact with each other. These things often don’t happen, in a sense college is like that being thrown into a dorm with all new people. The huge difference is colleges students all have individual schedules and forced to do their own time management usually living on a very limited budget. In reality television the cast is usually given money to spend. Their well being and supplies are managed by the producers of the programming.
Zachery Holder
TA: Laura Bennet
Galloway describes realisticness and realism as two completely different notions. Galloway provided his definition of realism as “a documentary-like attention to the everyday struggles of the disenfranchised, leading to a direct criticism of current policy” (80). In relation to gaming, he described “realist games as those that reflect critically on the minutiae of everyday life, replete as it is with struggle, personal drama, an injustice” (75). He stated that games that are truly realist construct a “meaningful relationship between the affective actions of gamers and the real social contexts in which they live” (78). Galloway describes realist games as “the extension of one’s own social life” (78). This means that social realism in gaming is about the games having a direct relationship with the context of the gamers’ everyday life and their everyday struggles.
If Galloway’s definition of realism were applied to reality TV, it would be apparent that he would not consider reality television to be a form of realism. For the most part, reality TV is staged in one form or another. The viewer, in essence, cannot directly relate or empathize with the characters they see on television because of the different circumstances in which the viewer and character, respectively, live. Galloway’s definition of realism is not in agreement with the “reality” that is shown on reality TV in many ways. One example is that many reality TV shows do not show the “struggles of the disenfranchised” but the superficial problems of those who are part of the upper class. Galloway states that neorealism “include the use of nonprofessional actors, the absence of histrionics, real-life scenery, amateur cinematography, grainy film stock, long takes, and minimal editing” (74). As a matter of fact, reality TV is extensively edited and many reality TV shows lack even the “real-life scenery” which is one of the factors that could make it realist.
Marisela Rodriguez Gutierrez
TA: Steve Wetzel
Galloway distinguishes between the terms “realisticness” and “realism”. He defines realisticness in gaming as the quality of the graphics and action. The more real-looking the graphics, the more “realistic”. When it comes to realism, however, Galloway quotes Andre Bazin: “we would define as ‘realist’, then, all narrative means tending to bring an added measure of reality to the screen” (75). Galloway gives as examples the games Unreal Tournament 2003 and Grand Theft Auto III. The first has the better graphics program, making it more realistic than the second. And while it is a stretch to call a game where the only object is to steal cars realism, he states that “the former narrative is sci-fi fluff at best, leaving it at a loss for realism” (73). He also cites SOCOM and The Sims as examples – the first has excellently realistic graphics, the second has everyday actions like ordering pizza.
I don’t believe Galloway would consider reality TV to be realism. It could be called realistic, with its “unscripted” acting and amateur, documentary filming style. However, I don’t believe you could call it realism. The narratives of most reality TV shows are far from everyday ordinary. For example, I was watching The Hills tonight with my roommates. We were constantly commenting on the lack of reality in the characters and situations (spoiled rich kids living in LA? Juggling several boyfriends at once? Jetting off to Cabo on a whim?). There may be a few shows with more realist narratives, but I’ve never seen one. Maybe that’s because I don’t watch much TV. However, there's a reason reality TV has been stereotyped as being awfully unrealistic.
Bethany Davey
TA: Kate Brandt
Galloway's notion of "realisticness" versus "realism" as it applies to video games is that through high polygon count and good graphocs engines, a game can look and feel realistic. But a game that simulates shooting aliens or fighting hordes of ninjas with your dragon sword may look realistic, but it doesn't fall into the category of realism. Realism in video games constitutes a simulation of real life. Galloway's example was The Sims. Although the graphics arent very realistic, the simulation of everyday life gives the gamer a perspective on real life through a reletively entertaining medium. Game designers will generally strive for realisticness over realism because what the gamer wants is to stimulate their senses with action and violence. Most video gamers enjoy video games solely because of the disconnection with realism and reality. Realisticness helps the gamer to experience this more efficiently.
The same concept applies to television in the form of TV dramas versus Reality TV. A drama that it is entirely fantastical may be filmed in a way that makes it realistic to the viewer, but it doesn't have the quality of realism. Reality TV on the other hand is entertaining because the viewer accepts it as being real and unscripted even when it's not it still creates the illusion of realism. I would argue that reality TV is not a medium of realism because its real life people taken out of the context of real life for the sole purpose of entertainment.
Jack Kirby
TA Laura Bennet
Galloway defines realism in gaming as something beyond graphical attempts at reality or narrative ones. The most important aspect of realism is social congruency; that is, a game must be relevant and replicant of reality as it applies uniquely to a disenfranchised demographic. A game must critique the social structures of reality to truly be realistic.
Reality TV must be held to these same constrictions. It must present a social critique and be directly relevant to a demographics social experience in life to be considered realistic. Reality TV on the whole is a misnomer in the fact that the experiences displayed are not reality, but rather a ideal fantasy for the consumer. It cannot therefore be considered realistic in that it represents no “extension of one’s own social life”(Galloway, 78) It has no congruence to the realities it’s target audience sees and therefore makes no relevant social allegory and is not realism.
Zach Erdmann
TA Kate Brandt
Realism and gaming is basically an extension of your social life, Galloway says. Depending on the elements of the game, their are distinctions between the games realistic capabilities, and realism. Most games don't relate to people's everyday lives (War games, racing games, etc.) These games may be realistic in a sense, but they do not offer any sort of realism to the average player. However, certain games like the Sims, or other Role-playing games may offer a sense of realism. “by constructing a meaningful relationship between the actions in the game and the world in which the gamer lives.” Certain games relate to Galloway's quote in a sense that the person playing the game believes that he/she is the character in the game and directly relates.
I think Galloway could relate his idea or realism to certain Reality television shows. Just like video games, there are certain shows that serve as unrealistic to the average person. While they may still be real (because it is "reality tv") it may still not apply to everyone. Take for instance, the Amazing Race. This show does not have realisticness to average people because they are not traveling around the world searching for clues.
However, shows like The Real World, or The Biggest Loser, may offer a better realism towards people. These shows deal with issues that most people have in their everyday lives. (Living and getting along with new people, losing weight)
So I think Galloway's idea of realism in gaming can be related to Reality Television, but only in certain aspects.
Kyle Probst
Laura Bennett
“Realism in gaming is about the relationship between the game and the player.” Galloway states. For example a person that has never served in the military doesn’t have the personal connection to a militaristic shooter game for instance Call of Duty 4, the same as a military veteran would have. Games definitely provoke realism but the depth of how that realism affects the gamer is based on personal and social experience. The realness of the game is determined “by constructing a meaningful relationship between the actions in the game and the world in which the gamer lives.”
What we see as reality TV today is obviously out of the contextual lines Galloway set down for his “Congruence requirement.” From the early seasons of Survivor too current shows like American Idol, Project Runway and my personal favorite Elimidate… Just kidding, have stretched what truly is reality since they have been on the air. There are aspects of realism added to these shows for presentation value like Run’s House, a TV show that follows reverend Run from Run DMC and his family about their daily lives. Despite the producers behind the scenes manipulating the shots and sequences between cuts the show gives off a vibe that everything is happening naturally. By depicting what the viewers see as truth the reality aspect becomes emulsified, which is what attracts viewers. So TV networks dupe the public into thinking that what they see is real, in actuality the shows have very little realism, but lots of symbolism.
Nick Edmonds
TA: L. Bennett
Galloway believes that everyday life is the inspiration of modern games. We have made games and their characters so realistic that it is beginning to tell the difference between what is real and what is fantasy. All the details of a game's makeup are carefully thought through in order to bring the game to life, so to speak. Some games even try to copy current events. He quotes Andre Bazin as saying cinema is "a technique to approximate the basic phenomenological qualities of the real world." (Gallowy 74)
I think that Galloway would consider reality t.v. a form of realism. These types of shows display everyday issues that some if not all of us can relate to. For example, on the Real World, they have to have jobs while they are living in the city, which holds true in reality. Yet, one can argue if these shows are reality shows or just fabricated, scripted shows, still blurring what is reality and what is fantasy.
Erik Wagner
T.A. Steve Wetzel
Rory Petry
“Realisticness is the yardstick held up to representation.”(Galloway) Its look and feel of the game at face value which realism is your ability to decide in a game, comparing a game like asteroids which leaves you with one objective and to a game like the Sims where you control the look of the character, their dress, occupation, their housing, and even their relationships to other characters.
Alexander Galloway makes note that there are two “piles” when considering realism in gaming. “Those that have as their central conceit the mimetic reconstruction of real life, and those resigned to fantasy worlds of varies kinds.” In other words there are games that place us in to modern sporting events and military situations, and those that take us in to new realms and planets.
I believe Galloway would have thought that reality TV is just bad entertainment categorized by its realism. “Realism and historical information are resources or props we use to add interest…” “…They are not the highest priority.” This is to say that the reality part of reality TV is primarily a gimmick. The producer’s set up conflict to a group of already self conflicted individuals and we watch them as they have to deal with the objective and each other. The fact that it’s “real” plays a vary small role in the viewing pleasure.
According to Galloway, for a game to have realism or be identified as realistic, it must have more then just images that look close to real-life. It must have a tangible feeling or essence about it, whether it's through the story or characters, that make the player see "the narratives of [a] normal life,"(Galloway 72). This means that if the player can't identify personally with what goes on in a game, such as possibly killing an alien or android, that playing The Sims Hot Date, a game about dating, would have more realism then say, Halo 3.
I think the same idea of what is realism can be applied to reality T.V.. Reality T.V. shows vary in realism as much as video games, some being more realistic then others, some being less. I think in shows like Super Nanny or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Galloway would see the fairly realistic portrayal of American families, at least as realistic as the Sims game is with dating. However, with shows like Dancing with the Stars or American Idol, I think Galloway might call them the Halo 3 of reality T.V.. The people on the show are real people doing real things, but the ability to connect personally with what they are doing is probably unlikely, unless (for Dancing with the Stars) you are famous and have danced competitively before.
Travis Torok
TA: Steve Wetzel
Galloway says that there needs to be something that goes from the gamer, "into the environment and back again."...even though this is the "congruence requirement", he also states that "it is necessary for achieving realism in gaming".
I think that Galloway would definitely agree that reality television has realism, especially today, when reality t.v. has become such a staple of people's lives.
Take for example, "The Biggest Loser". This helps real people make life-changing decisions that will affect them and their family. This show has also inspired thousands, maybe even millions of viewers to get in shape. People are always sending in their before and after photos showing their success.
"American Idol" is one of those shows that has changed the winners' lives substantially. This is one of the shows where the viewers can help chose the winners. Some of the winners, especially Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood--and even some of the non-winning contestants, like Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken--have become household names. Their c.d.'s and concerts have sold many copies and tickets, and some of them have launched other careers, such as acting. The reason why this portrays realism is because the viewers have let them into their worlds and have made their music a part of their everyday lives. Some of these singer would never have been heard from unless they went on that show.
So I would say that Galloway would agree that most reality television has realism, especially because it has become a part of our culture.
Mallory Davidson
T.A.: Kate
Galloway defines realism in the following statement, “Realist games are those games that reflect critically on the minutiae of everyday life, replete as it is with struggle, personal drama, and injustice.” Essentially, realism is not the rendition of the graphics or the visual representation of an “actual” or ”realistic” place, but instead a game with roots in realism is one that most closely follows the life and struggles of those playing. Galloway uses the Israeli game Under Ash as an example. In the game, the characters must protect themselves from extremist Palestinians. Galloway mentions that this game would be an accurate idea of realism for a Israeli under these conditions. However, an American playing Under Ash is not experiencing realism because it does not resemble his or her everyday life (Galloway 227).
When considering Galloway’s arguments in comparison to Reality TV one would have to assume that Galloway would not consider most syndicated Reality any type of realism. Take into consideration some of the most popular Reality TV shows. Survivor portrays the “realistic” example of being stuck in a remote location, apart from civilization. Any individual watching this show is not experiencing realism considering the fact they have electricity to watch the show in the first place. Also, America’s Next Top Model and American Idol portray the lives of individuals competing to win fame and money. Although some may consider their everyday struggles an effort to achieve these materials, it is certainly not on the elevated stage that is witnessed. However, some Reality TV may strike realism for a small amount of viewers. Shows like MTV’s True Life, which documents the lives of young adults in certain situations, may apply to any number of people experiencing similar life issues. This is a raw example, however, as the stories become personal to the documented teen, which leaves less room for others to feel a sense of individual realism. Overall, realism differs from person to person which makes it difficult for Reality TV to truly be called an art of realism.
Mitchell Keller
TA: Laura Bennett
Galloway prefers to define realism in gaming as reality, he believes that video games can be considered realistic because they critique real-life with visual and actual representations. Gaming constantly reinforce that the idea is real, they contain realistic scenarios and often causes the player to get trapped in the mind frame as if they were really living in the game's situation.
Galloway would consider Reality T.V. a form of realism because allot of the events that are featured on reality shows are fabricated, “realism in the cinema as a technique to approximate the basic phenomenological qualities" (219)It's the same with TV too, Reality TV is closer to realism because it's more of a fantasy, it features real people and possible scenarios however a group of people living on a island trying to beat each other to win prizes is more of an idea. Reality shows are edited and manipulated to produce a certain response from their audience and only grabs their viewer's attention for so long before the spectacle of the show begins to diminish. Yet they still are popular because they critique society by having their characters display certain behaviors that can relate to their audiences which usually hooks them in sort of like what gaming does but on a lower level.
Venise W.
David W.
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