Show A Part Of The Public Sphere example essay topic

Everyday Australians turn on their television to find programs that are covering issues and topics that are relative to them, the viewer. On these programs viewers can see "average" Australians like themselves dealing with the same issues and conflicts that they are: "racism, sexuality, welfare rights, and religious freedom". (Shattuck, p. 86). As viewers are connecting to the characters and the topics covered on these shows they are taking part in creating a public opinion forum, which is a public sphere.

The public sphere in Australia is shown dramatically through the new wave of reality television shows. Before beginning to look at exactly how reality TV is part of the public sphere it is essential to define a public sphere. Jurgen Haberman who is one of the leading theorist of the public sphere defines it as "a domain of our social life in which such a thing as public opinion can be formed... dealing with matters of general interest without being subject to concern... free to express and publicize their opinions freely" (Lecture 3). It is also a place where "private individuals assemble to form a public body" (Shut tac, p. 86). It is the communication between citizens where issues of general interest are brought up.

Rational discussions and debates happen within the public sphere, which is a part of our social life. Within the public sphere issues are made emotional, personalized, and trivialized. The public sphere is dominant in our daily lives. The question arises of how does the television genre of reality TV become a part of the public sphere.

Reality television shows are a medium, which allows the viewer to witness public opinion through real life everyday situations. In reality television shows public issues are made emotional as the viewer observes the characters, which are real live people with real live emotions. Numerous issues of public debate are discussed on reality television shows and because these shows usually contain people from different backgrounds, religions, races, and sexes the viewer is enabled to take in various attitudes and opinions about these public debates. Reality television ties the parts of a public sphere together within the program. Looking within this genre three reality television shows that I am going to discuss as a part of the public sphere include Survivor, Temptation Island, and Big Brother. Channel 9 is the host to Survivor.

On this program the contestants are taken to a remote location and split into two teams for 39 days. They are castaways and compete with one another in various tasks. Each week the loosing team of the competition must vote to eliminate a teammate from the game, and the remaining contender is the "ultimate survivor". Halfway through the shows season the two teams merge as one and the game changes from the playing as a group to the playing of individuals. The contestants on this show come from all different backgrounds, ages, races, and genders. They are placed in deserted, remote locations forced to fend for themselves to find shelter and food.

By the end of this month long program the cast has quarreled with one another over issues that are relative to the public sphere. Survivor works as part of the public sphere. The cast on the show arrives to their remote location, which is secluded from all other parts of civilization. Here they ensemble a community within themselves.

The show cast people of different races, ages, and gender, which bring together a nice mixture for debates on issues that arise. Within this first episode the teammates must begin to make shelter, collect food, build a fire, and find water. While completing these tasks issues arise that help to relate Survivor to the public sphere. In the first episode there is an example of a generation gap when castaway Lucinda loses a competition due to her older age over the younger castaways and tells the tribe to vote her off the island (Survivor, Episode 1).

This brings the castaways to one of their first major decisions, should they vote Lucinda off? As they debate to vote her off or not, the public forms their own opinions on the topic while sitting in the comfort of their own home. They are also able to relate the problem to their own lives as generation gaps are an issue that is widely dealt with. Also, the basic tasks that the castaways are concerned with, that of shelter, food, and water also helps to create the image of the public sphere in Australia. The main concept behind these general tasks is to have the castaways working as a team, which all Australians must do in their daily lives. Be it that they work within one another in a family situation in a household, working in a relationship, or working in an employment team all Australians must work as a team at some point in their lives, it is a part of social life.

As the cast of Survivor works together to accomplish their tasks at hand they must debate and communicate with one another on ways to work the best solution. Also as the season went into the 6th day we saw the emotional, personalized side of the public sphere being represented when the castaway who was a former AFL player broke down when he finds a note hidden in his pocket from his wife. These examples combined strongly help to make Survivor and reality TV a part of the public sphere. Temptation Island is another reality TV show that exemplifies the public sphere. On this show four couples are split up, the males go to one side of a beautiful enchanting island while their female counterparts go to the other side of this island. On the island twelve "singles" tempt the couples.

During the duration of the show the cast members have their pick of the singles, which they go on dates with. By the end of the program they have one final magical date with the "single" of their choice. The point of Temptation Island is to see if the couples can resist temptation and stay truthful to their significant other. This reality show brings up public issues and debates leading it to be part of the public sphere. The four couples are supposed to represent the average Australian couple, therefore giving a voice to the entire population of Australians that are in a relationship. The singles symbolize the lonely Australians who do not have a significant other and are on the prowl of any man / women they can get-even if this person happens to be in a serious relationship.

Everyone in this show is thin and beautiful and young, and only one gay man is part of the "singles" cast. These three qualities of the show already demonstrate that in the public sphere not everyone can be heard. Even though the cast of this show is limited in variety Temptation Island is a voice for the 18-30 year olds that the show represents. The show forms two main communities, the female island and the male island. These two communities represent the male and female parts of society. Issues that are debated on this show bring forward the moral aspects of topics that are discussed between this age group in all of Australia making the show a part of the public sphere.

This is shown the most at the end of each episode when the four couples with the host (males and females alone) discuss recent events that occurred on the island. The most dominant issue is the question asking if their partner has cheated on them. The two sides of the island talk about the implications of their actions as well as their partners with the host and within themselves. This topic, which is the most common on Temptation Island, is an example of how the show relates to the public sphere in Australia. The topic of cheating on your partner on Temptation Island brings a private matter to the public.

The situation becomes personalized and emotional, a characteristic of a public sphere. This is a topic of general interest as the advertisements for the show increase when a couple has a problem such as cheating. The advertisers use this to create excitement and controversy around the show. This also produces a public forum of the show as people on the program as well as the audience come together to discuss the issue at stake. The topic of cheating on your partner is perhaps one of the highest topics on the show and is also a popular topic between 18-30 year olds who the show targets making Temptation Island a part of the public sphere in Australia. Big Brother is a phenomenon is Australia.

It is aired daily on Channel 10. On the show thirteen people are put into a house and have their every moment taped. They make weekly nominations to evict one house member and then the public votes on which member they would like to evict. "Big Brother" regulates the house and has the demanding control over all of the housemates. The housemates have a good divide, on the last season a football player, a "girl next door", a homosexual, and even a dominatrix were portrayed. All together these individuals form in the household to create a public body, which represent Australia.

The viewer then watches, relates to, and discusses this public body. The housemates have various discussions throughout their time in the house that eventually lead to serious topics such as religion, sexuality, and politics. On Sunday June 16th a normal discussion of scary and embarrassing stories leads to Marty's story of his dog that was shot and killed because he wondered into someone else's yard. Jess was horrified with this while Pete and Marty talk of revenge. Another story that was brought up is that of Jess's ex boyfriend being in jail.

This story raises issues from Kieran and Pete of what it would be like to in jail, ways to escape, and others. As the public is watching the discussions about these topics going on in the household they form their own opinion and debate the topics at stake with each other. Besides the household becoming a community which discusses general interest topics and debates them, Big Brother is also a part of the public sphere because it also directly involves the public, making the Big Brother community even larger then the members who are directly in house. The public gets to vote which member of the household gets evicted. From the issues that are discussed on the show the viewing audience forms their opinions on the opinions and stances that the house members take. When the audience watches the debates that are brought up in the house they use this as a base for their own discussion.

An example is after the airing of the show members might discuss how the house members handled issues but then move onto discussions about their own opinions and have their own debate about the topic at hand. Being that the house members form their own community where they debate and form opinions within the household, public issues are made emotional and personal Big Brother is very much a part of the public sphere. Reality TV is a part of the public sphere. The sense of community has been forever changed with the emergence of reality TV. Because the people on these shows are average Australians and their lives are taped in a voyeuristic manner they help to make more voices heard then ever before. Ordinary people know have a chance to participate in creating the public sphere that appears in the media.

Social issues that are brought up are actual problematic issues to the people that appear in these shows. The relation of reality TV to the public sphere becomes very clear when looking at the definition of a public sphere. Reality TV brings private individuals to form a public forum where debates are discussed over general interest that become person and emotional..