Reality TV Stereotypes - Gender: Group 4

In reality television we are constantly exposed to gender stereotypes. We have seen the way a reality show portrays men and women. The audience expects to see drama and humor come out of the situations that are presented. Our group will investigate how producers make sure to maintain the stereotypes of the men and women in reality shows to satisfy its intended audience.

SOURCES

Zurbriggen, E., & Morgan, E. (2006). Who Wants to
Marry a Millionaire? Reality Dating Television Programs,
Attitudes Toward Sex, and Sexual Behaviors. Sex Roles,
54(1/2), 1-17. Retrieved from Gender Studies Database database.

This article discusses the connection made between
reality dating television shows and the behaviors that the
shows elicit. Viewer attitudes toward sex, dating and
relationships were measured and questions were answered
about their sexual behavior. Authors Zurbriggen and Morgan
found that viewing reality dating programs was positively
correlated with adversarial sexual beliefs, endorsement of
a sexual double standard, and the beliefs that men are sex-driven,
that appearance is important in dating and that dating is a game.

Urbaniak, G., & Kilmann, P. (2006). Niceness and
Dating Success: A Further Test of the Nice Guy Stereotype.
Sex Roles, 55(3/4), 209-224. Retrieved from Gender Studies
Database database.

In this article, authors Urbaniak and Kilmann focus on
the standards that women have when searching for the
rightguy to date. There is a "nice guy stereotype" in which
women say they wish to date sensitive, kind men, but in
reality choose "macho" type men over nice guys, especially
 if the macho men are more physically attractive. This article
 researches the nice guy stereotype through surveying male
college students and the relationship between their
agreeableness, physical attractiveness and dating success.
The article finds that the results supported the nice guy stereotype.


Graham-Bertolini, A. (2004). Joe Millionaire as Fairy Tale:
A feminist critique. Feminist Media Studies, 4(3),341-344.
Retrieved from Gender Studies Database database.

This article discusses the role that media plays in stereotyping
women, specifically in the reality dating series "Joe Millionaire."
The author states that the media plays a role in socializing women
into restrictive notions of femininity. Graham-Bertolini also
suggests that Joe Millionaire glamorizes traditional notions of
appropriate demeanors for women, normalizes ideas
about roles acceptable for women to assume and the
goals women should aspire to. The program ensured
that female contestants demonstrate sexual
purity, submissiveness and domesticity,
which the author believes is
a distortion of reality.