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    Reality Television, Scammers Atspausd

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    Reality Television, Scammers Atspausd

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    biruta
    10 views4 pages
    Reading Reality television

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    Reality Television, Scammers atspausd

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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    10 views4 pages

    Reality Television, Scammers Atspausd

    Uploaded by

    biruta
    Reading Reality television

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    Reality Television

    Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or
    humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors.
    It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in
    some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from
    around 2000.

    Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which
    resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern
    example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.

    Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently
    portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or
    abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on
    screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques.

    Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For
    example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling
    on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into
    national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently
    Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

    Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several
    styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor,
    and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the
    show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in
    which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed
    scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett,
    creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to
    describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."

    Comprehension Questions...
    Q1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because
    A they agree with the statement.
    B everyone agrees with the statement.
    C no one agrees with the statement.
    D they want to distance themselves from the statement.

    Q2 - Reality television has


    A always been this popular.
    B has been popular since well before 2000.
    C has only been popular since 2000.
    D has been popular since approximately 2000.

    Q3 - Japan
    A is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.
    B has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.
    C produced Big Brother.
    D invented surveillance focused productions.
    Q4 - People have criticised reality television because
    A it is demeaning.
    B it uses exotic locations.
    C the name is inaccurate.
    D it shows reality.

    Q5 - Reality TV appeals to some because


    A it shows eligible males dating women.
    B it uses exotic locations.
    C it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.
    D it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.

    Q6 - Pop Idol
    A turns all its participants into celebrities.
    B is more likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.
    C is less likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.
    D is a dating show.

    Q7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate


    A for all programs.
    B just for Big Brother and Survivor.
    C for talent and performance programs.
    D for special-living-environment programs.

    Q8 - Producers choose the participants


    A on the ground of talent.
    B only for special-living-environment shows.
    C to create conflict among other things.
    D to make a fabricated world.

    Q9 - Mark Burnett
    A was a participant on Survivor.
    B is a critic of reality TV.
    C thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.
    D writes the script for Survivor.

    Q10 - Shows like Survivor


    A are definitely reality TV.
    B are scripted.
    C have good narratives.
    D are theatre.
    Read the text about binge-watching and for questions 1 to 6, choose the correct answers.
    Scamming the Scammers

    Tiffany Wilson is a scambaiter; that is, she spends time communicating with scammers in order to catch
    them out. Here she tells her story.

    ‘I first got into scambaiting when my grandmother got tempted into adopting a puppy. She’d seen some
    pictures of cute puppies on social media, along with a text saying that they were going to get killed unless
    someone adopted them. Fortunately, I warned her before it was too late. Scammers attract people with
    bargain prices, so she didn’t lose much. It isn’t until later, when people have fallen in love with their puppy,
    that the scammers start demanding huge amounts of money. We tried to get the money back from the bank,
    but that wasn’t possible.

    ‘I was already familiar with the puppy scam then. We’d learnt about scamming during internet safety classes
    at school, though I heard about the puppy scam elsewhere. It was mentioned in an online video about the
    different ways scammers get money out of people. I think my generation knows much more about scamming
    than older people. It’s occasionally mentioned in the kinds of news articles my grandma reads, but people
    my age who see loads of scambaiting videos have a much better idea of how common scamming is and the
    tactics that are used.

    ‘Scambaiting involves engaging scammers in conversation. When they ask you to do something, you act a
    little stupid by asking lots of questions or making mistakes. It’s frustrating for them, but they stay on the line
    patiently because they think they will get money out of you. I don’t think you can be a scambaiter unless you
    are pretty sociable, as you have to talk to people for a long time. Most scambaiters put videos of their calls
    online, and the popular ones are very funny.

    ‘I scambait first and foremost because I want to help people recognise scams, and although most viewers of
    my videos are young, I’m sure the content they learn passes on to other family members. It’d be nice if I
    actually helped to get a scammer arrested, but there are just too many scammers for police to deal with. But
    as long as I am wasting a scammer’s time, that person can’t be scamming someone else. I also get a bit of
    income from the adverts that go out on my videos.

    ‘Some scambaiters go too far, though, when creating entertainment by punishing the scammers. I saw one
    video in which the scambaiter convinced a scammer that he had a well-paid job for him in Lagos. The guy
    used all his money to travel to the capital of Nigeria, and when he got there, there was nothing for him. For
    the scambaiter and the viewers, that was all a big joke. For that poor guy in Africa who was trying to earn a
    living by any means, it was a real situation and it could have been dangerous.

    ‘I’m aware that scambaiting doesn’t promote good international relationships. The most popular of my
    videos are the ones that make the scammers look foolish, and I’m forever deleting racist comments. I know
    that a lot of scammers are really poor. They believe that all Westerners are rich and that scamming them
    does little harm. I’ve tried to convince scammers to get a more responsible job, but I haven’t had any luck
    yet, as they have few employment opportunities. But I hope the conversations I have with them go some way
    in helping people understand the lives of people in poor countries and the things they have to do for cash.’

    1 Tiffany’s grandmother...
    a.paid a small amount of money to scammers.
    b.didn’t pay any money to scammers.
    c.lost a lot of money to scammers.
    d.paid a lot of money to scammers but was later refunded.

    2. How did Tiffany find out about the puppy scam?


    a.From an internet safety class at school.
    b.From a video that was made by a scambaiter.
    c.From an online source.
    d.From a news article her grandmother read.

    3. According to Tiffany, all scambaiters need to be...


    a.good actors
    b.patient
    c.not good at technology
    d.sociable

    4. Which one is NOT a reason why Tiffany scambaits?


    a.To educate people.
    b.To help police catch scammers.
    c.To waste scammers’ time.
    d.To earn money.

    5. What behaviour by a scambaiter did Tiffany find particularly shocking?


    a.A scambaiter stole money that the scammer had earned from scamming.
    b.A scambaiter discovered a scammer’s address and travelled there to film him.
    c.A scambaiter tricked the scammer into spending his money to get a fake job.
    d.A scambaiter got the scammer a job in order to trick him.

    6. What is Tiffany currently trying to do on her videos?


    a.Make scammers appear foolish.
    b.To change scammers’ perceptions of Westerners.
    c.Help scammers find other jobs.
    d.Educate viewers about the lives of scammers.

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