Ever since CBS struck ratings gold with its hit show survivor in 2000, the copycats have sought to recreate its mass appeal. The most recent attempt at reality success is the Fox Network’s hit show "Joe Millionaire". Fox’s recipe for success - love, hope, French cuisine, and a big fat lie. Make no mistake, people are watching, 18.6 million viewers tuned in to the shows January 16 debut and by the February 17 finale that number doubled to just over 36 million.#

The key to reality TV's success appears to be appealing to the lowest common denominator. Face it, North Americans enjoy laughing at the shifty antics of the Reality TV's player of the week. Here in lies the problem; not that people are laughing instead of thinking, but that don’t understand what they are laughing about and why they’ve stopped thinking.

In this light, we can view Reality TV. shows as having many of same effects as of proletarian literature, and reinforcing many of the works of Carole Pateman, and Emma Goldman. In analyzing Reality T.V’s most recent hit "Joe Millionaire", many of these themes

with ones name, privacy, self-respect and inevitably her life.# Although many things have changed in society since Goldman first penned her theories, Joe Millionaire reinforces many of Goldman’s early issues on gender relations. The very foundation of the show is that the 20 women believe they are vying for the attention of an attractive extremely rich 30 year old male. Without knowing him, without love and most importantly without knowing the truth about Evan Marriot. The women continue to "market" themselves to the young millionaire, while slowly week by week the competition is diminished. As the number of women gets smaller, the rewards for being "chosen" become increasing larger, including trips and expensive jewellery. In the end the "winner" is told she will receive the most extravagant gift of all, a diamond ring - the western symbol of marriage.

In the end, Zora did decide to "choose" Evan, the two where again reunited in a television ceremony which appeared to mimic the recitation of wedding vows. Zora

was given a diamond ring and the two where given the modest sum of one-million dollars to "ride off into the sunset together".

Reality television has become more than a passing trend; it seems to have become a significant part of the television programming. It claims to have an authenticity that other TV genres can't capture, but of course it is heavily mediated and constructed, from selecting characters to the editing of the finished product. The continuing drive of television has been to appear democratic, inclusive and representative, showing all views. Reality TV relies heavily on the inclusion of so called 'average people', this is where the claims of democracy begin. Is Reality TV truly democratic, and could it really offer possibilities for challenging attitudes about gender, class, race or sexuality? Or does Reality TV merely work to reinforce existing stereotypes because they are a quick way of presenting characters in the constructed world of performance?

Some topics in this essay:
Joe Millionaire, Evan Marriot, Contestants Survivor, Millionaire Chateau, Reality TV, Carole Pateman’s, Millionaire Fox’s, Marriage Marriage, Emma Goldman, Pateman Views, reality tv, joe millionaire, proletarian literature, democratic nature, emma goldman, principles social equality, principles social, appear democratic, reality television, social equality, hit joe, mass culture society, social equality respect, society dangerously forgoes, culture society dangerously,