Instructor personifies
fixation with 'Survivor'
By Jenny Jones
Features
Editor
She couldn't get the television show off her
mind, even when she was in another country.
When Ann Zimmerman, an instructor of communication
and English, went on vacation to Europe during the middle of the first
"Survivor" series, she had her friends e-mail her to keep her up to
date about the latest details of the CBS program.
"It made me think, 'I'm completely obsessed,'"
Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman was not alone.
When the first "Survivor" featured its competitors
dining on rats, more than 23 million viewers tuned in for the episode,
according to an article in the USA Today.
Since its premiere in 2000, CBS has aired two
sequels of "Survivor," and is now planning to run a fourth, beginning
Feb. 28, which makes some wonder if the show will continue to be a
success.
And according to the Nielsen data, a record of
how many households are tuning-in to certain programs, "Survivor"
is not holding its audience's attention.
But Zimmerman, who's watched all three of the
previous "Survivor" series, said she plans on watching the next show.
So, why are people like Zimmerman sucked into
the show?
According to Glenn Sparks, a professor of communication,
one reason viewers are so attracted to reality television is because
they become involved in the program.
"Once you start cheering for and against people,
you have to stay tuned to find out what the outcome's going to be,"
Sparks said.
However, reality television is not a new concept.
According to Sparks, the idea came about in the
1980s because Hollywood film writers were on strike, so networks decided
to create reality programs as a way to save money. And when the broadcasters
discovered that reality television attracted a larger audience than
some dramas, the idea stuck around.
In addition to feeling emotionally attached to
the show's characters, Sparks said many audience members feel like
they have to overcome the same obstacles as the characters.
And that's exactly what networks want, according
to Sparks.
But it's not just a feeling of achievement that
viewers desire, it's the interpersonal relationships that the program
brings about.
"If you miss an episode, in some sense it's like
missing time with your best friend," Sparks said.
