Chapter 8: TV Shows

Labeling theory characterizes a deviant person as someone to whom the label “deviant” has been successfully applied (252).

When you turn on the T.V there seems to be an increase in reality shows to watch. Oxford Dictionary defines reality TV to be “television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.” While these shows tend to be entertaining to the general audience many of them tend to define what deviant behavior is acceptable to their general audience. It labels things to be socially acceptable and others to be acts that result in arrest. There are two T.V shows that tend to come to mind that display society’s acceptance and defining what will get you arrested.

 One show that defines norms of deviant behavior is Jersey Shore. This show started showing in 2009 and ran till 2012. In this show viewers have access into the lives of eight housemates that spend their summer at Jersey Shore. These members of the house are known for their getting drunk and sleeping with random people every night. This show is full of belligerently drunk moments and fights. This show is known for its portrayals of Italian-American stereotypes and their deviant behavior. The show quickly became popular and had a dedicated following. Although the show had many behaviors that may be considered “delinquent” like assault or public drunkenness, people fell in love with the characters. It glorifies the party lifestyle and the acts that come along with it. The members of the show were labeled as being celebrities rather than delinquents.

Another show that shows society what is defined as criminal is Cops. Cops is one of the longest-running shows on Fox, debuting in 1989. This show follows police officers with camera crews while they bust criminals throughout various cities. The show is the definition of what criminal acts will result in being arrested. The show starts with the song “Bad Boys” which sets up the shows purpose of catching “bad” individuals. They are showing viewers what criminal society looks like through showing arrests of local criminals. The show is filled with individuals that are part of minority populations highlighting on street crimes rather than capital crimes. Viewers are exposed to drug crimes, car chases, and bust ins. Though there is an announcement at the beginning of the show that “all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law”, they tend to frame the suspects as a nuisance to society upon arrest. Suspects are shamed on local television and their acts are displayed to everyone watching the show. This is an example of deterrence theory because it allows viewers to judge the costs of the act they see on their television and outweigh its benefits (250). The show is a warning to the general public that if you commit any of these acts that you could end up just like the individual on your television.

These shows are two examples on how society forms its opinion on what is deviant and what is not. We label decide to label individuals as a nuisance to our society so they deserve to be punished. Others we view their acts to be entertaining and funny rather than a problem. Relativism states that deviance is not inherent to any particular act, belief, or condition; instead, it is socially constructed, a creation of collective human judgments and ideas (240). We create television shows out of people’s lives and this forms society’s views on acceptable behavior. The way the show is constructed forms our judgments on individuals and their decisions. We then decide to label them to be socially acceptable and whether or not we can approve of their behavior. 

Work Cited: 

Newman, D.M. (2012). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday life. 9th Ed. Pine Forge Press: Thousand Oaks, California.

Other Resources: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_(TV_series)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cops_(TV_series)