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=SAMPLE PAGE: REALITY DATING SHOWS & GENDER STEREOTYPES= Everything posted to this page is an example of what your page should include. All the required elements are here.

__Thesis Statement__
Reality television shows, particularly those that involve dating or courtship, often have the contestants involved in activities and competitions that reinforce gender stereotypes.

__**Research Questions**__
1. How does the portrayal of gender on reality dating shows compare with the portrayal of gender on other television shows (i.e. situation comedies)? 2. What affect have negative gender stereotypes had on the contestants' self-esteem? 3. To what degree do viewers perceive gender to be a central concern of reality dating shows? 4. What selection processes are used to choose contestants for reality dating shows?

__**Multimedia Element**__
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__**Topic Introduction**__
The rapid rise of reality television in the 1990s as a programming format ushered in a new era of American entertainment. Shows such as //MTV's The Real World//, //Big Brother//, //Survivor//, and //Fear Factor// exploited the participants' weaknesses and neuroses to earn high ratings. Of course many of these shows focused on putting very different personalities into conflict. One subcategory of the reality tv genre that developed took explicitly as its topic heterosexual romantic relationships. Reality shows such as //Beauty and the Geek//, //Joe Millionaire//, //The Bachelor//, and //The Bachelorette// all sought to attract viewers using an intense combination of interpersonal conflict and sexual competition. While serving up sexual intrigue, the reality shows in this subcategory reiterated and reinforced stereotypical male/female sex and gender roles.

__**Annotated Bibliography**__ **(This is 1 entry. You need 3 entries.)**
Graham-Bertolini, Alison. "Joe Millionaire as Fairy Tale: A Feminist Critique." //Feminist Media Studies// 4.3 (2004): 341-344. //Academic Search Complete.// Web. 23 Apr. 2010.

Graham-Bertolini argues that the reality romance show //Joe Millionaire// presents a "homogenized version of courtship through the use of editing" that "perpetuates problematic stereotypical images of appropriate female demeanors and goals." She also notes that the female contestants are "unable to act independently within the confines of the show, just as fairy tale heroines depend on 'external agents for rescue.'" The author observes that the outcome of the show works to maintain “traditional notions of patriarchy” by rewarding the good girl, who acts subservient to an admiring man, with a “fairy tale romance.” Graham-Bertolini writes that the producers use editing to suggest that marriage, the “fairy tale” ending, is the contestants’ “primary objective” in life. Graham-Bertolini’s feminist “reading” of //Joe Millionaire// has provided me with some useful examples of the traditional, restrictive gender stereotypes employed in reality programming that I intend to investigate further in my research. This source is accessibly written and very relevant to my information need.

__**Related Links**__
The Case for Reality TV []

I Love New York: Does New York Love Me? []

Lessons from Temptation Island: A Reality Television Content Analysis @http://tinyurl.com/5sbs9vs

Reality TV: Audiences and Popular Factual Television @http://tinyurl.com/6a83oeb

Why People Watch Reality TV []