Reality TV as Advertainment

Desire and Pleasure in the Branded Reality Show as a Discursive Psychoanalysis

“…This is also similar to branded reality show in which the reality of brand (Grassl, 1999) intertwines with the reality of other subjects which are involved in the construction of branded reality show. Deery (2004) suggests some intercourse styles of brand (advertising) and entertainment in the form of reality show as follows: the commodification of reality and experience of consumers (where the consumer's brand-related experience becomes a reality show), the commodification of the view (in which objects in reality show are allowed/ recommended to further reveal themselves so that it becomes voyeuristic pleasure for viewers), and the product placement (placement of product/ brand on a reality show). La Ferle & Edwards (2006) claims that product placement makes the appearance of brand in a program (show) is significant to create awareness and image of a brand, especially if the value of the brand is congruent with the program it sponsors, since synergistic sponsorship will provide important articulation in consumer memory (Cornwell, et al, 2006).…”

“…Another study that is close to the concept of branded reality show is advertainment (Deery, 2004;Russell, 2007). Advertainment refers to promotion practices that integrate brand communication into the content of entertainment products (Russell, 2007).…”

“…Thus, branded reality show is one of advertainment forms in the category of branded entertainment. Deery (2004) argues that advertainment is a result of competition in the media industry, which later creates a new pattern of cooperation relationship between advertiser and media.…”

“…On the other hand, the studies of reality show (non-branded) mostly come from the perspective of business and management (Bonsu, et al, 2010), politics (Bennett, 2005), psychology (Reiss & Wiltz, 2004), communication (Nabi, 2007;Papacharissi & Mendelson, 2007;Kjus, 2009), and pop culture (Hill, 2005;Aslama & Pantti, 2006;Brioux, 2008). As a consequence, branded reality show studies from the perspective of psychoanalysis become significant because, in addition to implicating multiple production of desire and pleasure stimuli for the audience (consumers), they also have the potential to bring the twin acculturation between media and corporate in an intercourse (Deery, 2004) which tends to be exploitative, even destructive. Therefore, this study was specifically aimed to understand how the discourse of branded reality show 'DSC' reveals the desire and pleasure of success, in the context of both spectacle and spectator, by trying to explore and dialogue various existing references with the study object reality of branded reality show from the perspective of psychoanalysis of Lacanian discourse.…”

Reality Television, The Hills and the Limits of the Immaterial Labour Thesis

“…On the most obvious level, reality programming is a product in and of itself, to be bought and sold on the market for television content, and, on another level, reality programs are significant cultural texts, which produce ranges of social meanings, lessons, and ideological messages. Reality programming is productive in another sense as well; on the forefront of product placement and integration, specifically in the North American context, reality programming is "advertainment" (Deery, 2004), playing a central role as a "marketer for other goods and services" and a conduit for the generation of revenue streams beyond the show itself (Burnett, 2001). But, perhaps most significantly, and on yet another level, reality programming provides the means for individuals to produce their own image personae, or "branded selves", which, potentially, can be traded for cash down the line (Hearn, 2008).…”