The American Psychological Patern and American Television
The American Psychological Pattern and Reality Television In this era of America's infatuation with reality television, one show seems to prevail in keeping millions glued to their TV's week after week to scrutinize the typical, everyday people who are thrown into an extraordinary situation with the hopes of winning a million dollars. The contestants on Survivor are selected from thousands of applicants to be "stranded" in a desolate area to compete for prizes, to vie for the coveted immunity status and to scheme against others to be the last one standing. This show, like many other reality shows, adhere to many of Robert B. Ray's theories of the psychological patterns discussed in his essay "The Thematic Paradigm" such as the values and characteristics associated with the outlaw hero and official hero to the collective traits of the two. With the motto "Outwit, outlast, and outplay" as their mantra, contestants are unleashed on the deserted island in a game of survival. Not only must they survive on the minimal necessities provided for the
For example, the professional who devotes time to help the homeless under normal circumstances may resort to voting off another who has been faithful to him for the simple fact that he viewed that person as a threat to his becoming the winner. Even though they are seen as official heroes at the beginning, based solely on their record of the everyday world, the line becomes very vague between outlaw and official with some contestants as other strive to hold onto their moral values. To the viewers this is when the boundary between outlaw and official seems to become indistinguishable. Those who tried to pride themselves with honor and integrity throughout the contest were seen as weaker players and usually ended up as pawns in an outlaw-type contestants plan. They form what they view as friendships and alliances with those they feel they can trust. As the game progresses, many participators revert to values that Ray distinguishes with the outlaw hero as well as the official hero. This is another reason why many of the ethical players chose to re-route their plan of action to include deception and treachery thus again "blurring the lines between the two sets of heroes"(168). We also observe the outlaws attitudes on their newfound society to be cynical. Some may feel that the conflicting values of the outlaw type and official type is not a factor within the game, some may feel that the obscurity between the two is inevitable and others see it for what it is; entertainment for a voyeuristic society. We see adolescent behavior of laziness and whining by some and others reflect good judgment and strong work ethics. The officials, in contrast, seemed to adapt to their environment and their teammates for the sake of harmony and civility. Ray also writes, "Despite the existence of both heroes, the national ideology clearly preferred the outlaw"(223). Many of them see the female contestants as weaker and not capable of devising workable strategies to excel on their own in the game. The contestants come from all walks of life and represent the portrayal of Ray's official hero; teachers, lawyers, housewives, counselors, military veterans.
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