“Far from empowering the viewer – much less the contestant – what these [reality] shows ultimately accomplish is the act of dehumanizing society so that the common low denominator is considered as the greatest possible result” (Sexton). While Timothy Sexton's scathing comments about reality television may be a bit extreme, they are based on the common belief that reality television is abominable and will be (or is already becoming) the downfall of our society as a whole. Reality TV may not be the most intellectual form of entertainment available, but I believe the shift in social norms from idol worship to self-promotion has created an environment where reality TV's takeover is the only natural conclusion. Before we can understand why reality television has become the phenomenon it is now, we must consider the nature of celebrity. In the early days of cinema, the only times you saw famous people outside of their respective professions were when they attended awards shows or carefully crafted parties. Search the Internet for photos of 1950s bombshell Jayne Mansfield or Western demigod John Wayne and all you see are movie stills and pictures from glamorous photo shoots. Try searching for a newer celebrity like Ryan Reynolds, however, and (in addition to a surprising number of shirtless photographs) you'll be able to see him on various red carpets, walking down the street, cuddling dogs or just sitting on the sidewalk talking on his cell phone. We've developed an obsession with seeing celebrities go about their daily lives, walk their dogs, or go grocery shopping just like the rest of us. It's comforting for us to know that as amazing as Jake Gyllenhaal may look at the movie premiere... center of paper... Works Cited Alston, Joshua. "America's New Icons." Newsweek. August 2, 2010: 51-57. Academic research completed. Network. July 2, 2011.Armstrong, Jennifer. "Reality TV Love It Hate It Live It.". Entertainment weekly. June 12, 2009: 26-28. Academic research completed. Network. July 2, 2011.Eichelberger, Erika. "A Brief History of Celebrity.". The New York Detective. December 1, 2007. Web. July 2, 2011.Frisby, Cynthia M. "Getting Real with Reality TV." USA Today. FindArticles.com. Web. July 2, 2011."Is Reality TV Making You Stupid?". Scholastic Scope. 11 October 2010: 2pm -3pm. Academic research completed. Web. July 2, 2011. Poniewozik, James. "What's Right About Reality TV?". March 22, 2010: 92-97. Web academic search completed. Timothy. “How reality shows have dehumanized society.” Yahoo, July 4, 2007. Web. July 2 2011.