Sue’s question has been asked since one of the first reality shows, AN AMERICAN FAMILY in 1973. Right away, people are asking if the presence of cameras recording the Loud family (that was their name) altered, or even controlled, the reality.
Albert Brooks examined the question in his comedy film REAL LIFE. He portayed a fictionalized version of himself conducting the same experiment on a fictional family (with Charles Grodin playing the father.) Movie Brooks could not help himself from interfering directly, and trying to guide the results, which were a disaster. So the film seemed to take the position that the experiment did change the reality, and was not, and inherently could not, be honest.
Sue’s question has been asked since one of the first reality shows, AN AMERICAN FAMILY in 1973. Right away, people are asking if the presence of cameras recording the Loud family (that was their name) altered, or even controlled, the reality.
Albert Brooks examined the question in his comedy film REAL LIFE. He portayed a fictionalized version of himself conducting the same experiment on a fictional family (with Charles Grodin playing the father.) Movie Brooks could not help himself from interfering directly, and trying to guide the results, which were a disaster. So the film seemed to take the position that the experiment did change the reality, and was not, and inherently could not, be honest.