#algorithmicculture

📺 1. When Reality TV No Longer Belongs to TV

Reality TV is no longer just a TV genre—it’s an algorithmic spectacle. Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and TikTok have transformed the way we watch, engage with, and even participate in Reality TV.

It’s not just about streaming episodes anymore. Algorithms dictate which shows get recommended, which contestants go viral, and even how audiences interact with Reality TV in real time.

📌 Research Question: How have streaming platform algorithms changed the way Reality TV is produced, distributed, and consumed?

⏩ Key Theories:

Spectacle Society (Debord, 1967)

Algorithmic Culture (Striphas, 2015)

Digital Publics (Kruse, 2018; Deller, 2019)

Transmedia Engagement & Meme Culture (Jenkins, 2006; Arcy, 2018)

🤖 2. Reality TV + Algorithms = Reality TV 2.0

Reality TV is now shaped by streaming algorithms, which influence:

1️⃣ Personalized content recommendations:

Netflix’s AI suggests Reality TV shows based on your viewing history.

This changes the traditional broadcast model—no more mass scheduling, just hyper-personalized Reality TV experiences.

2️⃣ The audience as part of the algorithm:

On TikTok and YouTube, audiences don’t just watch Reality TV—they shape its virality.

Comment sections, hashtags, and reaction videos boost contestants to meme status.

3️⃣ No more fixed air times:

Netflix’s binge-release model (e.g., Love is Blind, The Circle) allows for instant audience reactions.

Social media discourse now dictates a show’s success.

📌 Algorithmic Reality TV Model (See diagram illustrating how algorithms influence Reality TV.)

🎭 3. The Evolution of Reality TV Under Algorithmic Influence

(a) From ‘Spectacle Society’ to ‘Algorithmic Spectacle’

In 1967, Guy Debord described the spectacle society—where media constructs hyper-staged, dramatic moments for mass consumption. Traditional Reality TV was built on this principle: drama, conflict, and shock value kept audiences hooked.

BUT Reality TV 2.0 isn’t just a spectacle—it’s an algorithmic spectacle.

🔍 Algorithms now dictate what counts as a viral moment:

The Real Housewives fights

Love Island recouplings

The Circle's catfish reveals

👀 Audiences aren’t passive consumers anymore—they amplify these moments through memes, reaction videos, and viral hashtags.

📌 Examples:

The Circle (Netflix) is designed for TikTok reaction videos.

Love Island encourages audience participation through hashtags.

The Real Housewives has become a bottomless meme generator on Reddit & Instagram.

⏩ Supporting Research: Deller (2019) describes how Reality TV is structured for online discussion.

📌 Reality TV Evolution Model (See diagram illustrating the shift from traditional Reality TV to Algorithmic Spectacle.)

(b) Digital Publics & Algorithm-Driven Reality TV Trends

Kruse (2018) argues that online publics are no longer singular spaces, but micro-publics. Reality TV has leveraged this to create digital communities:

📌 Examples of Reality TV Digital Publics:

#LoveIsland on Twitter/X: Fans live-tweet, influencing show edits and narrative focus.

YouTube Reaction Culture: 90 Day Fiancé has a massive fanbase that ONLY engages with it through reaction videos.

Reddit & Fandom Forums: RuPaul’s Drag Race has a dedicated Reddit community analyzing every single episode, creating an LGBTQ+ media discourse.

⏩ Supporting Research: Todd Graham & Auli Hajru (2011) explored how Reality TV can spark political discussions in online spheres.

📌 Reality TV Digital Publics Model (See diagram mapping Reality TV fandoms across social platforms.)

🏆 4. Meme-ification: When Reality TV Becomes the Internet’s Playground

📌 What happens when Reality TV moments go viral? They become MEMES.

📌 Examples:

RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Not Today Satan,” “Sashay Away.”

America’s Next Top Model: “We were all rooting for you!”

Love Island: Random arguments turned into viral TikTok clips.

🔄 The Cycle: 1️⃣ Reality TV creates dramatic, meme-able moments (intentional or not). 2️⃣ Social media turns them into GIFs, edits, viral trends. 3️⃣ The algorithm boosts engagement (trending, recommended feeds). 4️⃣ The Reality TV show gains new audiences through meme culture.

📌 Meme-ification of Reality TV Model (See diagram showing how Reality TV → meme → virality → cultural impact.)

⏩ Supporting Research: Arcy (2018) explores “The Digital Money Shot” and how Reality TV leverages virality for cultural traction.

🔮 5. Conclusion: The Future of Algorithmic Reality TV

✨ Key Takeaways: ✔️ Reality TV has fundamentally changed under algorithmic influence. ✔️ It’s no longer just reality—it’s algorithmic reality. ✔️ Reality TV doesn’t need traditional TV anymore—TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter have taken over.

💡 What’s next?

Will Reality TV optimize itself even more for TikTok algorithms?

Could Love Island survive if it was a YouTube-first show?

Is Reality TV the first genre to be fully "algorithmized"?

📌 What do you think? Is Reality TV still "real" or just algorithmic entertainment? Let’s discuss! 💬👇

🔗 References

Deller, R. A. (2019). Reality Television in an Age of Social Media. In Reality Television: The Television Phenomenon That Changed the World, pp. 141–175. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83909-021-920191007

Kruse, L. M., Norris, D. R., & Flinchum, J. R. (2018). Social Media as a Public Sphere? Politics on Social Media. Sociological Quarterly, 59(1), 62–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2017.1383143

Striphas, T. (2015). Algorithmic culture. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(4–5), 395–412. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549415577392

Arcy, J. (2018). The digital money shot: Twitter wars, The Real Housewives, and transmedia storytelling. Celebrity Studies, 9(4), 487–502. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2018.1508951