Truman Show by Weir Essay

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How does Weir use his film to comment on the genre of ‘realty television’ in our culture?

I believe that Weir is trying to send the message across to us that reality television today is messing with our minds, and to never trust what happens on it. He is also trying to tell us that producers would do anything to get high ratings, which means that even though it is reality television, it is mostly fake and not real.

Weir is trying to tell us that reality television nowadays is fake and is made to be interesting in order to get higher ratings. In The Truman Show, the aptly named Christof is a mysterious character with a God complex that uses his omnipresence to control Truman both physically and mentally for the sake of ratings. Weir brings the viewers’ attention to how far the media is willing to go to gain an audience. An example of this is near the end of the film, when Christof nearly drowns Truman. Even though Truman has basically been a son to Christof, he is still willing to kill him to get higher ratings. This proves how desperate and hungry he is for high ratings and success.

Weir is also trying to tell us that reality television today is messing with our minds, and is making us believe things that are in fact not real. The Truman Show portrays how the media affect the viewers’ emotions and how they are capable of shaping a person’s dreams. Reality television may be based on a true story, but it is very scripted and is shown in a way that makes the actors’ lives appear to be engaging and interesting, always making sure that there is a drama in every episode. This links back to the need for high ratings. The directors and producers put as much drama into
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