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Finding Self-Destructive Behavior

In Reality Television Entertaining

Mike Gellman

University of San Diego

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Mike Gellman

Dr. Foregger

Human Communication Theory

12/10/09

Social Phenomenon Essay

In recent years, reality television has become an extremely popular source of

entertainment. Giving viewers the opportunity to peer into the actual lives of average

people and celebrities has certainly changed the way people watch television. Unlike

sitcoms, which tend to portray happy families following social norms, reality television

has ushered in a new era of genuine, raw, unfiltered human behavior that shatters social

norms and expectations. As an avid reality television viewer, I have always been

entertained by watching regular people and celebrities committing disgusting and

degrading acts for large amounts of money on Fear Factor, or even watching attractive,

yet intellectually challenged, women compete for a chance to have meaningless sex with

a washed up musician on the Rock of Love Bus. However, I have recently found myself

obsessed with a new trend in reality television, which focuses mainly on the self-

destructive behavior of average people and celebrities through shows such as

Intervention, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Intervention is a reality program on A&E that graphically depicts the lives of regular

people who are severely addicted to alcohol or hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and

crystal methamphetamine. The show follows the user throughout their entire downward

spiral and up to their intervention and rehabilitation. Celebrity Rehab and Sex Rehab
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with Dr. Drew are programs on VH1 that focus on celebrities battling their addictions to

drugs, alcohol, and sex while in rehabilitation. Knowing that addiction is a real problem

that ruins lives and tears people away from their family and friends, why is it that so

many people find reality television that focuses on self-destructive behavior so

entertaining to watch? By taking a close look at communication theories such as,

Burgoon’s Expectancy Violations Theory, Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory,

and Thibeau & Kelly’s Social Exchange Theory, I will attempt to explain the social

phenomenon of people finding entertainment in reality television that focuses on self-

destructive behavior.

The first theory I will use to explain this social phenomenon is Judee Burgoon’s

Expectancy Violations Theory. Drug, alcohol, and sex addiction are hardly considered

normative in our society. In fact, for some, the subject is even taboo. When we are

presented with a first hand look of a person who is using and addicted to drugs, alcohol,

or sex, it violates our expectations and norms regarding how people are supposed to act

or behave. One might think our expectations would be even more violated, if the violator

were also a celebrity. However, according to Elizabeth Cohen (2007), “Expectancy

violations have been shown to have damaging effects in social relationships, but their

effects on relationships with media figures has not been explored.” The Expectancy

Violations Theory is made up of three core concepts: expectancy, violation valence, and

communicator reward valence. By looking at these core concepts we can form an idea of

the effect that expectancy violations have on relationships with media figures.

Expectancy, according to Burgoon (Griffin, 2009), is, “what people predict will
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happen, rather than what they desire.” (p. 89) When watching a favorite celebrity on

television, one never expects to hear him or her talk about how their sex addiction is

preventing them from having meaningful relationships, or how he or she turned to drugs

after being raped at a younger age. When watching reality television, one never expects

to see someone cooking up heroin in a spoon or casually smoking crystal meth. In a

society where drug, alcohol, and sex addiction is hardly considered normative, shows like

Intervention, Celebrity Rehab, or Sex Rehab can be quite shocking to their viewers. This

“shock factor,” I believe, is one explanation as to why people are attracted to these shows

and find them entertaining.

Violation valence is a positive or negative value we associate with an unexpected

behavior, no matter who does it. In the case of the before mentioned television programs,

drug, alcohol, and sex addiction would be considered the unexpected behaviors. When

viewers see people on reality television shows behaving in unexpected ways, they tend to

evaluate the behavior. According to Burgoon (Griffin, 2009), “we first try to interpret the

meaning of the violation, and then figure out whether we like it.” (p. 90) When one

person sees another in the worst stages of drug addiction, he or she would most likely

attach a negative value to that sort of self-destructive behavior.

The third and final concept of the Expectancy Violations Theory is known as

communicator reward valence. Reward valence of a communicator, according to

Burgoon (Griffin, 2009), is, “the sum of positive and negative attributes brought to the

encounter plus the potential to reward or punish in the future.” (p. 91) A person’s reward

valence is dependent upon whether that person is a positive communicator or a negative

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communicator. Positive communicators are considered to be able to violate expectations,

and when they do, they are able to increase their status. This is where Celebrity Rehab

and Sex Rehab differs from Intervention. Because the casts of Celebrity Rehab and Sex

Rehab are, in fact, celebrities, all of them would probably be viewed as positive

communicators. Griffin (2009) states that, “status, ability, and good looks are standard

‘goodies’ that enhance the other person’s reward potential.” (p. 92) Therefore, because

the celebrities have status, ability and good looks, they are seen as having higher reward

potential.

When negative communicators violate people’s expectations, they are viewed

even less favorably than before. All of the people who participate on A&E’s Intervention

are just regular people with addictions to drugs and alcohol. Unlike Celebrity Rehab or

Sex Rehab, Intervention actually shows addicts engaging in hard drug and alcohol use.

By breaking social norms regarding drug and alcohol use, these addicts are viewed as

negative communicators with less potential for reward in the future. However, if

negative communicators conform to social norms, they will be seen more favorably. At

the end of each episode of Intervention, addicts have a chance to redeem themselves with

viewers through their choice to enter into a rehabilitation program and get the help they

need. Viewers would most likely associate this sort of unexpected behavior from an

addict with a positive value. For this reason, people may find shows that exhibit self-

destructive behavior entertaining because the person violating expectations has a chance

to redeem themselves and get their life on track in the end.

I believe that by looking at Altman & Taylor’s Social Penetration Theory, we can

find the one of the main reason as to why people find self-destructive behavior in reality
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television entertaining. According to Altman & Taylor (Griffin, 2009), social penetration

is, “the process of developing deeper intimacy with another person through mutual self-

disclosure.” (p. 114) Altman & Taylor compare the human personality to an onion with

multiple layers. The outer layer of the onion is made up of one’s biographical data.

After that is the intimate layer, containing all of a persons opinions, hopes, dreams, and

fears. The final layer is known as the core, and it consists of a person’s self-concept and

emotions. Griffin (2009) states that “the only route to deep social penetration is through

self-disclosure.” According to Rubin, Rubin, and Martin (1993), “people who are able to

develop affinity in relationships tend to self-disclose to increase the intimacy of a

relationship.” When the celebrities on Celebrity Rehab and Sex Rehab, participate in their

group discussions, they are engaging in deep social penetration through intense self-

disclosure. As each addict describes their traumatic experiences (rape, abuse,

molestation, etc.) that trigger their addiction, the viewer is given a deep look into the dark

past of a celebrity, forming what seems like a close bond between the celebrity and the

viewer. According to Weisel & King (2007), “Based on social exchange theory, one

assumes that inordinate levels of highly personal information presented by one

conversational partner lead to undesirable perceptions and relational consequences.

However, conversational participants hearing disclosures may devote attentional capacity

to encoding processes, self-monitoring, or responding. Alternatively, there is reason to

suggest that an interpersonal bonding may mitigate the negative evaluations associated

with high self-disclosure. Those factors would not be present in research designs not

employing actual conversations.” In one episode of Sex Rehab, after refusing to

participate in any of the group activities, former Teen Miss America, Kari Ann Peniche,
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decides to, all of a sudden, tell the group that she was molested multiple times as a child,

raped at the ages of 14 and 17, and has been in multiple abusive relationships in the past

two years. In a matter of seconds, the girl nobody knew anything about disclosed her

deepest and darkest secrets creating a bond between her, the other addicts, and the

viewers of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew. I believe that being able to socially penetrate a

celebrity and see a side of them that a viewer would have never seen otherwise is one of

the main reasons people find reality television that focuses on self-destructive behavior

entertaining.

The final theory that we can study to further understand this social phenomenon is

Thibeau & Kelly’s Social Exchange Theory. Social exchange theory uses the cost benefit

analysis as a way of determining whether or not we should disclose personal information

in a new relationship. To use the cost benefit analysis, one must subtract the costs of

self-disclosing, from the rewards of self-disclosing, and if the he or she is left with a

positive personal outcome, than they may self-disclose. However, in a relationship

between a person on television and a person sitting at home watching television, the

person on television is the only one disclosing any personal information. The person

sitting at home can just sit back and take in the information that the person on television

is disclosing. I believe that this is the biggest reason as to why people are entertained by

self-destructive behavior in reality television. Shows like Celebrity Rehab, Sex Rehab,

and Intervention allow the viewer to socially penetrate celebrities and regular people

straight to the core of their personalities, and take a look into the most personal and

private parts of their lives without having disclose any of their own personal information.

Finally, I believe that people find reality television that focuses on self-destructive
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behavior entertaining because of the shock factor, the extent to which celebrities and

regular people disclose personal information, and the eradication of having to weigh the

costs and rewards of disclosing one’s own personal information. Throughout my analysis

of this social phenomenon, I hope I have clearly demonstrated, through the application of

Human Communication Theory, why people find reality television shows that focus on

self-destructive behavior entertaining. In the event that I am, in fact, correct about my

explanation as to why this social phenomenon exists, I believe we can expect reality

television to continue to push the limits by violating our expectations of social norms and

behaviors, and engaging us in social penetration and social exchanges.

REFERENCES

1. Cohen, E. (2007). Expectancy Violations in Relationships With

Friends and Media Figures. International Communication
Association.
2. Weisel, J., King, P.E. (2007). Involvement in a Conversation and
Attributions Concerning Excessive Self-Disclosure. Texas: Southern
Communication Journal.
3. Rubin, R., Rubin, A., Martin, M. (1993). The Role of Self-
Disclosure and Self-Awareness in Affinity-Seeking Competence.
Kent, OH: Communication Research Reports.