Hard-Hitting reality
With this week’s lecture covering the emergence of reality TV and its popularity, I think it’s a good time to do some analysis on one of my favourite reality series which I am watching right now, The Ultimate Fighter. I actually mentioned this series in one of my earlier posts, but in this post I think I’ll cover more about how it fits in with the conventions of modern popular reality TV.
As the above trailer shows, The Ultimate Fighter is a reality TV show and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition that features unknown, professional MMA fighters who live together in a house-type setup, with the cameras following them as they train and compete against each other for a prized contract with the UFC. Already, it is easy to see how it shares many aspects of the modern reality TV series, especially those within the “games frames” style of program, with each character a competitor in both the series and the sport, hoping to gain the prized contract as a fighter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If you were to liken it to any other reality TV series, the best comparison I could think of would have to be The Biggest Loser. When you think about it, both series have very similar setups: competitors split into two teams, each team headed by rival coaches, all the competitors living in one house, all the competitors looking to train and develop throughout the competition to better themselves from the experience, all of them with eyes on the final life-changing prize that ultimately make the original team setup obsolete. The only real difference that exists is that there is no voting system or audience participation which dictates a fighter’s exit from the competition, as it is MMA fights which will dictate who remains in contention for the ultimate glory. Also, all competitors remain in the house throughout the entire series despite any losses and being knocked out of contention for the final prize (only serious injury that leaves a fighter unable to train will see them leave your screens), which is an interesting feature that not many reality series implement.
So what is the appeal of the series?
Well for starters, the clever use of the reality TV genre crossover into the world of sport television already gains the appeal from all those who are fans of the UFC (which is the main reason for the series grabbing my attention). However, as I outlined in my previous post about the series, it was actually The Ultimate Fighter reality series which was pivotal in rejuvenating support for the sport itself and lifted it out from a difficult period, so this point gives a significant insight into how the show managed to tap into the rising reality television culture and its popularity of the time (in 2005, when the first season aired) in order to benefit the sport itself. So, it is useful to go beyond the genre hybridisation here in order to consider the appeal of the series.
In my view, the appeal came from this ability to tap into the current television culture surrounding reality TV back in 2005. It was back when the “game frame” setup was quite popular amongst fans, especially using the system of all the contestants living in the one house, where audiences are able to view the dynamic between the different characters, and possibly decide on a “favourite” who they wanted to win. Episodes contain frequent commentary from fighters and coaches alike, mini-interviews and grabs that are used to provide insight into events that unfold on the screen as told from the perspectives of these different characters. In addition, it also very much seemed to tap into this quality of “authenticity” in the relationship between the fighters, where there would be genuine hatred between competitors (and more often and not, even more conflict between rival coaches). And most importantly with this series, this hatred would commonly be able to play out in a physical duel inside the octagon, a real treat for fight fans deeply immersed in the series.
It also gained much appeal from its use of everyday characters, ordinary people (mostly American, but also featuring fighters from other countries and nationalities) who were looking to make it big and live their dream of becoming a fighter in the big leagues. For many, this pursuit of the ultimate dream is quite appealing to American audiences and even audiences worldwide, especially with many of these fighters having difficult childhoods and who use the sport of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in order to make a better life for themselves and distance themselves from the mistakes of their past. It is this deeper insight into the lives of each contestant that broadens the appeal of not only the series, but the sport itself, and audiences are really able to see when fighters give it their all and leave nothing behind in their fights.
The interesting thing to note about earlier seasons of the show is about its lack of ‘live-ness’ and audience participation which many reality TV shows tend to employ. The inherent “live-ness” of each season of the show was not really made apparent until the finales, which were turned into live and official fighting events under the UFC. It was only here where the audiences were actually live and shown on our screens, witnessing the fight which would determine the winner of the television series. It’s also interesting how with the latest season of TUF (season 14), that it’s been decided to be run live each week with audiences now able to actively participate in the deciding of fight matchups from week to week. This is an interesting development for the series, and one that I find comes at a perculiar time. It’s not as if the audience participation system is anything new, and if anything it’s actually becoming quite outdated, with countless reality TV shows like Idol using this framework. Perhaps the UFC is simply trying to test the waters with these new additions to the series. After all, the audience doesn’t necessarily dictate who is knocked out of contention for the final prize; all the knocking-out is quite literally left up to the fighters themselves and the performances they manage to display inside the octagon!
Quality Viewing 