Introduction
The article is quite effective in terms of reexamining the state of affairs in western society. It looks at a seemingly normal phenomenon through a different social lens and therefore leaves readers questioning their values and principles. The author’s presentation is both thought-provoking and captivating. What’s more, he employs a series of stylistic devices to drive his point home.
Analysis
Salman Rushdie uses the title to reveal his point of view from the very beginning. In this regard, the author prepares readers for what they are likely to encounter in the rest of the article. The essence of the piece was to analyze reality TV’s place in society. He, therefore, starts with those two crucial words i.e. Reality TV.
He then takes a stance on the issue and summarizes it by calling reality TV ‘a dearth of talent and the death of morality. From this second phrase, readers can easily denote the fact that Rushdie derides reality TV. This author’s directness has been captured through such a title and it sets the pace for the rest of the article.
This piece is highly satirical and the author does not apologize for being this critical about something so popular. He does this from the beginning of the article as he confesses his relative innocence about reality TV shows. One can therefore argue that such a tone (satirical) helps the author to propagate his thesis which is ‘TV shows have caused a dearth of talent and a death of morality’.
Since he intended to criticize such a popular social phenomenon, then a satirical tone is quite appropriate because it puts him at a point of control. When one endorses something then one’s arguments tend to be less interesting or less authoritative than when one critiques something and this is exactly what the author tries to achieve through his tone.
The author’s word choices are also quite captivating and play an interesting role in delivering his arguments. For instance, he uses ordinary words differently. He does this to contrast their use with their actual meanings in life. His use of the word good is one illustration. At some point in the essay, he states that “It’s good’ to be exhibitionistic. It’s good’ to be bad”. (Rushdie, par 6). He uses opposite words to illustrate the ironies that reality TV shows have brought forth.
Also, in the first paragraph, he asserts that “I have somehow preserved my purity” (Rushdie, par1). The phrase ‘preserved my purity’ is supposed to be understood contextually. He does not imply that he is without offense but simply wants to bring out the polluting nature of reality shows by contrasting himself with them. Also, he uses words that get readers to think about certain issues. For example, he describes reality shows as ‘engineered realism’. This choice of words was employed to contrast the aim and the actual effects of these shows.
The author’s use of rhetorical questions causes variations in style and adds to the flavor of the essay. At the beginning of the article he states this: “Who won? Who lost? Who cares?” (Rushdie, par 4). These questions create variation in his piece because if the article simply had flat, neutral statements, then one would mistake it for a scientific or academic study.
By asking these rhetorical questions, the author illustrates that the writing is an opinion piece and that he is not shy about expressing his views. Another rhetorical question is “Who needs talent, when the unashamed self-display of the talentless is constantly on offer?” (Rushdie, par 6).
The answer to this question is quite obvious but the reason the author phrased it in this manner was to get readers to see the logic in his propositions. If readers can also ask themselves these questions then they can get to the same conclusion as the author and this is likely to cause them to buy into his assertions.
On the other hand, the author also uses several direct and judgment phrases to state his opinions such as “Oh the dullness!” (Rushdie, par 7). or “And what Narcissism is here revealed!” (Rushdie, par 4). He makes these bold assertions and then proceeds to explain them. Those phrases capture the audience’s attention because one would want to know why the author holds such a strong point of view.
The major strength of this writing lies in the fact that Rushdie questions the role of a crucial social phenomenon by illustrating how this relates to the values and standards of western-based societies. He reveals the ironies and dangers of something so popular and therefore questions the state of morality in these cultures.
He cleverly relates the rising popularity of these shows with the sensual numbness prevalent in countries that enjoy them. He, therefore, provides such an informative and intellectually stimulating article on western culture.
On the other hand, this article is not faultless. The author seems to be overly pessimistic about the future of television. He imagines that these shows will lead to depictions of death and destruction because the same thing happened on film. However, he has not considered another plausible option concerning the future of these shows; society could just grow weary and faze them out. In this regard, the author has gone too far in his assumptions. Society self regulates or tends to eliminate certain extremes.
Conclusion
The author of this article is witty and creative. His writing style, choice of words, rhetoric questions all contribute to the effectiveness of the piece. Salman Rushdie is bold enough to express his opinions and he does this in a way that will draw readers to his side. On the other hand, the author went too far with his predictions of reality shows.
Works Cited
Rushdie, Salman. Reality TV: a dearth of talent and the death of morality. On the perils of voyeurism. The Guardian, 2001.