Full text (pdf)Reality television has taken America by storm with programming ranging from
extreme stunts to police adventures to spoofs on
segments of society. Agriculture has been a participant in the reality television
boom through a series called “The Simple Life” in which
two Hollywood debutantes explore the “realities” of farm life in Arkansas.
This study examines the impact of this portrayal of agriculture
and its effects on viewers’ impressions of the industry. Four focus groups
were used to investigate the potential effects of an
agriculturally based reality television show on viewers’ attitudes, opinions,
and perceptions of agriculture. Results indicated those
with agricultural knowledge viewed the portrayal of farm life as inaccurate
and disturbing, while those without agricultural literacy
found the program entertaining, if not exactly “real.” Those viewers
lacking in agricultural literacy realized that the program did not
accurately portray real agricultural life, but could not discern where the program
failed in its accurate representation. Viewers with agricultural
backgrounds found the series did not accurately reflect the amount of labor
and intellectual capacity needed to produce food
and fiber. The portrayal of agriculture as “hickish” and “backwoodsy”
reinforced traditional stereotypes. This study suggests that
the agricultural industry may be well served in further exploration of the impact
of broadcast entertainment programming on the public’s
agricultural literacy.