When it comes to television,
imagery is everything. The reason televisions were created was to send messages
around the world through pictures.
It has made an impact on society and revolutionized the way people see
not only themselves, but the way they see the world around them. In the
beginning, the sole purpose of the television was to inform, educate and
connect, but many would say television impacts society in many more ways today.
In
today’s society, personal appearance and body image trump almost all. There are dozens, if not hundreds of
television shows dedicated to nutrition, beauty, and exercise. Whether it is pointing out a
contestant’s flaws on The Biggest Loser,
or praising a model for her beauty on America’s
Next Top Model, television upholds society’s norms and expectations on
outer appearances. These standards of being thin and physically attractive have
become our obsession. So, while
most shows on primetime television support this trend, one does not.
The Voice, an American reality
television singing competition, has taken a step outside of the box, and some
might argue, in the right direction.
Most singing competition shows on television today, take American Idol for example, set up a
panel of judges and allow contestants to audition in front of them. They are allowed to sing a short clip
of a song, and after they sing, are either invited to move on to the next round
of auditions, or eliminated from the competition. The judges, Jennifer Lopez and Tim McGraw, are given the
opportunity to see the contestants before they even open their mouth to
sing. Therefore, their first
impression is based on the singer’s outer appearance. Imagine trying to sing in front of JLO and Tim McGraw…talk
about NERVES. But this is where The Voice
decided to take a different route.
Instead of the contestant’s outer appearance define the judges’ first
impression; the contestants on The Voice
must leave it up to solely their voice.
“Doesn’t
matter what you wear, doesn’t matter what you look like. This time, all that
matters, is the Voice.”
This
was said in the introduction of Episode 1, Season 1 of The Voice.
Eliminating the possibility of pre-conceived notions based on a singer’s
appearance, The Voice was a
trailblazer in the world of television.
The four judges, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, and Cee
Lo Green, sit in four chairs facing away from the stage, making it a blind
audition. Only the audience has
the ability to see the contestant.
If a judge likes the singer’s voice, they can push their button, which
automatically turns their chair around to see the contestant. Many times the judges are surprised by
the singer’s outer appearance, because they expected to see something else
after hearing their voice. This is the fun part of the show. The surprise on
the judges’ face is so entertaining when the singer is young with an incredible
voice or a man when their voice hits an insanely high note.
But before the contestant even goes
on stage, their life background in music and/or life is presented to the
audience. Like most reality competition shows, sob stories are exchanged,
making the viewer feel an emotional attachment to the contestant. This leads to audience members on the
edge of their seat, hoping a judge will turn around for them. For many of the contestants, when asked
why they chose to come on The Voice,
explain past prejudices they have experienced. Women and men both talk about being discriminated against by
their outer appearances instead of being recognized for their voice, so by
participating on this particular television show, they would have a chance to
prove others wrong. Many of the prejudices deal with contestants being
overweight. As I talked about
earlier, there are countless shows on primetime television today that reiterate
the importance of outer appearances.
It is not socially acceptable to be overweight; therefore the
contestants that choose to go on The
Voice are given a chance to be taken seriously without the fear of being
rejected solely based on their appearance.
The
Voice challenges society’s emphasis on outer appearance and its importance,
and focuses on solely the sound of the contestant’s voice. Now that this is
established we can ask this next question, are audiences accepting this
trailblazing approach to reality television? Based on the ratings, the most recent season of The Voice trumped all other television
premieres in America’s key demographic.
Most importantly, The Voice
ratings topped the return of American
Idol. As I had mentioned
earlier, the major difference between The
Voice and American Idol is the
initial way contestants are chosen to move on to the next phase of
competition. So as mentioned
earlier with society’s obsession with outer appearance, The Voice is totally different. Is this a new way to look at television, and is it a good
thing? The acceptance of the show
seen in its ratings makes me believe it is a good thing.
