Analysis Of Reality Television: Oxymoron By George Will

The Reality of Television George Will is an American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. He is also a Pulitzer Prize winner. In his essay “Reality Television: Oxymoron” Will entertains the idea that because of the desensitization of America, there is an increase in the amount of violence portrayed on television. Will continues by claiming that because we are a pro-choice society we allow certain pleasures on television, which he claims is relevant to the decline in society. George Will creates interesting ideas in his essay, but his use of hasty generalization, assumptions, and false analogies portray his writing as bias showing no respect for the opposition. Additionally, Will appears to contradict himself in this essay. In his essay “Reality Television: Oxymoron,” Will includes a quote from a former radio entertainer about imitation in television. He uses examples of popular TV shows in America that have been imitated by other shows. He provides an example of a new football league, concentrated on a more vulgar style of presentation to viewers. He describes how the creators of the league were wrong about how the viewers would respond to the new league’s intense style of entertainment. Will discusses society’s need to degrade and …show more content…
His example of a television show is contestants playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun for a chance to win a million dollars. George Will reaches far with this comparison appearing desperate to establish an agreement with his readers. He uses a false analogy when comparing his example of a television show, because even though he creates an idea of a possible television show that appears similar with real television they actually have substantial differences in areas such as human