The Truman Show
The premise of The Truman Show is simple, it follows the life of Truman Burbank a man who unbeknownst to him, has been the subject of a reality show. From birth his entire life has been documented and the island the he calls home, is nothing more than an elaborate set inside a studio in Hollywood. Everything in his life is scripted and controlled, from his interactions with other people, to his friends and families, all played by actors, nothing in his life is actually real and everyone is on the story except for him.
This unique premise gives the viewers of this show what consumers crave the most when it comes to purchasing products or using services, authenticity. Authenticity is one of the primary driving focuses that determines whether we make a purchase or use a service. It is the reason why paintings and antiques come with certificates of authenticity. We as individuals crave the original and the stories that come with it. We don't want replicas that are simply just remakes of the work of art, no we want the story that comes with it. This authenticity is what makes The Truman show the highest rated television program, in it's movie world of course.
Although the town of Seahaven and the surroundings of Truman is completely fabricated, Truman's reactions to it are completely real. That is the appealing factor to the viewers, that even though they know the show and everything in it is staged and fake, they know with a certainty that Truman's reactions to events in his world are real because he is the only constant factor.
Since authenticity is the selling point to its viewers, the creator (played by Ed Harris) does everything he possibly can to prevent the secret from being exposed to Truman. If the Truman learns the truth of his world, then the veil is broken and the show just becomes like any other show on television. The factor of authenticity adds an addictive aspect to the show. Viewers can't seem to get enough of the show. Fitting to this is the closing shot of the film, in which to overweight security guards are munching down on pizza and the last words uttered before the credits roll are, "You wanna see what else is on?". Those last words are a perfect encapsulation of the modern viewing habits of today's society. We want more, we always want more. We want it to be more realistic, we want it to be longer, we want more shows, we want more content. No matter how satisfied we might be with a product or service, that satisfaction is temporary and as soon as it wears off we want to find the next thing that can fill in that gap.
So how does this all fit into the media and the role that they have in our life's? Apart from it being a commentary on society's quest for authenticity, The Truman Show can also be a sort of prophetic depiction of our modern day world and seemingly perpetual state of surveillance that we find ourselves in. Apart from the plethora of social media applications that allow us to expose every aspect of our lives and in some instances even live stream and show second by second our activities to our friends, the technology also exists that allows the recording of individuals without their knowledge or consent. In 2017 leaks revealed the methods in which the CIA could potentially use popular, widely available technology to essentially spy on the American public. These leaks suggested that the CIA could use smart t.vs, smartphones, and the cameras/microphones found in computers to peek into the lives of individuals. This is something that is depicted in The Truman Show, in several instances in the movie the creator uses various hidden cameras and microphones found in props or hidden in the mirrors and everyday appliances to capture the live of Truman. I am comfortable saying that I am not being hyperbolic when I say that this is the world that we live in today. At any given time we are potentially being viewed whether it be in public or in the supposed comfort an privacy of our own homes.
Director Peter Weir and the screenwriters managed to create a film with a strong social commentary on what they viewed would be the the future viewing aspects of society and what would be considered entertainment and what kind of shows would dominate the airwaves.
This unique premise gives the viewers of this show what consumers crave the most when it comes to purchasing products or using services, authenticity. Authenticity is one of the primary driving focuses that determines whether we make a purchase or use a service. It is the reason why paintings and antiques come with certificates of authenticity. We as individuals crave the original and the stories that come with it. We don't want replicas that are simply just remakes of the work of art, no we want the story that comes with it. This authenticity is what makes The Truman show the highest rated television program, in it's movie world of course.
Although the town of Seahaven and the surroundings of Truman is completely fabricated, Truman's reactions to it are completely real. That is the appealing factor to the viewers, that even though they know the show and everything in it is staged and fake, they know with a certainty that Truman's reactions to events in his world are real because he is the only constant factor.
Since authenticity is the selling point to its viewers, the creator (played by Ed Harris) does everything he possibly can to prevent the secret from being exposed to Truman. If the Truman learns the truth of his world, then the veil is broken and the show just becomes like any other show on television. The factor of authenticity adds an addictive aspect to the show. Viewers can't seem to get enough of the show. Fitting to this is the closing shot of the film, in which to overweight security guards are munching down on pizza and the last words uttered before the credits roll are, "You wanna see what else is on?". Those last words are a perfect encapsulation of the modern viewing habits of today's society. We want more, we always want more. We want it to be more realistic, we want it to be longer, we want more shows, we want more content. No matter how satisfied we might be with a product or service, that satisfaction is temporary and as soon as it wears off we want to find the next thing that can fill in that gap.
So how does this all fit into the media and the role that they have in our life's? Apart from it being a commentary on society's quest for authenticity, The Truman Show can also be a sort of prophetic depiction of our modern day world and seemingly perpetual state of surveillance that we find ourselves in. Apart from the plethora of social media applications that allow us to expose every aspect of our lives and in some instances even live stream and show second by second our activities to our friends, the technology also exists that allows the recording of individuals without their knowledge or consent. In 2017 leaks revealed the methods in which the CIA could potentially use popular, widely available technology to essentially spy on the American public. These leaks suggested that the CIA could use smart t.vs, smartphones, and the cameras/microphones found in computers to peek into the lives of individuals. This is something that is depicted in The Truman Show, in several instances in the movie the creator uses various hidden cameras and microphones found in props or hidden in the mirrors and everyday appliances to capture the live of Truman. I am comfortable saying that I am not being hyperbolic when I say that this is the world that we live in today. At any given time we are potentially being viewed whether it be in public or in the supposed comfort an privacy of our own homes.
Director Peter Weir and the screenwriters managed to create a film with a strong social commentary on what they viewed would be the the future viewing aspects of society and what would be considered entertainment and what kind of shows would dominate the airwaves.
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