the scripting of reality – laguna beach

laguna beach is the oddest show. the real lives of rich teenagers are re-enacted as a reality show by themselves. begging the obvious questions about art and real life and which dictates and informs what, it gets even more complicated when it is unclear what is fiction and what real if everything is enacted and scripted but the consequences of the actions affect the world outside the frame of the camera. the problem of the perpetual performance in front of the camera is acknowledged unabashedly by the way the show is conceived and shot. Everything ends up being part of the game, even us sitting on this side of the screen don’t know when and how we end up on the other side acting as viewers.