"Get real!"

"Be realistic!"

"This is reality!"

"You need a reality check!"

Have you ever heard anyone say these phrases? What does it mean to tell someone to "get real" or "be realistic"? What is the fascination with "being real" or reality? In recent years, Americans have developed an obsession with reality, which can be seen in the form of reality television shows and realistic graphics and animations in film and video/computer gaming. Why do you think this is? What is the draw or pull to watching someone else's reality? Before you start this lesson, take some time to think about what it means to "be real" and why people today are so absorbed with reality.