A bit of controversy about an SAT question, that read as follows:
Reality television programs, which feature real people engaged in real activities rather than professional actors performing scripted scenes, are increasingly popular. These shows depict ordinary people competing in everything from singing and dancing to losing weight, or just living their everyday lives. Most people believe that the reality these shows portray is authentic, but they are being misled. How authentic can these shows be when producers design challenges for the participants and then editors alter filmed scenes?
Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?
When I read that many students considered this question unfair, I am somewhat ashamed to say that I figured it was because they thought the premise was unfair. But, much to my surprise and delight, the students weren’t upset because their misconceptions had been shattered, they were upset because the only test takers that could intelligently answer the questions were the very dolts that watched the shows. The question, in other words, was unfair because it was biased against students who had the good sense to read books, or at least watch more intelligent mass market offerings, instead of the dreck passed off as reality.
If it’s any comfort, and I know that it’s not, these students (at least the white ones), now know what it’s like to have to deal with a test that imposes cultural assumptions while allegedly objectively measuring intelligence or ability.
I remember reading about a test that was given to students in the state of New York that included a question that presumed a fairly high level of familiarity with the game of tennis, a familiarity that does not by any means cut across racial and class lines evenly, the Williams sisters notwithstanding.
Anyway, it is a sign of hope that so many students took exception to this question for all the right reasons.
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