Travis Davis

UWRT 1103-021
October 21, 2014
Introduction: Everybody loves a good joke or a good punch line, so why restrict all of that fun
and excitement to your lives outside of work? Why not have a working environment where
employees can open up to one another and joke around while still maintaining a composed
manner, but lighten the mood and relieve some of the stress and tension created within an office
environment? What makes friends so close, you may ask, is it that they have broken a barrier
where they can open up to each other and joke around, so why not just incorporate those same
concepts into working environments with coworkers. Jobs that people go to everyday don't have
to be boring and monotonous, there is no crime that states employees can't laugh a little at work;
after all, you only get to live once, so why not make the best out of the circumstances you are
dealt, even at the office. This idea of humor in the workplace is more commonly seen in
businesses filmed for reality television. There is a wide variety of reality TV shows that are on
TV today, some are successful and some are not. So what makes a successful reality TV show?
The problem with having humor in the workplace is that it may be seen as being
unprofessional and unproductive. Speaking from personal experience, I am more productive
when I am enjoying what I am doing, than when I am bored or overwhelmed with the tasks
placed before me. Reality television is a good example of incorporating humor into the
workplace, as seen with many of the shows such as "American Chopper," "Pawn Stars," and
"Fast N Loud." All of these shows are based off real businesses ran and operated as any other
business, just available to be seen by the public through television. Though all of these shows

show how a particular profession business operates they also incorporate humor into the episodes
to make them more interesting and pleasing to the viewers, but all of these businesses are
successful, which raises the question if humor in business is good or bad? Throughout this paper
we will explore the inherent of the term "Reality Television"; more specifically I will assess the
appeal and the formulas that make a successful reality television show, such as humor and how
they may be applied to actual business situations. Reality TV show's success can be measured
on many different levels but we are going to look at how reality TV incorporates humor into
either a business situation or into people's lives. We will also be looking at how reality
television presents a need for drama, and how many of the problems and situations presented in
episodes of a show will carry over to multiple episodes to help maintain the viewer's interest.
Before looking into the body of literature it is important to know where I stand with this
topic and my viewpoints to uncover any bias within the topic. I confess to being a viewer of
reality TV, for I enjoy the humorous skits and business techniques displayed in certain shows
such as "Fast N Loud." As a viewer of the "Fast N Loud" series not only do I enjoy the humor
and shenanigans of the employees there at Gas Monkey Garage, but I also enjoy seeing how
successful Richard Rawlings is with his interesting methods of business. Now I am not saying
that Richard Rawlings has the best sales techniques or that I would want to start a business and
copycat his style, but it has made him very successful in what he does and fits his style.
However, I am interested to see what exactly makes a successful reality TV show and what
qualities are imperative to having a show that can maintain its audience without losing focus of
the intent of the show.
Literature Review: The basis of reality television is to show and depict events that happen in
real life, or at least that's what producers say. So the question present is how real is reality TV?

Sarah Handel writes her account of watching a popular reality TV show "The Bachelor," and
accounts an episode where she questions just how real "The Bachelor" is. In a previous episode,
Jason Mesnick, the bachelor, had proposed to a girl named Melissa. In the controversial episode,
a post-season special, Jason dumps Melissa and asks out another finalist on the show, Molly.
With the unexpected change in events on the show, viewers were left wondering if that was
Jason's decision, or if it was all planned by the producers of the show (Handel, Sarah, "How Real
Is Reality," March 3, 2009).
Besides looking at how real reality TV is, we can look at how reality TV affects society
and the general public. For instance shows such as "Jersey Shore," which is filmed in South
Beach, New Jersey, are based in communities and feature popular locations recognizable by
viewers. Snooki, a character on "Jersey Shore," get a job at Lecca-Lecca Gelato Cafe in some of
the episodes. After viewers in the South Beach area saw her interaction at the local gelato cafe,
which helped draw in customers to the business (Asante, John, "Reality TV Benefits...In,"
August 10, 2010). Some reality television shows portray events that have actually happened in
the past. Though the details of a story may change the general plot is the same, which can be
seen through crime scene investigation shows and other detective shows. These shows deal with
real life events, and the impact it can have on a society can be good and bad. An example of
how reality television can impact viewers is the incident that happened a few years back when a
9 year old kid was swept away in a homemade hot air balloon, and was believed to have gotten
the idea to fly from TV (Wertheimer, Linda, "When Reality TV Intrudes," January 1, 2009).
Another writer Ann Powers talks about how when watching reality television, viewer can't
actually escape reality. A lot of times when people watch TV shows in general they try to relax
and get away from reality for a little bit, but when faced with possible stress situations viewers

find themselves in when watching shows such as "The Voice" and "American Idol" they are
unable to escape the real world, even for an hour show (Powers, Ann. "Decision Fatigue: The
Reality," February 29, 2012).
Finally we can look at how humor can affect businesses, which is analyzed in Vuolera's
article that looks at different business approaches. The two business situations analyzed was a
seller's internal meeting and a client negotiation. The seller's internal meeting featured more
humor and irony as well as exaggerations were used to help create a more casual and relaxing
environment for the seller and buyer. The client negotiation took a more professional way of
doing business, and after both deals were completed it appeared that the seller's internal meeting
was more successful than the client negotiation (Vuolera, Taina. "Laughing Matters: A Case,"
2004). Humor has been used in business situations for years and many people don't even realize
it. Many companies will use humor in various forms such as sales pitches and advertisements
that are used to promote their products. There can be a science to using humor in businesses and
managers can use it as a tool to relieve stress and make the workplace a more enjoyable place to
be (Romero, Eric, and Kevin Cruthirds. "The Use of Humor," 2006). Holmes hits on the point
that humor in the workplace can improve relations between coworkers and colleagues. Humor
can be used to uplift and support coworkers, which can improve the mentality of workers,
resulting in increased productivity. She goes on to mention that humor can be helpful but needs
to be kept under moderation and at an appropriate level (Holmes, Janet, "Sharing A Laugh:
Pragmatic," 2006). Also the use of humor in business is seen through the observations and
accounts of events that occur within the show "Fast N Loud," a reality TV show based off an
automotive garage in Dallas, Texas, interestingly named Gas Monkey Garage. Owner of the
garage, Richard Rawlings, uses sarcasm and jokes to open up to his clients and customers to

break the ice and make the car buying process less stressful and more enjoyable. The use of
humor is also present throughout the entire business with employees in the office and the shop.
Though such use of humor would seem to distract employees and cause the business to be
counterproductive, Gas Monkey Garage is a well-known and well-respected business that has
customers even out of the country to buy cars. Richard's business may not be founded on
typical business strategies, but his use of humor has proven itself success with the success of the
business (Davis, Travis, "Discovery's "Fast N Loud"," 2014).
Entering the Conversation: With the continual growth in popularity of reality TV shows there
has been a great increase in the number of reality TV shows that are being aired on a wide
variety of networks, especially over the past ten years, that I personally have observed.
Naturally, with the increase of the different reality TV shows, it makes sense that there is a wide
variety when it comes to the backgrounds and focuses of different shows, and producers are
willing to take a stretch with a particular topic of interest to see if a community of interest is
present that will be able to maintain a healthy number of viewers. Since producers are looking at
such diverse topics it is viable that some of the shows may have added fillers in the show to draw
more viewers, which raises my first question just how real is reality TV. The first types of
reality TV shows such as "Big Brother" and "Jersey Shore" have given reality TV shows a bad
reputation, but that's not to say all reality TV shares corrupted and repulsive characteristics of the
typical drama filled shows that people associate with reality TV.
Reality TV shows such as Discovery channel's "Fast N Loud," are not like those reality TV
shows that give reality TV a bad name, but instead give viewers a different kind of reality TV.
Shows such as "Fast N Loud" are not solely based on drama and endless feuds between actors,
but instead the show portrays a business and the events that take place in such business. For

example, "Fast N Loud" is based off Gas Monkey Garage, an automotive garage located in
Dallas, Texas, where owner Richard Rawlings runs a successful business specializing in
automotive restorations. Now while the show portrays Gas Monkey Garage business, it also
shows the true character of the actors in the show by adding in shenanigans and Richard's joking
attitude. Richard approaches customers and clients in a laid back sort of way, instead of being
proper and professional Richard jokes with the people he comes in contact with and uses
sarcasm, which helps to relax the atmosphere and allows the customers and clients to feel more
comfortable in certain business situations. Richard is not the only one who jokes around in the
shop, all of the employees joke around with one another and Aaron Kaufman, the master
mechanic and shop foreman is right there joking around with everyone else. It would seem that
productivity levels would be low with all of the things that go on within an episode, but the
garage is able to meet there strict deadlines, and the quality of work exceeds the expectations of
customers. So is the humor being used at Gas Monkey Garage good for business or not, what is
evident is Gas Monkey Garage is not your typical hometown auto garage that specializes in oil
changes and tire rotations, but is constantly turning cars for profits near and above the $100,000
range. So you tell me, is the humor used in Gas Monkey Garage hurting their business.
Gas Monkey Garage and "Fast N Loud" is not the only business that incorporates humor into
business strategies, but also reality TV shows such as "Duck Dynasty," what started out as a
mom and pop business creating handmade duck calls, grew into a multi-million dollar family
business known as Duck Commander. "Duck Dynasty" not only incorporates humor into their
business and show, but also family values which can be seen in every episode as the family
comes together for a meal and have a prayer. Humor is a major part of both of these shows and
it seems like there must be a link between humor and successful businesses. There are plenty

more examples of successful business that are broadcasted on all kinds of networks that
incorporate humor into business strategies. If all of these businesses that are being filmed for
reality TV are so successful, then why not take those strategies that make those businesses
different and use them in companies everywhere.
Business professionals everywhere, who may even watch shows such as "Fast N Loud" and
"Duck Dynasty," enjoy the humor and unnatural approaches shown in episodes, but would never
think incorporate such strategies into their own corporations. Since reality television can have a
bad reputation, business professionals may be leery of taking themes shown in certain shows and
applying them to personal business strategies, but when analyzing shows such as "Fast N Loud"
and "Duck Dynasty" which both originate from businesses, there seems to be beneficial
strategies portrayed in these shows that can be used in businesses everywhere. Owning a
business is all about risk and reward, the biggest rewards are given to those who take the biggest
risks. Although allowing employees to be a little more relaxed at work and not have to be so
serious all the time may not seem like much of risk, but if a company is not willing to take small
risks, how will they be willing to take larger risks when presented with situations? There are
logical benefits to allowing employees more freedoms, such benefits include but not restricted to,
more enjoyable working environments, less stress, and the ability for employees to create closer
relationships, which when combined together can increase productivity and inevitably
profitability within a corporation.
Businesses have always been known to be professional and proper, with strict rules and
regulations that restrict employees to act a certain way and usually unwavering from the
guidelines. I'm not suggesting that all businesses should not have rules and regulations, certain
protocols are necessary for production and ensuring safety in terms of the health of the

corporation as well as the health of employees. The rules and regulations set by certain
companies is what makes up those companies and they might have a reputation regarding
protocols. Not all rules have to be bad, but too many rules can make environments stressful for
employees who have to stay within the guidelines, and can also be stressful for high ranking
leaders in a business as well since they are the ones who are in charge of making sure all rules
and protocols are enforced. As earlier stated not all rules are bad, but in some cases rules are just
put in place for no apparent reason, and I feel like sometimes it is better to loosen the reins a
little bit and give employees more freedom. Though this paper seems to focus quite a bit on
employees, but even if employers relax a little and open up to employees, then more
relationships can be created which will allow employees to feel less threatened or intimidated by
higher officials within a company. Creating lower stress environments allow people to feel more
comfortable which can lead to more productivity, and a great way to incorporate these concepts
is to allow humor within businesses.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the topic discussed was taking reality TV and looking at the benefits
and what concepts could be taken from a show, such as humor, and applied to business models.
There are a variety of reality television shows that are based off of businesses and like with
anything else there are pros and cons to the way people choose to do specific things. By looking
at the different ways humor was used in specific situations, I was able to draw some conclusions
and take away some concepts that could be applied to companies everywhere. By appropriately
entering humor in businesses in a respectful manner, it can be used in ways as such to relieve
stress, make employment more enjoyable, and even to strengthen relationships between
coworkers. Many jobs require a lot out of its employees and many of those tasks can be
overwhelming and stressful, so by adding humor to the workplace can potentially reduce the

lingering effects of stress. Creating a lower stress environment and improving employee
relations can not only make the workplace more enjoyable, but can logically improve
productivity and quality of work performed in that environment.
This topic may seem like it may not be that big of a deal, but this topic could affect the
health of employees, the enjoyment an employee can obtain while working in a specific
situation. Stress can take a toll on people's lives and health, so for something as simple as
giving employees more freedoms and allowing the use of humor into a workplace can possibly
improve the health of employees. Also with any good business model productivity and quality
are usually major factors as to how the business is measured in success, and if there was a chance
to improve both productivity and quality at no cost then why not just give it a try. So after
viewing the possible benefits of adding humor into a business, there are still more areas of
further research with the topic. Such areas can include other concepts of reality television or just
television in general that can be applied to business solutions and strategies. Also I mainly
discussed the benefits of introducing more humor into businesses, what are some other ideas that
can be introduced to business, and why might businesses not have already put more humor into
their business strategies.

Reflection:
My topic proposal for this assignment looked at elements in reality TV such as humor
and how they could be applied to actual businesses. In assignment one I observed "Fast N
Loud," a reality TV show that showcases Gas Monkey Garage, a business that incorporates
elements such as humor and sarcasm into business strategies and appeals. After looking at the
success of Gas Monkey Garage, I was led to think of how other businesses would benefit if
similar strategies were used in everyday business, which further led me to research and write
about how businesses could possibly benefit from the use of humor in the workplace.
Originally I had planned to write more on the show "Fast N Loud" and focus more on
Gas Monkey Garage and the business that is conducted on a daily basis. After researching the
show, I realized there wasn't much information to be found about "Fast N Loud" or Gas Monkey
Garage. Even though the show and business are popular, there just wasn't many reports or
documents on the business which posed a threat at first. So from there I had to rethink my
strategy and find a way to write a paper that could incorporate the themes I enjoyed from the
show and still have credible sources to back up my proposals. After researching countless topics
I was able to find some information on reality TV shows and humor in businesses. From there I
found a way to relate the topics by observing the appeals of humor in reality TV shows, such as
"Fast N Loud," and related it to businesses and how humor could possibly benefit companies in
general.
Not being able to find adequate research was a weakness I noticed at first, which led me
to change my topic and choose something that I might not have been interested in, but after
digging I was able to find a way to incorporate different topics into an interests I could talk
about. A strength I realized after completing this assignment was having the assignment broken

down into smaller chunks. Having already completed parts of the paper helped when writing the
"What's New" section and having an idea of what I was going to write about. Also finding
research and then creating a topic proposal that fed off the research was easier than creating a
thesis and trying to find research that backed up a thesis. If I had created a thesis first then I
wouldn't have been able to find adequate research, so finding research and then creating a
proposal proved to be a major strength when completing this assignment.
Another strength for this assignment is the peer workshops we had in class. I had received a lot
of constructive feedback from classmates that helped point out good and back points in my
paper. All of the comments I received I found to be helpful, such as comments about confusing
or misleading parts of my paper. One of the comments stated that a few parts of the paper had
awkward wording, which I may not have noticed when reviewing the paper myself, just because
I had wrote it and it made sense in my mind. Some of the comments said things like I had a well
written introduction that had a good hook to captivate the reader's attention. Comments such as
those I couldn't really use to make corrections to my paper, but they did point out parts in the
paper where I had done well and I could use similar techniques elsewhere in my paper. Overall I
found the comments to be helpful and useful. As for the "above and beyond" requirements for
this assignment, I wasn't sure how to accomplish such. I started by taking the sources I had and
creating an interesting topic proposal that I could expand on and write about a topic that would
interest many, including myself. By finding an interesting topic I was able to exceed the
expectations of the length of paper, by expounding on ideas and themes found in reality TV that
can be used in businesses everywhere. I hope my paper can open people up to try new ways and
break the normal strategies used in business.

Bibliography:
Vuolera, Taina. "Laughing Matters: A Case Study of Humor in Multicultural Business
Negotiations." Negotiation Journal 21, no. 1 (2004): 105-30. Accessed September 25, 2014.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1571-9979.2005.00049.x/abstract.
Davis, Travis. "Discovery's "Fast N Loud"" Assignment 1, 2014.
Handel, Sarah. "How Real Is Reality TV?" National Public Radio. March 3, 2009. Accessed
October 1, 2014.
Wertheimer, Linda. "When Reality TV Intrudes Into Real Life." National Public Radio. January
1, 2009. Accessed October 1, 2014.
Asante, John. "Reality TV Benefits...In Reality." National Public Radio. August 10, 2010.
Accessed October 1, 2014.
Powers, Ann. "Decision Fatigue: The Reality Of Reality Television." National Public Radio.
February 29, 2012. Accessed October 1, 2014.
Romero, Eric, and Kevin Cruthirds. "The Use of Humor In The Workplace." Academy of
Management Prospectives 20, no. 2 (2006): 58-69. Accessed October 1, 2014.
ttp://www.jstor.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/stable/4166232.
Holmes, Janet. "Sharing A Laugh: Pragmatic Aspects of Humor and Gender in the
Workplace." Journal of Pragmatics 38, no. 1 (2006): 26-50. Accessed October 1, 2014.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378216605001281.