Relooking at neo-imperial ideologies in reality television series-man v. wild

The capability to imagine is what defines the humans as an intellectual species. The humans of the 21st century are in the midst of a paradigmatic sway of audio-visual technology that can beam programmes to the comfort of one's home. Television broadcasting sources are largely controlled by the west and hence as an agency of information, they telecast a certain spatial geography that suits particular ideologies. As the audience interact with television, they are made to realise a normative western experience and reinforce the neo-imperial dilemma of a contest between man and wild (nature). Hence programs like Man v. Wild venture into adventure and thrill to guide the audience to non-west, nature and women. In this attempt, the heterogeneity of the audience is homogenized by powerful choreography of shots and first person narrative in a make believe manner. Interestingly, in the churning of this dilemma the interstitial space between imagining and constructing as a process becomes thin. This research paper aims to explore whether television aims to reinforce or reconstruct a neo-imperial imaginary of man v. wild.