TV becoming more ‘real’ for Mormons

The combination seems off, somehow, like pouring chocolate sauce on a bowl of Jell-O.

Mormons. And reality TV.

Nonetheless, the past TV season has been notable for its confluence of what may be religion's most stereotypically wholesome denomination and the TV genre that thrives on the anything-but-wholesome.

That's primarily because of David Archuleta and Brooke White, both of them Mormons and both of them finalists in the most recent edition of Fox's reality juggernaut "American Idol." Archuleta even ended the competition as runner-up, losing on the final night of the competition to David Cook.

Elsewhere on TV, the roster of high-profile members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on reality TV shows this past season has included Derek and Julianne Hough, the brother-and-sister dance pros on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," and Kelsey Nixon, a contestant on the just-started edition of the Food Network's "The Next Food Network Star."

However, this current crop of LDS reality TV contestants represents the latest in a long line of Mormons who, during the past 15 years, have appeared on shows as disparate as MTV's "The Real World," CBS' "Survivor" and NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

The intersection of the LDS church and reality TV itself became hot last month with a Newsweek story, "America's Next Top Mormon," that examined what it characterized as a glut of Mormons on reality TV. That story then, itself sparked a glut of similar stories in the media.

Without knowing how many Catholics, Protestants, Wiccans, agnostics and other Whatevers there are on reality TV shows, it's difficult to quantify the degree to which Mormons make up the reality TV universe. But, with that caveat noted, it seems safe to say that Mormons haven't enjoyed as much visibility on TV since the 1970s heyday of the Osmonds and Donny and Marie.

Ace Robison, LDS church spokesman for Southern Nevada, isn't an avid watcher of reality TV. But, he says, "my wife was an avid viewer of 'American Idol,' so I had no choice but to keep up on that."

What Robison saw of White and Archuleta, he liked.

While "American Idol" wasn't a common topic of conversation among LDS members, Robison says, those who did watch were "proud of these kids. I think the kids, to their credit, have been, thus far, a worthy example of Latter-day Saint youth."

It doesn't hurt that "American Idol" is, as reality shows go, a class act, and at least nobody had to interact with Flavor Flav or Tila Tequila, who inhabit reality shows that live nearer the bottom of the programming barrel. Rather, "American Idol" -- like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Next Food Network Star" -- honors talent, hard work and accomplishment over titillation, shock or cheese. And that could make such shows a perfect fit for Mormon contestants.

Robison notes, for example, that Mormon kids learn public speaking and performance skills by giving talks to peers in Sunday school. Archuleta and White, he says, "probably have been participating (in worship) since they gave their first two-and-a-half-minute talk when they were 5 or 6 years old."

Daniel Stout, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who studies media and religion, notes, too, that "the behavioral part of the LDS religion is very important."

Being a Mormon "is about doing things and accomplishing things," Stout says. "The biblical notion of work is very important. And a modern-day, contemporary reflection of that is (participating in) not just entertainment, but entertainment that requires talent and musicianship and artistry."

Quint Randle, an assistant professor of communications at Brigham Young University, a musician/songwriter and, for a time this past season, an "American Idol" blogger, notes also that, in seeking out cast members, reality show producers "look for different types or archetypes."

And, as producers seek out different types of characters -- the innocent one, the sneaky one, the rebellious one, the obnoxious one -- a fresh-scrubbed, presumably clean-cut Mormon may prove an irresistible addition to the cast.

"So, you get, like, 10 percent Mormon, and now you have the gay couple," Randle says. "They cast like that to have those interactions work."

LDS church spokesman Michael Otterson notes that the sheer size of the church also makes it increasingly likely that members will become more visible on reality shows.

He notes in an e-mail that the church has more than 6 million members in the United States and 13 million worldwide, which makes it "inevitable that Latter-day Saints are going to appear more and more in the public eye. That's true of every field of endeavor."

Reality shows aren't a prime forum for discussing matters of faith. But Randle notes that even if most viewers didn't pick up on "American Idol" contestant White's religious beliefs, discerning her church membership wasn't difficult for Mormons.

"During her first little audition, (White) said, 'I've never seen an R-rated movie' " he recalls. And, while the show's judges expressed disbelief, Randle says, "everybody said, 'She must be a Mormon.' "

Also in White's case, Randle says, "just given the way she looks and the way she talks, yeah, everybody within the church said, 'Oh, she's a Mormon.' "

On the upside, landing a plum spot on a reality show can enable a Mormon contestant to teach viewers, even if indirectly, about his or her faith. Thanks not only to David Archuleta and Co. but to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, Robison says, "a lot of people in Middle America who thought the Mormons were some strange group out in Utah and out West probably did see (the church) differently, and I hope that's the case."

But American pop culture is a double-edged sword, and Robison concedes that, "whenever someone is in the spotlight, we just hope and pray that they represent us well."

To at least some extent, church members probably do "sit on pins and needles when there's a high-profile Latter-day Saint, to see whether or not that high profile is going to serve them and us well or whether it's going to be a less-than-stellar example," he says.

Otterson notes that church members "represent themselves and not the church." But, he adds, church members "like to see their values reflected in the lives of Mormons who end up in the public eye -- honesty, integrity, modesty, wholesomeness. The opposite would also be true if someone announced their church affiliation and, for instance, they used coarse language or acted in a way that wasn't reflective of those core values."

It's difficult to say how many Mormons watch reality shows. But Bruce Hansen, LDS Student Association adviser at UNLV, says he didn't hear much "Idol" talk among students this past season. A quick survey last week revealed scant knowledge about how it all turned out, although, Hansen says, "a few knew the Archuleta guy."

Hansen suspects response, and interest, would have been stronger if a contestant were to come from Southern Nevada. But, he adds, "most of these students are so involved in getting through their college classes that they're not watching a lot of reality shows."

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.