The secrets behind American reality TV
You either love it or hate it — for me, it's the ultimate guilty pleasure — but a life without reality TV is unimaginable. And as with everything, America does it bigger, better, and more intense, especially when it comes to reality TV. Of course, the Kardashians are the ultimate example of this, and it feels a bit like an end of an era that they are quitting after twenty seasons. I must admit, though: the last seasons were getting a bit less interesting, as if they were a little too aware of the cameras. You already knew that most of the drama happened off-camera, which is a bit of a shame because you mainly watch for the drama. And then there are all the rumors about the fakeness of all the storylines. In that regard, America handles it much more intensely than we do: almost everything is pre-planned in the bigger reality shows. Unfortunately, but true. If you don't want to be taken out of your bubble, you might not want to read further, because yes: these are the secrets behind American reality TV.
1. The tear-jerking stories in talent shows? The producers beg for them. ‘On the very first application form, I was already asked about the hardest moment in my life and what obstacles I had overcome to be here, whether I had ever been bullied, and so on. When I was a few rounds in, the producers begged me to share a sad anecdote for the camera,’ says a former contestant.
2. Everything on Pawn Stars is scripted. The people who walk into the store often already know how much money they will get for their product before the cameras start rolling. Often, those selling items aren't even the owners; sometimes it's just someone who unsuspectingly walks into the store, after which they are asked if they want to participate in the show and then are pointed to a product from behind.
3. A positive note in between: Shark Tank is not scripted and completely real. The reason it may seem otherwise is that the pitches usually last about an hour and have to be edited down to five to seven minutes for the show. Honestly, I found this a relief because I love this program. And yes, those million-dollar deals are also one hundred percent real.
4. MTV Made? Totally fake. The editors seem to be so cunning that kids are portrayed very differently than they actually are. The ‘help’ from ‘experts’ they receive is just given by people who happen to live nearby (and are not necessarily experts), and the big ‘victory’ at the end is often completely scripted.
5. Then there's one that is absolutely NOT scripted: Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay is: what you see is what you get. With a small side note: Chef Ramsay certainly knows what good TV is and how to ensure he gets it. The restaurants they choose are, of course, already on the brink of disaster. So, you don't need to create much fake drama.
6. All shows where houses are renovated or sold: FAKE. When a couple is going to buy a house, there is a 99 percent chance that they have already bought the house in question or are even already living there. In fact, if you want to participate in the show House Hunters, it is even a requirement that you have just bought a new house and can therefore pretend that is not the case.
7. Let's keep going back and forth: Say Yes To The Dress is very real. When you make an appointment at the relevant store, you must already indicate whether you want to appear on TV or not. In terms of experience, it doesn't matter: you get the same treatment from the staff. I think that's a nice surprise; I thought it was so hysterical that it had to be fake.
8. Undercover Boss is — and this didn't surprise me at all — completely fake. Everyone knows what's going on, and that boss is certainly not undercover. All the bizarre situations are completely staged. Understandably, how can you not know who your boss is, and how can you not become suspicious when a ‘new’ person comes to work with a full camera crew?
9. Catfish is real, in the sense that the participants are genuinely catfished (and in a rare exception, it is the real person in the photo), but the way it is shown is not entirely how it goes: the producers already know everything in advance. So no, it's not like Nev and Max fly across the country just to see if they can catch the catfish, because everything has been researched beforehand.
10. Last but very not least, the shows that are one hundred percent fake but will surprise no one: Jerry Springer, Room Raiders from MTV, Dismissed from MTV, and Pimp My Ride, also from MTV. And of course, The Hills, again from MTV. You get it: all reality on MTV is fake.
