Keeping It Real...

At this point, I don't think there are many people left who think reality TV actually represents real-life. When the concept first hit it felt as though most people were treating the shows as being fairly close to genuine. But through the years reality TV has started to go so far over-the-top that people can't help but see how absurd is to label these shows as "real" any more. That self-awareness on both sides, much like in professional wrestling, has allowed the producers to really let every thing fly free and drop most of the pretense. As such, shows like the "Real Housewives" in which people are throwing drinks in each other's faces at the drop of a hat, have a "wink, wink" feel about them. It's like the producers are saying, "Look, we both know this isn't real, so we'll at least make it entertaining." So it took a few years, but at this point it feels to me like we're all in on the joke together. Still, there are some shows out there where I am still surprised to find out they have gone beyond the usual tricks of clever editing and well-timed commercial breaks to add drama where there actually wasn't any in an effort to make the show more interesting.

As I was searching for something to watch last night I landed on a program which purported to be a documentary-style show, following around a crew of people who repossess cars and tells the story of the crazy characters they meet along the way and the out-of-control conflicts which happen during those encounters. The problem was when they got to one house, I immediately recognized the woman whose car they came to repossess. It took me a second to figure out where I knew her from, but then it dawned on me that I had seen her on TV before doing a few commercials. Now, she wouldn't have been the first actor to have their car towed, but these commercials weren't from that long ago so I doubt she had fallen onto hard times that fast. On top of that she went way beyond the typical level of upset you would expect from a normal human being and was clearly over-reacting to an almost obscene level. All of that led me to believe the "real" encounter had to be staged. Since I was only about 90% positive this was the same woman I did some Googling and I quickly found her Twitter feed, where her timeline was filled with people joking about her appearance on this show. At that point she wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.

For some reason this bugged me, and I don't know why. I guess it is because it seems like some shows carry a level of credibility and you expect them to be above something like hiring an actor to go crazy and take the show up a notch. Then again, a couple weeks ago I wrote about the biker gang at the center of the new Discovery Channel show "The Devil's Ride" and now there are rumors flying around which contends that almost the entire show is done by actors. If the Discovery Channel can't keep their shows authentic than I guess I can't realistically expect anyone to. The other time I am surprised to learn a show is faked is when it feels unnecessary. For example, I've always wondered about "Auction Hunters" and whether or not those lockers are filled with interesting items by the producers. (It does seem convenient that there is always a gun to be found.) I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but then a couple weeks ago I was forwarded an article in which a woman who appeared on the show "House Hunters" claimed that the entire show was staged. Basically, they were asked to look at a second and third house long after they had bought their new place and then act as thought it was an agonizing decision. If they are faking a show where the end prize is people buy a house with their own money than why should I believe a single thing I ever see on TV?

Still, after thinking it over, I'm actually happy to have the curtain pulled back on this last part of my TV experience, because it restores my faith in humanity. I never wanted to believe that there were people out in the world who would really be that anxious to start brawling in a public place at the drop of a hat. Now I can rest easy knowing those characters aren't any more real than the people you meet on a typical scripted show - the only difference is they don't have an actual script to work off. With that burden off my mind now I am free to sit back and simply watch these shows, treating them like I would any sitcom. I just have one final piece of advice for the producers: if you are going to hire actors to make your show more interesting, at least hire unknown ones. Honestly there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people out there just looking for their 15 minutes of fame and it is not like you need them to pull of Shakespeare in the park. Hiring an actress to play a person going crazy because their car is about to get repossessed when two minutes later I will see her on my screen trying to get me to upgrade to an iPhone is just plain lazy. I'm willing to treat the show as semi-serious, but you have to keep up your end of the bargain.