How much reality in "reality" t.v
How much reality in "reality" t.v
#1How much reality in "reality" t.v
Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:07am
I've recently become fascinated by how scripted/planned most reality t.v shows are and I was interested to know, if anyone knows of any secrets of particular reality t.v shows. I only watch RuPaul's Drag Race and The Apprentice but am interested to hear how other reality t.v shows operate.
RuPaul's Drag Race: I absolutely adore the show but it's not hard to see how editing/planning plays a major role in the running of each series. Willam knew he was going home when he was disqualified as he made clear to the producers he had prior commitments to an off Broadway play. Whoever is sent home on elimination day is told that morning, meaning, the lip synch counts for nothing or at least..very little. Tammie Brown spoke out on how Ru is given jokes through an earpiece. The reason many queens of season 5 got on Jinkx's back was because they were asked by producers to help her with her makeup.
Interesting article here
#2How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:19am
There is very little that is real about reality tv. You can usually tell what's scripted. For instance, the Real Housewives are given general story lines that they will have for the upcoming season. They know who is going to be the villain and all that.
It's not uncommon for hosts/judges to have earpieces. In fact, I can't think of a single show that doesn't utilize them now. It's easier for woman to conceal them because of their hair.
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#2How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:32amThe last time MTV filmed a NY season of Real World (Red Hook, I think..) you would often find the cast at bars around town, including somewhere I frequented and knew staff. They always knew at least a few days before when the cast would have a "spontaneous" outing and staff would change shifts based on who did or did not want to be on camera. I happened to wander in a few times during filming and it was if they were filming a movie, not following obnoxious 20somethings with a camera. They'd direct them where to sit / stand and by whom, feeding topics of conversation, regulate who they were interacting with..
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#3How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:36am"Reality" Television is the worst kept secret in Television.
#4How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 11:39am
In reality TV, there is no script, but there certainly is a guideline. And in some cases, a plot.
Most reality game shows are different (Survivor, Top Chef, Project Runway, Amazing Race, American Idol, etc.). But even with those, the Producers still mold the show as it plays out, to create drama. And while they cannot plan who wins, they definitely shape out who the finalists will be. For instance, if it is a show where the home viewer gets to vote as to who stays, the producer can choose for the most "dramatic" contestant to get more airtime than others. Or edit their interviews to be more likable.
Shows like Duck Dynasty, Storage Wars, My Sweet 16, Jersey Shore, and Cake Boss are heavily shaped. My friend worked on a show that went on Cake Boss. The Cake Boss production company made a contract with the show ahead of time, told us when our appointment at the store would be, and asked what the event was and what they wanted the cake to be. This way, when they showed up to the consultation, Buddy had already known who was coming and what the event was, so he already had thoughts about the cake's design for the meeting. (He doesn't think up the ideas for the cakes on the spot. Who'd a thunk it?) The taped consultation was about a month before the event, so all the scenes where they built the cake were filmed over a long timespan, I guess.
--Aristotle
#5How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 12:11pm
I used to know one the writers for "The Real World" Season 1, which helped usher in the whole fad genre. It was a "big secret" back then. (Yeah, right.)
He was definitely a writer, not a story consultant or a "plot shaper."
They had scripts as a framework, but most were told to paraphrase in their own words to make it feel spontaneous.
Definitely not like a movie or play where they learn the "dialogue" word-for-word, but it was scripted, nonetheless.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#6How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 12:48pm
Just about everything is staged in reality TV. The producers are behind EVERY single aspect of a show. Especially a Housewives show. If you're interested, I would watch Alex Mcccord's vlog about the 5th season of Real Housewives of NY. She outs a lot of producers' tricks, and it sent Bravo into a fury.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RumorFix/search?query=alex+mccord
Another favorite staged reality trick of mine is on LONG ISLAND MEDIUM, when she randomly runs into "strangers" and reads them, but the stranger is wearing a microphone. It cracks me up when people are wearing a microphone during these "surprise" situations on reality TV. The food network also does this on those dumb "hidden camera" shows.
Updated On: 11/10/13 at 12:48 PM
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#7How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 12:59pmThe Real World was considered one of the worst for their deceptive editing, especially the "reaction" shots of other cast members when two cast members start to fight. I think it was Julie (the Mormon from the New Orleans season) who mentioned that during at least one episode there are reaction shots during a fight between two of the cast that were from completely different days and situations and had nothing to do with what was going on at the moment.
#8How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:18pmYeah, some stuff just seems so bogus. Like Kris Jenner claimed in a live interview I saw her at that Keeping Up With The Kardashians is 100% real. I do believe the family is as crazy as they make them out to be on that show, but I really think most of the situations are staged. Like what 14 and 16 year old girls would be able to sneak off for a day to Las Vegas by getting a ride to the airport and getting on a plane alone? And the question is, did they have their own credit cards to pay for things that mommy and daddy would not find out about? That was too much for me.
Liza's Headband
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/28/13
#9How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:26pmljay, the new show most guilty of doing that is Catfish. I can't stand it. It is so disingenuous.
.jpg?format=auto&width=200)
#10How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:27pm
I've been through the ringer on a lot of the talent shows and they are scripted beyond belief. America's Got Talent is one of the worst. They can't guarantee an act won't make it through, so they sabotage competitors. All those sideshow and dog acts until last year were given one time limit for their Las Vegas callback when they signed the contract to move on and then had that time limit cut down by minutes when they showed up. Ever try to reteach a dog a 4 minute routine as 90 seconds of material? Or have adequate time to do a series of really dangerous stunts when you need more than 90 seconds of banter to prep properly? That's one show even I wouldn't audition for and I got callback on everything from American Inventor to American Idol.
I also had the chance to talk to The Sucklord a couple years ago after he was on Work of Art Season 2. They recruited him to be on the show, then the judges gave him the same critique every week: what you do with resin action figures isn't art, so make art or go home. Then, we he actually used more traditional media, he was eliminated for not doing his wacky Sucklord street art. And we're talking, verbatim, the same criticism each week he landed in the bottom.
The candid shows are scripted because they put the people in scenarios and watch what happens. Anyone else remember reading that Mama June lost 100 pounds filming the first year of Honey Boo Boo because production demanded she get off the couch and participate in the activities?
And the candid interviews are designed to stir up trouble. They ask leading questions, make you own the question as your own thought by rephrasing the question as the start of your answer, and then put you face to face with the person or people they asked you about. It can be total lies, too, just to create more drama.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#11How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:31pmReality TV is Televisions version of jukebox musicals.
#12How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:32pm
ljay, the new show most guilty of doing that is Catfish. I can't stand it. It is so disingenuous.
You're right, and I totally agree. There is no such thing as a "surprise ambush" on reality TV. Especially given that one must sign paperwork and confidentiality agreements to even appear on these shows. If you attend a Real Housewives event, every person in the room signs a confidentiality agreement, although this still does not stop information from leaking.
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
#13How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:38pmI had an acquaintance who went on Jerry Springer, some years back. The producers made up the entire storyline. He merely had to agree in writing that the name used on the show was his. He didn't care because it got him a free trip to Chicago. In "reality" he came across like a fool.
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#15How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 1:52pm
Jerry Springer not true?
Next thing you will say there is no Santa Claus.
#16How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 2:07pmSeveral former daytime soap opera writers I know personally are now employed at reality tv (one is even a head writer for the WWE - if that counts as reality tv.)
ArtMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/10/08
#17How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 2:38pmYeah, Roxy. But there are viewers out there who, after all these years, think they are real, especially his studio audience. It's the same people who actually believe that the litigants on People's Court, Judge Judy, etc. actually pay out of their own pocket, after the outcome of their "trial". They are paid from a shared appearance fee, by the show.
#18How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 2:44pmThey even do auditions for game shows. I went to The Price Is Right last year when I was in LA. It took up like 1/2 of my day between signing forms and having to talk to people to possibly get selected. I didn't because I'm sure I didn't look too great, was not with a huge group, and don't naturally scream an yell from excitement. It was still a fun experience to see though.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#19How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 3:05pm
That did it Art Man
Judge Judy not real? What next .
#20How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 3:10pmA friend recently auditioned for a singing competition she had to wear the same outfit 4 days in a row and was asked "what's your sob story that we can use?"
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#21How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 3:13pm
Bring back Queen For A Day one of the first reality based series.
Track down the dvd of the few shows that still remain on film. I think all but 4 were destroyed but the 4 that remain will show you the potential. Hell why not Queen For A Day the Musical?
#22How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 3:42pmI don't even really care, all I care about is if it's entertaining. Speaking of Drag Race, we should be days away from the official announcement for the Season 6 cast.
#23How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 5:10pmucjrdude, standard operating procedure. They need to be able to use anytime you're filmed in the first few rounds of auditions as part of your audition package if you get on the show. I pissed off the producers on one show when my totally temporary bright blue hair disappeared between the first callback and when the actual auditions started. I was not going a week without taking a shower just to appease them. I think they were more mad that they couldn't pick me out of a line-up with just the quick polaroid shot they took during my first audition anymore.
#24How much reality in
Posted: 11/10/13 at 7:16pmThe cases on Judge Judy, and perhaps the other court shows are real, and the litigants are paid to air their cases on tv. In fact, those disclaimers are announced verbally and/or on the screen. At least they are on the shows I watch.
Videos