Most reality TV doesn't really concern itself with, well, "reality."
And why should it?
Reality is boring.
Get up, brush your teeth, and try not to be crushed by the boredom of everyday life.
But sometimes producers need to throw a curveball at our favorite reality personalities to keep
things interesting.
Here are just a few lies that reality TV has made us swallow.
The Discovery Channel series Alaskan Bush
People makes a big deal about how the Brown family was "born wild" and love nothing more
than surviving on their own in the Alaskan wilderness.
But a bit of digging proved the "Wolf Pack" doesn't exactly abide by the pioneer spirit.
"I'm keeping it wild and free!"
An interview with a woman named Heather Baygas, a former girlfriend of Alaskan Bush People
star Matt Brown, revealed that Brown lived in a "white house" when they met, and, as
far as she knew, he spent his childhood in the tiny town of Haines, Alaska.
She admitted to being puzzled by the family members' reality TV claims about their life
because they allegedly didn't match up with what she knew about her ex and his family
before they were famous.
Early YouTube videos that the family posted pre-fame seem to agree.
The primary lie of The Biggest Loser is that
the rapid weight loss featured on the show is realistic and healthy when, in fact, it's
not only unsustainable in the long-term, but can be potentially dangerous.
That's not all though; over the course of 17 years, the show has been full of lies.
For starters, there's the accusation made by contestant Joelle Gwynn, who told the New
York Post that her trainer allegedly furnished her with pills — which an anonymous source
later claimed were Adderall and ephedra pills, which is a federally banned weight loss supplement.
Then there are the claims made by contestant Kai Hibbard, who accused the show of bugging
people's computers, borderline physical and psychological torture from trainers, and even
faking the time between weigh-ins and using phony scales.
"I'm gonna get plenty of hate mail for this so make sure you spell check Fame Whore is
with a 'w'."
There's no doubt that "Turtleman" Ernie Brown
Jr. has spent his life as a self-taught pest control operator, and his crooked grin, country
charm, and signature call make for great television.
Unfortunately, the producers of his hit show, Call of the Wildman, allegedly took things
too far.
According to a Mother Jones investigation, there were several occasions when animals
were allegedly hurt or killed because of inappropriately staged situations.
One episode portrayed Brown wrestling a "stray zebra" to the ground, except the zebra had
been sedated beforehand and was on loan to the show by a drive-thru safari park.
And those baby raccoons that Turtleman supposedly rescued?
Due to neglect, only two survived.
"To me..
We lost one and that was tragic.
That we saved two was a miracle."
Further investigation revealed that Brown had lost his Nuisance Wildlife Control Officer
license, which was required in Kentucky, where much of the show was filmed.
Given the number of animals that were hurt or killed during staged rescues, it's probably
for the best that Turtleman's only new videos now are of him playing with fidget spinners
and eating candy.
The premise of Last Comic Standing is simple:
20 comedians compete to see who's the funniest.
During Season 2, this pool was judged by a panel of celebrity comics, including Drew
Carey, Brett Butler, and Anthony Clark, who all reportedly became infuriated after producers
essentially overrode their judgments to create the "best reality show cast."
Speaking with The Los Angeles Times, Carey said,
"They're presenting this to the public as if it's a contest, but it's not."
He also alleged that he and his fellow judges were led to believe they would determine who
got to advance to the finals, but the producers made their own choices anyhow, adding that
Clark ripped off his mic in disgust when the results were announced.
In the end, the only evidence really needed to prove the show was completely contrived
was Dat Phan's Season 1 win.
"POTATOES!"
Although Iron Chef America presents itself as one of the most dramatic cooking competitions
on television, it turns out, like most reality TV, a lot of it is for show.
"HAMBURGER!"
When food critic Robert Sietsema attended a taping of the show, he left hungry for the
kind of intense competition portrayed on TV.
What he experienced, according to Gothamist, was a mundane couple of hours during which
the Iron Chefs and their competitors cooked "well-tested recipes" because they allegedly
knew about the secret ingredient in advance.
Ingredients like…
"HAM!"
"SAUSAGE!"
"FROZEN PEAS!"
As for the judgment rounds, it reportedly takes up to two hours to film, so the judges
aren't even eating what was cooked during the televised cooking segment.
Supposedly, sous chefs re-create the dishes that the judges are filmed eating.
Sounds like the secret ingredient for every episode of Iron Chef America is baloney!
Anyone who's watched enough episodes of Catfish
already knows that the internet is filled with creepy liars and desperately lonely,
lovelorn saps.
But are they all real?
Executive producer Marshall Eisen shared insider knowledge on how a catfish encounter is crafted
in a 2014 interview with Vulture.
Before hosts Nev and Max begin their investigation, producers already know exactly how it'll end,
since they've already secretly collaborated with both the catfish and their prey to ensure
they can get a full episode out of the pursuit.
The trick is, producers don't tell Nev and Max anything, meaning the show is basically
a TV version of an escape room.
This revelation means the show is less about the participants, and more about how good
the hosts are at creeping on Facebook pages.
The relationships?
All real.
"How'd you like my d--- pic?
"That was uh...interesting."
The process?
Not so much.
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