Beauty and the Geek

[Fast Learner]

If it is an intentional plant, then this reality game show that is offering the winners $250,000 is fixed from the beginning.

Well... yeah. That's the definition of "reality show," at least the bulk of them.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well... yeah. That's the definition of "reality show," at least the bulk of them.

I don't think people would apply that definition to such shows as American Idols. While if may be unfair that Bo Bice did not win, it's what America voted for, that blonde country chick (whose name I don't bother to search for, even with the convenience of the internet).

 

[Fast Learner]

Well... I still apply it to American Idol. How they select performers (intentional loser candidates, etc.), how they select which songs each will sing (you can make a great singer sound horrible if you're really good at selecting a song that person just can't perform well), how you handle the sound and the camera work during performances, and how you coach and edit what the judges say, are just a few of the manipulative techniques they use.

It's worlds worse on shows like Survivor, but that's because they're so easy to manipulate the outcomes of, it's not even slightly funny.

From my perspective, "people" have way too much faith in the "reality" of reality television. They are scripted by the producers, parts are written by staff writers, what you see and what you don't is totally controlled by the directors and editors, all of whom manipulate the heck out of the "participants," a word I put in scare quotes because "untrained improvisational actors" is a better term.