Talking mostly about Aussie reality TV, how fake/real do you think it actually is?
Shows for example: The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, The Block, Real Brother, Farmer Wants a Wife, Married at First Sight, Gogglebox etc.
How Fake Do You Think Reality Shows Are
freshofftheplane on 28/07/2020 - 13:40
Poll Options
- 50Completely fake, the participants are simply reading from a script
- 552Most of it is fake, directors and editors decide what we end up seeing on our screens
- 2It's pretty real except for the rogue odd. real people deliver real moments
- 10Totally real, I think that there is barely any interference from production crews
Comments
Do enough hallucinogens, and they are all real for sure.
I wonder who are the 3 idiots who voted for totally real lol (Unless they did it as a joke).. They probably also believe the real phenomenon like Covid-19 is fake, but fake shows like these are real. Think of people participating like cars driving on a road, while it seems they are being themselves, it's the directors and producers who build the roads, and participants are only driving on an already set route.
Source: I met someone who participated in Bachelor in Paradise.
One of the 6 is me. I am not an idiot.
The earth is flat.
Gravity is a myth.Haha Coronavirus is fake and 5G towers infect us with coronavirus. Lol there are people who think both of these things are true, absolutely no logic processed in their brain.
Stop stating the obvious!
I’m one! A bit worried about what the other Chappy was saying about Santa Claus though……🤔
Actually, I wouldn’t know as I never watch anything described as a ‘Reality’ show. Just don’t find being BS,d to entertaining
I thought you said WW2, cause that shit is fake.
WWF is absolutely real.
What is fake about wildlife?
Birds aren't real
All shows you've listed rely heavily on frankenbiting. Once you notice it, you'll never stop noticing it.
Yep dead giveaway is when it is a voiceover with other footage played!
I think they are real once you understand the situation they are in. They are doing exactly what ordinary camera friendly people would do if put in that situation and having producers give them direction and forced situations and stuff. It is real in that sense. They may be doing what they think actors would do, but they aren't really actors. They aren't really ordinary people either, ordinary people can be really awkward, or ugly in the face, or mumble, or be absent minded, and all kind of things that look silly on camera. I think the reality shows on Discovery are more realistic look at average people, even though they too have all the production and script writers and stuff probably. But the people themselves are just whoever drives the trucks for a certain company, or whoever works on an oil rig, or whatever. Instead of just people who are confident and show offs and aspire to be on TV, like Australian reality TV tends to be.
It’s half way between two of your options:
- Most of it is fake, directors and editors decide what we end up seeing on our screens
- It's pretty real except for the rogue odd. real people deliver real moments
It’s not a script and people are saying what they want, but they’re obviously asked very specific questions and the narrative is 100% based on the editing.
It ultimately depends on the show. You can’t fake a great dish on Masterchef to get your ideal winner through. But if you have two dishes that are almost the same then of course the directors/editors can choose their own adventure.
On the dating shows, I’m convinced the directors will force the person (bachelor for example) to keep someone around they don’t necessarily want to give a rose to, just for entertainment. Also on big brother, they obviously had that bunker room for the most entertaining exitee- they just saved it for Ang. This kind of picking and choosing happens.
At the end of the day, the people are real people and are doing things of their own accord. How they’re presented is different.
And Id suspect the contestants are chosen very carefully so that they can be typecast into to certain types - eg the villians, the underdogs, etc
Reminds me of survivor
Agree - the poll doesn't give all the options.
You should maybe read the article on frankenbiting above.
Some highlights include:
* producers stopping the cameras to tell performers what to talk about
* Producers making performers say things they never actually said via the cutting & splicing of different interviews & questionsIt used to be the case it was more real than fake, with stories created mostly by selective editing rather than frankenbiting. That balance shifted massively when the market was flooded with shows & producers needed to get better at telling stories.
Fake.
Had a mate in The Block and another one in The Bachelorette.
The Block report I got on The Block was not too bad. It still felt like a competition but it was obviously dramatized. (Also a lot of work was done with assistance or direction.)
The Bachelorette OTOH, it was scripted through and through.
Edit - just remembered, the Bachelorette mate didn't even look himself on the show. He had "glasses" made, major hairdo change… Wouldn't have recognised him if I wasn't asked to watch.
The people are real, if not a bit arrogant and fame hungry. The only reason people go on these shows is to boost their Instagram followers and branding to make more money. Angie Kent successfully leveraged herself as a kind of no-name person on Gogglebox to IACGMOOH and then the Bachelorette. The only show you'd want to go on is House Rules because at least you get a free reno out of it, even if the whole country sees your terrible taste in decorating.
But the story lines and such are all up to the producers. Give this video a watch and it's not hard to understand why some people feel victims of reality tv. You can be pleasant 95% of the time and for the other 5% complain about someone and all of a sudden you are hated by everybody.
Shows like RBT and Border Security are reality.
The rest is a carefully selected group of wannabes, trying to appear interesting, but with the producers editing to portray them in a certain way to suit the perceived audience.Whereas RBT and Border Security are not edited to portray a certain message to the audience?
I guess that's why 90% of the Border Security show is just people walking through "nothing to declare" without any inspection or dramas…
Of course it is edited, partly for legal reasons and partly for the messaging as you say.
But the 'participants' are not voluntarily participating in a paid television event; most of them have bigger things to worry about at the time. As such, their responses and reactions are more true to life.
A few times I've been to the airport and there's very clear signage that there is filming going on for Border Security or whatever other airport shows there have been. Usually there was a different queue you could join so you're not part of the footage, or at least only likely to appear in the background. Not necessarily going to filter everyone, but I think there's some that want their 5 seconds.
I think there's something to be said for the authority figures too- police and border staff who might ham it up a bit or be encouraged to for material or their 5 seconds. Nothing is ever 100% natural when people know there's a camera on them.
@ultravanilla: I've seen that signage at airports as well.
But, I cannot imagine that anyone that has contraband, or is trying to arrive on the wrong visa type, etc., is going to willingly try to get on the show just for their 5 seconds.As for the staff, some of that is obviously edited, but then again they are doing that job daily; they almost certainly haven't volunteered just to get on tv.
Shows like RBT and Border Security are reality.
Reality my foot.
US Cops and all the many police shows ARE reality.
Heavily edited but not choreographed.
Actually even cooking reality shows contain a little bit of scripted drama to keep things interesting. According to a someone I know used to compete at The Great Australian Bake Off and who now works for Masterchef Au.
People watch TV still?
What do you watch? Genuine question. I watch Netflix on TV.
Documentaries and lectures from alternate sources. Haven't watched TV for 20+ years; but we do have a 10+ year old Samsung TV we occasionally watch movies and series and documentaries - even rarer in last 4 years with kids.
For 20+ years you haven't seen a single thing on tv? the news? sports? nothing?
@Ding22: No, I hardly know if the channels have changed or not. Not even the fireworks - it's either live, or the net or not at all.
Talking about FTA, thought everyone moved to streaming by now.
Youtube mostly these days, plenty of interesting diverse channels and videos. Cant watch commercial TV, its angries up the blood.
Commercial TV for the bland masses
Aside from when visiting friends, haven't watched FTA in 10-12 years.
If it's not streamed or downloadable, it's not getting watched.Before that I put a ban on reality TV in the house. If anyone wanted to watch it they had to get themselves their own TV & watch it in their room.
The people are real, the cases are real and the rulings are final.
Bingo.
Judge of Australian Idol lets his own brother win, totally not fixed
Most is fake. The actors are fed lines to speak. Every contestant on MKR says 'We're not ready to go home' when facing elimination. The cooking is not interrupted every few minutes so they can dash off in front of the green screen and give an update on how the cooking is going. It's recorded later and scripted for the required reactions.
Interviews with the actors can go on for hours, and only the spiciest few minutes will be shown on TV. Only the most outgoing and outspoken people are let onto these shows which tends to self select a small slice of society.
The whole premise of Married At First Sight is completely false in Australia anyway. It is literally impossible to be legally married at first sight, seeing as the paperwork needs to be filed 30 days before the wedding. The wedding ceremonies are often filmed several times if the right reactions are not achieved.
All food on Masterchef is served stone cold. The winners are known before the official tasting as the judges browse the kitchen benches and try parts of dishes while they're still hot.
Every contestant on MKR says 'We're not ready to go home' when facing elimination.
Ironically, this seems to be most often said when they are actually cooking in their own home.
I always thought Basil Brush was real.
He isn't, But Dirty Gertie from Number Thirty sure is.
So fake I don't even watch it.
as real as wrestling
… the only exception is never tell that to a wrestler to his face.
Dating Naked is the only real show.
Not when the blur out the relevant ‘bits’
If its on tv, not only is it fake, its garbage.
Silly me, for a minute I thought you said: “How fake COVID is”
Happy to say I have never watched any of these sh!t shows. Commerical tv stations market to the lowest common denominator in society with an increasing number of ad time. If you are watching this crap then I feel sorry for you.
Next question: 'How Catholic do you think the the Pope is?'
Dont think i’ve watched one… The name is so fishy to begin with. “reality show”
Prime example - a lot of shows ask the 'cast' to do additional takes of their so called 'real' conversations and arguments.
A girl i worked with is on the current season of Farmer wants a wife, she's genuinely a nice person with a farm background/interest so I don't think its entirely fake.
Most of it I personally refuse to refer to as Reality TV. They are Game shows really.
The only real reality shows are A & E, etc…
It's trash tv, I don't watch them.
Fake as Kim K arse
I only have minor experience in these kinds of shows… a few months as an editor.
Either way, scripted or not, post production is where these stories are sculpted. In the edit bay. It's difficult to explain to those without editing experience, but take a look at the cuts, order of shots, off screen lines, differing power of lines being said and especially the reaction shots and you can get a bit of a feel of how much the story could have been manipulated.
You'll even see the actors themselves try to manipulate it. Most want to stay on the show as long as possible. In the end, what hits the cutting room floor is what doesn't tell the most interesting story for the viewer.
Most of it is fake, directors and editors decide what we end up seeing on our screens
Closest to the right answer. It's mostly the showrunner/producer combined with the editor. Directors on TV aren't typically in charge like they are for feature films.
you should watch a show called “unReal”, it’s a scripted drama but it’s all about a production crew making a season of a Bachelor style tv show and it’s VERY insightful into how those shows actually work. Also it’s just a great show
Totally second watching unreal, one of the co-creators was actually a former bachelor producer as well! Excellent show and agree it's very insightful. Makes watching reality tv so much more entertaining now.
A friend was on a show where they supposedly find you a house to buy when they moved back to Sydney. But in reality they had already found their own house and bought it. Then they got shown around their own house and two others, and then of course "chose" their own house. A realish fake.
"Alone" seems pretty real.
Almost all of Reality TV is really Highly Manufactured and Controlled but Technically Unscripted TV, Most of the Time.
Alone is the only reality show I've ever watched that even vaguely approaches reality. The situation they put them in seems to be actually real. Getting out of it takes at minimum several hours, often it's a next day endeavor. They are literally alone and have to film themselves, no camera crew and probably no outside contact beyond "are you alive?" check ins. Not counting that one season where they were Alone Together, pre-empting COVID isolation.
And it doesn't really disguise that even though it's mostly real it is also a heavily manufactured situation designed to achieve a result before a real world winter season is over. They drop them in places to survive that they've deliberately chosen so that surviving for a long period of time is basically impossible. And even then the narrative is strongly controlled by the edit and narration.
But yeah, Alone is pretty real. I recommend it to everyone.
Mystery Diners is definitely real
no it most definitely is not. it is mostly fake and actors with a tiny sprinkling of fact.
It was sarcasm
sorry, sometimes hard to tell :-) you would be shocked how many people think that garbage is real!
It's played up; a friend of a friend was on a reality show (and probably one of the worst reality shows ever!) and she was told by producers to play things up for TV.
These programs are an outright abuse of the word Reality. The only reality is, the programs are 100% fake.
I wouldn't use the word fake! Rather alot of editing. Basically there's like 99% of the film that they have are boring which is probably 10 hrs of clips. Then they cut it out and select scenes, edit with music and condense it into a 1.5 hr video plus half an hour of ads.
Varies from 100% fake to 20% fake depending on the show.
EG, most fake = Bachelor
most real = Survivor
So fake that I don't watch any therefore I can't really answer the question. I'm not sure if shows like The Grand Tour and Top Gear count as reality TV but these shows are not fake. They really do attempt the crazy challenges like landing in a desert in Mongolia and trying to get out in a self built car with hardly any food and water.
I feel like the challenge aspects of survivor would be legit
The stuff around camp though, feels suggested by producersScripted.
The part that is fake is the deliberate pairing of polar opposite people who will clash, engineering situations for maximum conflict and drama and loading them all up on alcohol (without any food) before a group 'dinner table fight'.
Concepts like 'real' and 'fake' really not helpful. It's all very heavily produced and edited
Reality TV started real but ended up being fake.
As someone who has been on Aus Idol Melb audtions way back when- the auditions were real but, the actual clips are heavily edited.
The audition process was waiting at Flemington for 6-8hrs on one day before shuffling off to the Melb Exhibition and Convention Centre for another 4 (a couple days later I believe).
After all of that, all the things I said, and what the judges said, were completely unscripted and I was genuinely upset.
Surivor is mostly real, with parts of the show influenced by producers of course. There was a
pretty fascinating AMA on Reddit many years ago, from someone who worked on the show's camera crew.And on a related note, I can definitely recommend the show Unreal, which is about a production crew manipulating a reality show.
nowadays just for popularity and instangram boost.
As someone who has been on a reality show when I was younger- yes its somewhat fake.
Think about it- there has to be some sort of arc/storyline planned to make the show entertaining and watchable.So they somewhat plant/manufacture this drama if it isn't happening organically.
Shows need to sell commercial space and if they don't have a rough plot of the series mapped out they can't sell to companies/investors. No one would buy ad space if the pitch is "we don't know what this season will be about- Its entirely organic and real".A way they do this is with field producers who stand next to the camera watching whats being recorded. They notice something they can magnify and then do an 'on the fly' interview by pulling the person out of the situation and going around a corner or to a room and asking 'leading' questions that get them to say something that you wouldnt ordinarily say. For example.
They will ask "did you get mad at John when he ignored you yesterday?"
You might respond "No i didnt"Then they will tell you to rephrase their question in your answer.
and you will say
"I didnt get mad when John ignored me yesterday"Boom- drama there.
then they take it further, and say "change the tense. Imagine this has just happened. Its still fresh- you're still hurting"
So you have to say: "when John ignored me just now- I am surprised but not angry".and they might take it further and say "now do it as if it hasn't happened yet, but you think John might be about to ignore you.
Then you say "I feel like John's been acting strange toward me for a while and that he's going to ignore me today. But I wont be mad"
They will use what they need of the above sentence- making an image out of you that you never intended. Suddenly you have beef with John.
They've manipulated what you wanted to say so much- and changing tense and restating their question is actually a really dizzying and confusing trick to the contestant- Its hard to maintain your original point/position.
totally real!
as real as WWF! Santa and easter bunny!