Why are reality shows so popular? They’re supposedly real, right? According to some, the answer is clear and simple: it’s because people love the drama. But others argue that what you see on TV isn’t really reality—it’s more like fake, faked-up drama mixed with real-life situations and people who aren’t aware they’re being filmed. Here are eight popular reality shows that were clearly faked—and why they lied to you!
Love Is Blind
During an episode of Love Is Blind, the amount of food on Sal and Mallory’s plates was in constant flux, revealing how much of the show’s narrative is pieced together during editing.
It is for this reason that the show uses those signature gold cups for drinks. There is no way to see how much liquid is in them, which helps maintaining continuity. As the editors crafted the lines and reactions they needed, people’s glasses would magically refill. And as anyone who has ever been on a reality show can tell you, cast members’ needs are catered to by production staff at all times. But sometimes they get carried away with this task!
Bling Ring
The Real Bling Ring, a Netflix documentary: Hollywood Heist about the “Bling Ring,” the cops showing up at Alexis Neiers’ house on Pretty Wild was fake.
When cops showed up to Alexis Neiers’ house on Pretty Wild they didn’t knock on her front door they went through a back entrance to sneak up on her. Alexis said she knew something was up when she heard dogs barking and spotted people behind her windows. It turns out those details are all because of Hollywood magic – scenes where cops go through doors and sneak around in houses rarely happen in real life. Most would just ring the doorbell!
Kardashians
In an early season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, there is a storyline about Kris Jenner hiring a nanny who sunbathes topless and behaves unprofessionally. However, the thing is Contrary to what some people think, the nanny on Modern Family isn’t a babysitter–she’s actually porn star Bree Olson. Bree got her role on the show because of her talent agent.
The Kardashians are one of the most popular reality shows in existence. This has been true since its release, but even more so after its transition from Kourtney and Kim Take New York to Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami as it helped solidify a core cast of characters. The popularity of these shows has led to numerous spinoffs featuring other people in their family. This is particularly true for both Rob Kardashian and his model girlfriend Emily Ratajkowski. The pair have become very famous online thanks to their social media presence and modelling work, so it’s no surprise that Rob Kardashian became one of the biggest stories coming out of Keeping Up With The Kardashians last year.
Jersey Shore
On the sixth season of Jersey Shore, Nicole Snooki Polizzi’s clothes alternated between being see-through and see-through.
The edits were never consistent enough to prove anything, but there were just too many see-through moments and bad edits for them to be completely real. They had to have been done for a reason – just not necessarily for what we watch. Details don’t lie and they’re all over this show: while some details prove reality, others prove reality is fake.
The Hills
Heideen Pratt claims her job with Bolthouse made up for The Hills, so the storyline about her being fired was also false.
Also of interest is Lauren Conrad’s rumored relationship with Spencer Pratt. It turns out that there were no feelings between them at all and Spencer was simply a good actor when it came to misleading others and fake flirting. This makes sense given Lauren Conrad admitted she’s never been in love. She did claim that Kile Golisano bought her engagement ring before they broke up, but while they were together she never wore it.
Deal or No Deal
Many game shows that use a live audience like Deal or No Deal hire paid members to fill in the crowd. You can find these gigs listed on casting sites.
It’s no secret that reality TV is staged. Whether it’s part of an overarching storyline like The Hills or Big Brother, or if they want to make a specific situation more dramatic like on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. While these shows might be entertaining and even life-changing for participants, many viewers are shocked when they realize what’s real versus what isn’t! Here are eight reality shows that prove that not everything is as real as it seems.
Next
And I also think back to MTV’s Next series with their collection of fun facts for contestants? For what it’s worth, some former contestants have accused the show of scripting lines for them.
There are some people who think shows such as World’s Funniest Videos or America’s Funniest Home Videos were also scripted and fake. In fact, one of America’s Funniest Home Videos’ former directors of development actually sued Fox Entertainment Group in 2005 claiming he was fired after expressing concerns about whether videos were being staged. Whatever you believe is true about these reality shows, there is no denying that these types of reality TV series are hugely popular among audiences and continue to deliver big ratings for networks that broadcast them. And I’m guessing it doesn’t matter if they’re fake so long as they’re fun to watch!
Middle of Nowhere
In Naked and Afraid, the survivalists are given medicine (as well as food and water). In the same interview, the contestant also claimed they could hear music from a block party from their “middle of nowhere” location.
The middle of nowhere that they are referring to is a beautiful and clear tropical beach, located just a half mile away from downtown Los Angeles. In addition to Naked and Afraid’s middle of nowhere, many other reality shows also produce scenes in which it appears as if their contestants are miles away when they aren’t. One show in particular is NBC’s singing competition The Voice. In one scene from season 6, you can see multiple TV crews and camera equipment during a blind audition.
