19 Facts You Didn't Want To Know About Reality TV
No matter how much we say we know reality TV is fake, there is always a sigh of disappoinment when we find out something isn't true. We know the majority of it is fake. We know not all the relationships are real. But when we get concrete proof of it's falseness it is always surprising. I know you don't want to look and I know you can't look away either, so, it's your call. Here are the 19 Facts You Didn't Want To Know About Reality TV
1) They Don't Get Paid As Much As You Think
The TOWIE cast started off with £50 a day for filming and most reality stars barely get that for the day. Their main earnings don't come from the show it is from magazine deals, clothing lines and product placement. Reality TV stars, unless your Lauren Conrad, didn't earn a lot from the show itself. TOWIE stars also signed contracts after the first season saying that once they leave the show, for the first four months, they will give 15% of their earnings to the show. The reason for this is because the show made them famous. What an odd thing to agree on.
2) Editing Is The Dream Tool
Editing makes all reality TV shows. The producers edit interviews, conversations and VT's to make them sound bitchier. So, those awkward pauses in Made In Chelsea might not actually take place. They can even make someone say something they never said by piecing different footage together.
3) Producers Make Final Decisions On Eliminations
On shows like Survivor, Americas Next Top Model and The X Factor, judges don't make the final decision. If they want to eliminate someone the producers like they will stay in. The producers might say they would be good entertainment or good for the show.
4) DIY Shows Don't Take Only 1 hour
When DIY shows have time limits, like 1 hour or 30 minutes, they never are completed in that time. Some could take up to two weeks and are created by professional interior designers.
5) Fake Relationships
Most reality TV relationships are fake. The Hills was notorious for this. Kristin Cavallari has admitted in many interviews after the show about how all the relationships were fake. Have a look for yourself...
6) Weaknesses
Producers often only hire flawed people for their shows. They would want people to talk about their weaknesses in their interviews so they would have a story to build on.
7) Celebrities Scheme Too
On any celebrity related reality shows, like Celebrity Apprentice, many stars make alliances and plans with other contestants before they start filming. But, they usually break these pacts before or during filming.
8) Extensive Background Checks
The producers call the contestants, or cast members, friends, family, do STD and drug tests and carry out extensive psycho analysis'. They know virtually everything about you before the show starts filming, so, they can be manipulating and tactile with their direction towards you.
9) Many House Hunting Shows Are All Lies
House hunting shows generally are completely staged. The houses might not even be on the market, and they are just borrowing them from your friends, or they may have even already bought one.
10) Personality Change
Nice people can play villains and vice versa. Cast members will agree how they will act with producers before they start filming. They may even tell them to act rude and then they will bring them back next year for the new series.
11) On Camera Interviews
When people leave the Big Brother house or are in the diary room in there, the on camera interview is often manipulated. They will tell you information you never knew to catch you off guard or trick you into thinking in a different way.
12) Low Budgets
If a reality TV show is filming on the streets or in a park, you can assume they virtually have no budget. Anywhere in public where you don't have to pay for filming is a dead giveaway. Some producers might even use their own houses to cut down costs.
13) Food Shows Are Often Scripted
Shows such a Cake Boss are often very scripted. Contestants get the ingredients they have to use weeks in advance. For restaurant improvement type shows, they usually go out of business a month after the show airs.
14) Talent Show Contestants Have Had Three Previous Auditions
Shows like The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and The Voice, make it out like this is the contestant's first ever audition. They have already had three previous auditions with producers before the live one. Ever wondered why some contestants are so shocked when the judges say they can't sing? That's why.
15) Lighting Makes Surprise Moments Impossible
A surprise proposal or a surprise break up is pretty much impossible. Lighting is extremely important for filming, so, there has to be many takes and many angles taken. They know exactly what is happening after the first take.
16) Ghosthunting Shows Are Often Fake
There is no ghosts just supremely good actors. I had hope in them too but apparently you would be mad to think they're real. Most are scripted with extremely good sound effects.
17) Oprah's Free Prizes Aren't Always Free
When Oprah gave away 276 brand new $28,500 cars it wasn't as simple as it sounds. Oprah claims her giveaways as prizes rather than gifts. This means contestants have to pay taxes on their prize. These cars saw contestants having to pay $7,000 upfront for a car they never asked for or never really wanted.
18) Dramatic Phone Calls Are Fake
Whenever there is a phone call on a reality TV show, the chances are, they are completely fake. Each cast member might fake one side of the phone call. In The Hills, when Spencer called up Lauren to say sorry for everything he did, Lauren never received that call. It was the producers way of settling a rift between them that would never normally be settled.
19) Promised Prizes
America's Got Talent promises to give the winning contestant $1,000,000. When in reality they get $1,000,000 separated over 40 years. What an utter disappointment.
But remember some reality TV shows are actually real...because there is no way they would say these things if they knew the consequences...
