To think reality shows of the early 2000s have not aged well! Doing a rewatch

334 replies

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 08:35

So far I’ve watched
Playing it Straight (the homophobia is rife!)
Fat Families (just horrific, ‘lard busting’ and shaming overweight kids)
Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (did the producers never want to intervene with what is essentially child abuse?)

OP posts:

MyUmberSeal · 30/05/2025 08:42

They were all programmes/series of their time. Same as anything, we can’t judge the past with the values of today. Context is everything.

The passage of time can be distorting. I still love watching old shows. I was watching ‘Secret Eaters’ yesterday. Would never be made now but it’s bloody brilliant.

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 08:42

And don't get me started on the love island/towie/chelsea reality stars !

Original poster

Imcomingovertoyourplace · 30/05/2025 08:42

@Cordroyyou should find them on YouTube if you have the inclination. The first show has the premise of a single girl in a ranch in Mexico has to choose a potential partner, but half the men are straight and half are gay.
Cue lots of comments from the men such as ‘he wore a pink shirt’ ‘he had a big tub of Vaseline in his soap bag’ etc

OP posts:

DancingDucks · 30/05/2025 08:41

I don't think they're much better now, they just use different terminology.

Coffeeishot · 30/05/2025 08:40

I remember fat families one of the families had a bit of "fame" for a while,
I follow an American comedian and he re watches some of the old MTV reality programmes they were wild!

I don't think they were any better or worse than today's reality nonsense I mean there was 1 recently called virgin island !

Hoardasurass · 30/05/2025 08:40

They were bad trash tv then and still are now. Tbh all reality tv is shit and none of it ages well and the crap on our screens now will have someone making the same comments about it in 25 years that you are now about the crap from 25 years ago

StepawayfromtheLindors · 30/05/2025 08:40

Reality shows from 2025 are pretty shocking. The genre is basically a modern form of a voyeuristic freak show. Never a comfortable watch.

Olderbeforemytime · 30/05/2025 08:38

My big fat gypsy wedding was very conterversial at the time. Was benifits street out at the same time?

Cordroy · 30/05/2025 08:37

I’ve got no recollection at all of the first 2

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