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

No, they were women who a realistic chance of being a model. The woman I am thinking of was being exploited by the TV company because it was obvious she had no chance. But to be fair, the motivation was coming from her, which made it sadder.

Death of a Reality Star. Just found it. It can be watched on Channel 4 online.

it hasnt got much better people are just fame hungry now at least back then like on big brother it felt more real

anyhone remember something about miryam that was so exploitative-they got sued aswell

I agree with @Imcomingovertoyourplace and @WitchHag that reality shows often seem to exploit vulnerable people, including many with mental health problems, for entertainment. But can they be useful for using the power of real life stories to educate us about social issues / parenting/ nutrition with stronger oversight of program makers, or is it inevitable people will be exposed?

As an example of educational benefit, the person in my family who introduced me to Educating Yorkshire was inspired by that program and has gone on to train as a teacher, choosing to work in a tough school. Of course, they might have done that anyway, but that program made them think more about the effect a good teacher can have.

But then, there's the issue of whether young people always have the maturity and self-awareness to meaningfully consent.

Tbh nothing “ages well” if we look at it through the lens of today. Views, morals, language, humour, beliefs change over time. Humans have this tendency to believe that their current way of the world is the correct one. But in the future people will look back on today with the same kind of horror. People in the past would probably laugh at us tapping into our phones, talking to friends via social media media, getting preoccupied with happenings half way round the world that’s got nothing to do with us. They’d laugh at us injecting poisons into our face. Getting on tin cans to get from a to b. The about of time we stare at boxes with flashing lights.

Separately reality tv is shit, always has been shit and watched by the brainless.

Was that 'Faking it'.

☺️ Well noted!

The "historical reality" shows Victorian Farm/Edwardian Farm are still an enjoyable watch. Clumper the Shire horse was a star.

There is a 1960s BBC TV play called Year of the Sex Olympics (available via the BFI on DVD). It basically predicts everything about reality TV and the public appetite for more extremes.

I need to watch this 😂

If you can find Space Cadets, that's a great/awful example of the genre.

They selected participants for gullibility, and persuaded them that they were going on a space mission. When all the time they were in a module on earth.

Do you not mean bearded lady?

Does anyone remember the channel 4 show called Shattered? It was a game show from around 2004 and the contestants had to stay awake as long as possible. It was really interesting and was won by a girl who stayed awake for like a week!

I guess it’s all about the drama and there has to be a ‘journey’. Nothing to do with authentic talent unfortunately.

A guy dd went to school with auditioned for x factor a few times I think they could audition at 15 at the time, anyway he's a brilliant singer and never got through, he was just an ordinary looking lad with no backstory

Supersize v superskinny did that... side by side tubes filled with what each ate!

How did the gay fellas on the show handle the comments. I wouldn't be outraged for other people if they took it in good humour. It's wasted energy if they all had a good laugh and your sat their outraged 😡

She probably didn't have the personality required for the kind of entertainment they were looking for and that's a compliment.

They generally screened out all the people who were OK but nothing special. They left in some genuinely good singers with characters and back stories to work with, some inconsistent ones who might dazzle or fuck up for good tension and, of course, absolutely godawful ones (many clearly neurodiverse or with learning disabilities) who thought, as they'd got through, that it meant they were good.

‘Make me a Supermodel’?

I had a friend with the most amazing voice who didn’t even get past the very first bit. It was proof that those who were awful were out in front of the judges deliberately to humiliate. Some were clearly neurodiverse. I stopped watching it as it was not fun viewing.

Well I think some of them did learn that they wouldn't explode after one big meal of fish and chips or starve to death after skipping one meal.

But obviously, the point was not to educate the competitors, but to entertain the viewers, which it did very well and is still popular on YouTube.

They were pitted against each other as if Supersize could somehow get Superskinny to be a bit less uptight and more joyful about food and Superskinny could teach Supersize something about moderation. They were both disordered and had nothing to teach each other.

1996 - 2004! That brings back memories. Do you remember another morning series around the same time - it was about a group of people ‘up cycling’ ,I guess it would be called now, doing up bits of furniture that guests brought in. I enjoyed that show, no sneering just interesting little jobs.

Is Geordie shore still on ? I tried watching the first series but it was too much !

Now I have never watched it so could be wrong but I am under the impression that love island encourages people to basically hook up and dtd on tv. If that is right that’s just as bad. They have been watching one on gogglebox about people losing their virginity, there is naked attraction. So there is still a lot that is just as bad imo.

" I did see that show a couple of times and the thin people ate just as badly in a different way. Neither person had anything to teach the other."

That was the point. The thin people weren't just thin, they were superskinny and underweight.