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

[Imcomingovertoyourplace]

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?)

I need to watch this 😂

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.

☺️ Well noted!

Was that 'Faking it'.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

It was, yes sashh - we identified it upthread and I added one of my favourites

I think it’s because the production execs themselves live in these counties. The premise of this series is that Yorkshire or Essex or Liverpool or wherever need “educating”. By omission from the series, other counties don’t.

Dated, regressive, negative stereotyping of different parts of the UK.

I thought they'd removed all trace of it, but turns out it's on YouTube!

1

Most shows were just fake with paid actors or just randoms that would take part for a bit of cash.
Scam city / gypsy weddings / freaky eaters/ you are what you eat was some and many many more.

Many people watching it today would have the exact same reactions, it's just the official, broadcastable opinions that have changed. Travellers, professional benefits claimants, very camp gays - still being judged by many, just not out loud in public.
Love Island cones across as even more morally dubious, but I'm probably just a prude.

I was going to mention that. One of the great article beginnings ever:

"Gillian McKeith, or to give her full medical title, Gillian McKeith, . . . "

haha I was too young to watch Big Brother was that series but somehow knew of ‘nasty nick’ and that he was evil and did terrible things. I heard him mentioned years and years later and it occurred to me that I didn’t actually know what the evil things were, looked him up and was like ‘is that it 🫤’

I remember one episode of Secret Eaters where a man was eating double cream on his cereal every day. He genuinely didn't realise it had more calories than milk and thought it was a healthy choice. He was pretty devastated by the revelation - probably one of the only really useful interventions on the show!

America's Next Top Model is wild! Tyra is kind of a bitch 😂

yep very sad

I absolutely loved that show. Tyra was a brute with the contestants, but that’s what made it so bloody good 🤣.

@MyUmberSealand the plus size models who were about a size 10

And the woman who ate salad for every meal but added half a jar of mayonnaise to each one. They told her she was having more calories then if she had eaten a full curry. She absolutely would not accept it

The first series of Big Brother was fascinating and brilliant tv. Series was 2 was also quite good, then it started to go rapidly downhill once people saw it as an 'easy' route to fame.

Yes! And do you remember that weird ‘wrap dress over wide leg trousers’ style they also forced on just about everyone? It was hard to watch at times, women in floods of tears because they were just so forceful.