Traitors is a negative influence on society

[Listenup99]

The TV show Traitors is an example of society breaking down not just a bit of fun entertainment. It glorifies and rewards deceitful behaviour. I can’t actually believe so many people watch it and encourage their kids to watch it as if it is a good thing.

Something it has made me realise is how very very hard it is to tell if someone's lying. Faithful have displayed every behaviour from being too guarded to being too expressive, weeping, overcompensating, being withdrawn, being dramatic, and been voted off because people see the behaviour as suspicious, but they were telling the truth. Even a big performative action in front of everyone, which has generally been the reserve of Traitors, became a Faithful move this series.

It's also good to be vindicated as someone who has spent her life thinking that gut instincts are overrated and has very few herself!

I don't know how much longer it's got to go, tbh. The metagaming will probably bring it down now that it's been done so many times, people now expect Traitors to betray each other and so on.

I haven’t watched it because I’ve always felt really uncomfortable with shows where people lie to win. Someone up thread mentioned Goldenballs. It was always on in my mum’s when I visited and I hated the lying. Even though I was aware that all the contestants knew why they were there, it took me a stupidly long time to get over someone being so lovely and plausible, then turning out to be a rat. I realise that these shows probably aren’t for me🤣 I don’t think the shows are bad for society though as most people can enjoy the ride and get involved in the drama without ruminating on human nature. Unfortunately I can’t. Also, I realise this is controversial on here, but I’m not a fan of Claudia Winkleman. Her mum is fab though!

You know they are not really killing them right?

Wink murder, Cluedo and murder mystery evenings have been around for decades. The only difference is that this is televised.

And Claudia is a national treasure.

So glad someone else sees it the way I do.

I banned it once DH started walking round in a cloak.

Never ever read or watch an Agatha Christie! The horror, the horror! 😱

No that I really take issue with. The only bit of Eastenders I’ve seen was revolting. Rude people being horrible to each other.

Traitors is so samey and boring really. BUT the good thing it shows my kids is that you really can’t believe what people tell you. Actions count

Forgot Monopoly, and crazy 8. All of these games teaching that by sheer luck, you can lose everything is truly horrid. 🙄

I love Claudia, the setting is gorgeous, the cloaks are lovely, but the show itself is BORING.

If you want proper betrayal (ideally with cloaks, I suggest Verdi (start with Rigoletto), or as a pp suggested, Agatha Christie.

If you want wholesome telly, there's always the Pottery Throwdown!

Another take: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/jan/15/why-older-women-reign-supreme-the-traitors?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

😂😂😂😂😂

You’re revealing YOUR reaction to it OP. What does it say about you that celebrating duplicity is what you get from it?

For many of us it provides fascinating insight into group dynamics, why people trust and esteem some people but not others and how this relates to people’s trustworthiness. It doesn’t relate well at all, which is fascinating. There are lessons for life there.

Plus it’s a light but beautifully wintery entertainment to carry us cosily through the darkest nights.

The ‘did you watch…’ mass experience is a really charming throwback to communal televisual experience of decades past.

We've had some really lovely discussions around traitors. Had a chat about unconscious bias and how it affects voting, how some of the best faithfuls aren't being listened to and it's possibly due to class biases. How the faithfuls are losing because they aren't working as a team and are wasting their energy being petty instead of looking at the facts. Oh my lord they are the worst faithfuls ever 😂

I listened to a “rest of entertainment” podcast and they said one of the successes of the show was its ability to hook across the generations. I love having a show I can watch with my kids.

Plus Stephen’s face kills me.

I think it helps that the tone is so ridiculously camp and OTT. The Aussie version was so serious, there was no wink to the audience or joking in the production and presentation. It's pitched perfectly, partiy thanks to Claudia too. You get into it while you're watching and get genuinely frustrated or pleased or whatever and get swept up in the drama, but then it's over and like the players, you come out of it.

And you do know most people want the Faithful to win, to discover and eject the deceptive ones? (Well usually).

They're not. Try the Aussie S2. I had to stop watching. Terrible ending too, predictable, pointless and unpleasant to watch. No wonder it got canned over there.

The Apprentice was incredibly popular in the US and in the UK. With its bullying and self aggrandising boss it seemed like an over the top bit of fun but it gave the world Donald Trump.

Did you think Trainspotting glorified heroin use OP?

It’s a game. You know, like Wink Murder and no-one really dies in that, in case you thought they did.

So shit that you’ve watched almost until the end.

or alternatively, you just watched last night’s episode, in which case it’s no wonder you didn’t get it.

I’m going to put my hard hat on here and say I kind of agree with you.

I wouldn’t say that It’s an influence as such just like much of what passes for entertainment these days a lowering of the bar for society generally.

Happy to admit I’m no fun at parties!

I also like that I can watch this with my dd.

I enjoy it (although sometimes find the missions dull) and love Claudia and her wardrobe.

I think the most harmful thing about it is the bias (unconscious or not) in voting out people of colour and older people. I wonder if the traitors weren't white whether they'd last as long. And if Harriet and Amanda were young whether they'd still be in. (Then again I think Harriet and Amanda went a bit rogue and didn't help themselves).

There's no end to the examples that can be put to the OP to illustrate how ridiculous this stance is!

They seem to have disappeared now though. Maybe they are binge watching The Traitors & have got hooked.... 😂

I think the same op but most people seem to love it 🤷‍♀️