The Traitors: showing how easily people can be led

[pattihews]

Possibly a bit lowbrow for the thinking women of FWR, but is anyone else watching The Traitors? I've just finished watching episode 2.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0db9c0q/the-traitors-series-1-episode-1

I don't usually watch this sort of thing, but I got drawn into it last night. It's interesting to see how easily people can be manipulated: how with a couple of whispered comments someone can be scapegoated and no one sees it happening or calls foul.

A useful reminder of how easily swayed people can be. How so many think they're making independent decisions when, as one of the contestants said tonight, it's herd mentality. We often ask how gender ideology got a hold and how and why people unquestioningly go along with it and this shows how it happens.

I haven’t watched it but just seen someone I know say how good it is. Might look into it later.

I always assume that something like this is scripted from start to finish.

Fascinating isn't it.

<Possible SPOILER alert>

After the first time they recognised what they had done and said 'we musn't do that again' but then they did do the same thing again.

Yes, I just watched the third episode — and they keep doing it, don't they? Shows how difficult and dangerous it is to step away from the herd and express an independent pov.

In episode 2 it didn't seem to occur to any of them, when deliberating on whom to exclude, that the people they picked on because they didn't seem to fit in were a black woman (Fay), a black man (Imran) and a disabled person (Nicky). I was waiting for someone to step in to ask whether they thought prejudice might be at play, but no one did.

I thought exactly the same.

They don't seem to be thinking about what traits the 'Traitor' would have or how they might keep themselves hidden, they are just going for people who they see as outside of their core groups.

I wonder if we’ll see people get a lot more ruthless? So far they’re voting as a group to avoid upsetting anyone that might be a ally.

Laughed at Aaron going full on snowflake when a few people voted for him.

Low brow?! I consider it the opposite! A fascinating psychological experiment to watch.

I thought it interesting that the two guys that struck a chord as the 'nice' guys trying to defer to others were eliminated straight away.

Then the first to be murdered like many many reality shows - the black woman. She was dispensable.

It really does play to stereotypes with the small woman flying under the radar and the older woman thought of an incapable. And they aren't perceived as a threat.

Equally look at who is considered a threat.

It says a lot about heirachies in society and fundamental beliefs.

However one thing I will note is the willingness to trust others as default position. That's heartening in some ways.

That will collapse as the series goes on.

And I think that the sense of betrayal will be matched by a sense of embarrassment at getting caught out. I think as it gets nastier those perceived as less of a threat will get harsher judgments. (Remembering they can recruit new traitors later on in the series).

I also think it's interesting to see how many people want to smash out the box of underdog to prove there was more to them.

Watching avidly here. And yes less of the low brow shite!!!

Am loving it. Fascinating people see others

I fin this series incredible! Watched the third one last night and can’t wait until the next.

my only question though is how have people today got so emotional? Grown men bawling, claws out, everyone falling apart. I don’t like imran as he is stand offish, but at least he has some dignity. It’s a game ffs.

It's great TV, but don't forget we the viewers are being manipulated too.

All these overly histrionic reactions make for fabulous drama. But at its heart the programme is telling us greed is good, eventually even the Traitors will realise that if they turn on each other they will get more of the money.

Remember the lovely Doctor bloke who walked the oldest contestant right to the top of the ambition ladder at the beginning? And as a thank you got sent out straightaway? "There's no room for nice guys here" is the message.

Which is actually profoundly bleak to me.

Still loving it though.

Oh and. We the viewers get the 'piece to camera' insights where (we assume) they are actually being honest.

Especially when they talk about what they would do with the money. Bionic hand lady might not have been sent home so quickly if the other contestants had known how she planned to spend the money

For those who want to talk about this as TV or about the personalities or the details, there's a thread in Telly Addicts:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/telly_addicts/4688179-the-traitors-bbc1?page=5

I posted on here specifically because I thought it gave some insight into how terrifying it is to be part of a group where saying what you think can be dangerous. I also thought that for the last 30 years education had been about being kind and tolerant and trying to overcome prejudice and yet the first person they murdered was a black woman, followed by a lot of negativity towards Fay and Imran and a lot of ageism. I'd hoped Gen Z would be more aware, but apparently not.

Relevant here, I think, because it was about sex and male privilege, is the behaviour of the doctor at the opening gathering. He can't possibly have believed that a woman in her 70s had more chance of winning than he did. He marched her to the winners' end without her consent (so patronising) and then took his place at the losers' end as a virtue signalling humble brag. She was in the classic female position of having to just laugh it off because there were cameras and people watching and she'd been manipulated into a position where it would have seemed rude to object. It was an abusive, 'I'm a man and I know better than you, my dear' moment. I'm glad he was punished for it.

Is that among us as a tv show?

Very manipulative show, for both contestants and viewers. Just goes to show how humans really are.

If you want a definition to 'unconscious bias' there you have it.

@MrGHardy that's what my 9 year old daughter said, the show is basically real life Among Us

Having watched E1 for the first time last night after watching all the other episodes on transmission it struck me that the thing with Amos and Kieran walking to the end of the line was either set up, and they knew they'd be back in a couple of days, or was straightforward male privilege and arrogance - "of course I'll go to the end. I am so obviously a winner I can do this without anyone truly believing I think I'm a loser".

I've watched this and am really enjoying it. I'm not a reality show fan but am agog at this.

They don't seem to see how they've all picked on the black people first.

There's so much I could say about it.

Most of them are pretty thick but Alex is very smart. Her psychology degree is showing.

It's funny that they chose an older woman and a very young woman. I'm pretty sure they know how invisible both can be.

I’m utterly full of cold and intended going to bed with 5 hotwater bottles but WiFi is shite upstairs.
Did you know Maddie is an Actor? The reaction was underwhelming. (Schadenfreude for the pan hair clips)
Amanda is playing her hand well, just has to watch out for Macheivallan (sp) Will.

Meryl made a tiktok about conditions, and I read the transcription. I can't remember where it was now, sorry.

Anyway, she said they had Sundays off and all they did on Sundays was sleep. She said during the game time they don't sleep much because of trvaelling back and forth to the castle, being brought back if they get the note, lying awake in case they're chosen, and having to stay up till midnight.

So no wonder they were all going a bit crazy by the time Amos and Keiren rejoined them, presumably having had four nights of good sleep and relaxing days. Unlike the contestants who had been in since the beginning.

@pattihews
You only need to consider religion and how much devotion people believe in, it as if it was all gospel.

with religion if it's there cuppa tea so to speak, then it's there game, but it shows how people can be led.

Am hooked on this. Amanda is...

SOUNDS INTERESTIN

Amanda is scary.

I don't usually watch these programmes and agree that it does indeed show how easily people can be manipulated.
In reality though they are being asked to make the 'round table' decisions in very short time frames on next to no data/information.
I would not want to watch a second series as the activities are beyond ridiculous and seeing how the psychology plays out is likely only interesting to watch the once.