Let’s face it: we all love reality television. There’s a reason you can always find some reality shows on one channel or another, regardless of the hour. From the vaguely educational, like Fixer Upper, to the purely entertaining, like The Amazing Race, audiences can’t get enough of their favorite reality shows. But their name begs the question: just how close to reality are our favorite “reality shows?”
The truth is, some reality shows are more honest than others, and some are flat out fake. So join us as we dive behind-the-scenes of your favorite reality shows, from Top Chef to Pawn Stars, to see if what you see is real. We’re sure the answers will surprise you…
1. Big Brother
Big Brother‘s premise is simple: sixteen competitors must live in a house together, compete in challenges, and each week vote a houseguest off. Within a few episodes, cabin fever always flares up, and drama ensues. One of the first reality shows to really hit it big, the show is now in its 21st season. Impressive, to say the least.
A fan-favorite feature of Big Brother is the “diary room” where house guests speak directly to a camera in a soundproof room. They can say whatever they want, without repercussions from fellow competitors. Or, better put, they can say it exactly how the producers want. Former winner Jun Song wrote that “most of the time you’re seeing ‘rehearsed’ lines because the first time the [houseguest] said something original in the diary room, it probably wasn’t a perfect thought. And so the diary room may ask the [houseguest] to repeat what they said in an exact way.”
