Reality shows: Exploitation as the main attraction?
Written by Ardela Nabila | Read in Indonesian
Who doesn't know Kim Kardashian, Harry Styles, or even Emma Stone? They are some of the global celebrities whose popularity skyrocketed from a reality show.
Kim Kardashian, whose net worth reaches $1.2 billion or around Rp.17.6 trillion, gained international fame through the iconic reality show that showcases her personal life, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" which aired in 2007-2021.
British singer Harry Styles, member of the famous boy group One Direction alongside Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne, gained popularity after stealing Simon Cowell's heart on the talent show "The X Factor" back in 2010.
Emma Stone, who starred in the popular films "The Amazing Spider-Man", "La La Land" and "Cruella", first appeared on a reality show before gaining success and starring in more than 30 films. She made her small-screen debut in the programme "The New Partridge Family" in 2004.
There are many other world-renowned talents who gained fame after appearing on reality shows. Or even Indonesia’s own local talents such as Putri Ariani who recently received a Golden Buzzer on “America’s Got Talent”.
It is indisputable that reality shows have been one of the favourite television show genres. The digital era in which most people switch to streaming platforms has given birth to more reality programmes with a more specific segmentation.
On the streaming platform Netflix, for example, reality shows with a dating concept such as "Single's Inferno", "Perfect Match" and "Love Is Blind" topped the most popular programme list. There is also "Physical: 100" which carries the concept of competition.
In Indonesia, franchise reality shows, such as "Indonesia's Next Top Model", "MasterChef Indonesia" and "Indonesian Idol", become audience favourites on television every season.
The diverse types of reality shows that come in various formats will certainly provide endless discussion. However, despite the various themes, all of them have one similarity, namely the presence of contestants as the main draw.
Participants as the main key to the success of reality shows
Just as the name suggests, reality shows are programmes that have no script and are based on reality. However, in reality, the production team will still give specific instructions to the participants before filming begins.
In addition, because the participants or contestants are the most important element in this genre (besides of course the theme and concept), the production team is more selective in choosing them–it is the participants that will determine the flow of the programme and affect the rating.
"Actually, (reality shows) don't have a script, but usually we have a briefing beforehand to explain some things, such as how to play it (if it's a game reality show) or what can and can't be done. We just follow the flow as (shown) on TV," said Fina (a pseudonym), a production assistant in a reality show programme at a private TV station.
Sophie, a fan of reality shows, explained how the guest stars or participants are the main factors that she considers before watching a new reality show.
“What makes reality shows interesting to watch is usually the guest stars. If, for example, you like them, you will definitely watch the show, apart from whether the concept is good or not," she said.
She also listed other aspects that make her follow the programme, "If I like the participants, and the concept is also good, surely I will continue to watch every new episode without considering the guest stars."
When selecting participants, said Fina, each programme has several criteria that are used as a benchmark by the production team. Not only appearance, the participant's personality is also an important element to consider.
"In choosing contestants, there are also specific criteria, apart from looks which will definitely be taken into consideration. For example, are they fun or exciting? Do they have an interesting or inspiring story to tell?” she explained.
This dependence on participants is the reason why some reality show producers choose contestants or guest stars who can bring drama and controversy in order to attract the audience and increase the rating of the show.
Those who have watched a lot of similar shows or fans of reality shows would be aware of how most of the shows are often spiced up by conflict between the contestants.
Apart from the participants, one format that is often used and can be found in popular reality shows is a combination of interviews between the cast and producer, which are then cut in the editing process to create a certain narrative, as if there was a dispute between the contestants, even though the real incident was completely different.
This practice is widely known as evil editing–an editing process that is deliberately done to paint a certain party in a bad light. This term is used a lot in reality competition shows.
One example of evil editing, which infuriated many earlier this year, was the programme “Boys Planet” aired on the South Korean television channel Mnet. The programme received backlash from audiences around the world for a dramatic cut of a contestant which caused a negative narrative for him.
On the other hand, content quality remains a consideration for the audience
However, because of the broad spectrum, drama exploitation or evil editing is less relevant for some categories of reality shows. Fina said that in Indonesia, most reality show audiences prefer programmes that stick to their main concept.
We can conclude that apart from the guest stars and the conflicts, the overall concept of the programme is still the audience’s main focus when watching these unscripted television shows.
"So far, from what we can see on social media, based on the programmes that I participated in, the general audience in Indonesia prefers reality shows that focus on the concept rather than the personal conflicts of the participants," Fina explained.
In the end, the production team must focus on presenting a fresh and unique concept in order to compete with similar programmes and attract more people to watch the show.
Instead of exploiting the participants, Fina emphasised that in creating a reality show, the most important formula for the production team is how to give the programme an attractive concept.
"So we (the production team) have to find many ways to make the audience interested (to watch). For example, if the reality show is about games, we can focus on offering a broad range and attractive prizes, as well as choosing games that are fun and liked by the audience," she continued.
Sophie echoed, "Actually it depends on the drama, because foreign reality shows like South Korea’s are usually more exciting because they stay true to the concept. But for Indonesian reality shows, I prefer those that stick to the concept rather than having a lot of drama or conflict."
Vescha, a fan of the South Korean reality show "House of Wheels", listed another element that influenced her interest in a reality show, namely whether the programme matches her interests.
“I like and am easily attracted to reality shows that suit my interests. For example, reality shows about food, cooking, or recipes. Guest stars are also influential, especially when my favourite stars appear on the show," Vescha said.
In the end, everything depends on whether the overall concept of the show suits the audience’s interests and the contestants, rather than the conflict. This is evident from the large number of viewers who reproached the evil editing on "Boys Planet".