1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: Oh, welcome to Behind the Bastards, the only podcast with 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: the personality of a staff infection. No, no, no, that's 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: just me, Robert. We're reading a one star review from 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: it two. You're just an annoying lips smacker who needs 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: to do better. I mean, look, who for one thing 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: is it bad? Is a staff infection bad? There's upsides 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: to staff infections. You get time off of work, photographs, 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: you have to if you die, deal with a lot 9 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: less bullshit on Twitter. You know, so again. Staff in 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: affections are really mixed bag. There's positive sides. Honestly, so 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: fucking funny, and I have no idea what it means that. 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: I'm like, not even mad. It's extreme. It's yeah, it's clever. 13 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: It's fun to get roasted like that where you're like, yeah, 14 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: that's very funny. We're like, I'm not quite sure what 15 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: you mean, but you're you're not wrong, right. It flows, 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: It's like words flow, and it's just it's like, yeah, 17 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: I like a good It's like it's like when you well, 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: I'm getting into dangerous territory here, but when you read 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: people being like super shitty on some level. Uh, from 20 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: like a hundred and fifty years ago, and it's like, well, 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: this is sexist or racist, but man, people could put 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: together sentences back then. That's not that's not a bad sentence, 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: you know, like it's it's horrible, but it's not a 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: bad sentence. People used to Yeah, the ship posts were 25 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: a lot more people put a lot more work into 26 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: their ship posts. It's like HP Lovecraft racism. Well, it's 27 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: like this is terrible, but man, quite quite quite quite 28 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: a phrase way to create an entire lure around your 29 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: racing exactly. That's that's so much more effort than people 30 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: put into it these days. Um, David Bell, that's me, 31 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: that's you. You know, you know, you know Dave of 32 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: you know, you know, you know, I don't know you know, 33 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: you know Dave. Okay, you know, I think I think 34 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: Dave is going to love this topic. I hope he does. Um, 35 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: I hope he loves it, and I hope you hate it. Sylvie, Okay, 36 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just an asshole. I'm a bad person, 37 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: just biting the hand that stops me from committing a 38 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: series of crimes that get us erased and arrested. In 39 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: our podcast Shutdown, Dave, how do you feel about reality TV. 40 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: Oh okay, um mixed feelings. Yeah, yeah, that's the right 41 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: way to feel. Yeah, I don't watch most of you. 42 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: I don't find it interesting, but I don't have anything 43 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: against it unless something horrible was done behind the scenes. 44 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: You know. It's like if if everybody, if there's consent 45 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: and everybody's cool, uh, then we're we're good. We're good. 46 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: I do like, I do like the occasional like British 47 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: bake off, but I wouldn't consider a share. I mean, 48 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: it is unscripted. But am I right in saying that 49 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: reality TV does have the personality of a staff infection? Yes, yes, yes, 50 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: where it's where it's gross and infectious, but also you 51 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: might get to take some time off of work, which 52 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: is to enjoy it. Yeah. So you know, I'm not 53 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: going to do this thing. This is going to be 54 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: kind of a loosey goosey episode. We're doing this right 55 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: after the kissing your episodes. Everybody's tired. I'm not going 56 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: to be one of these smarmi foxs who's just like 57 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: shipping on the concept of reality TV to seem smart. Right, 58 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: reality TV is broadly speak, it's junk food. You know, 59 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: it is not good for you. But that said, I 60 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: do shipload of things that are bad for me, and 61 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: I would also that it's not new. Game shows have 62 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: always existed. There's always entertainment, junk food, that fucking piece 63 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: of trash Mozart right, like his ship. Everyone knows he ship, 64 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: but like people like to enjoy ship and that's fine. Um, 65 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: I like the Bloodhound Gang, you know, like we're not nobody. 66 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: Nobody in this show is going to be like again, 67 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: there's nothing bad, or like, you're not dumb because some 68 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: of the smartest people I know like turn off from 69 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: like getting their PhD or whatever and like watch you know, 70 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: a bake off show or like Big Brother or some ship. 71 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: It's fine. Listen where we're done here. I will be 72 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 1: going online and ordering the the four K release of Moonfall. 73 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: I will be doing that, and I will watch the 74 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: special features. I mean, Dave, you've watched Ship with me. 75 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: One of my favorite things to put on is people 76 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: hurting themselves horribly while skiing or bass jumping, and I have. 77 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: I have since expanded to wingsuit crashes, some of which 78 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: the people diet of. There's some gnarly wing crash videos 79 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 1: if you look. That's the old pink missed. But oh yeah, yeah, 80 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: have you looked into um parkour? Parkour accidents are great 81 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 1: if you really want to be harrowed. Just type gun 82 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: fails into YouTube. There's some ship in there. Oh my god, 83 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: there's this video and just google and like type gun 84 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: there's some nasty There's a dude who like put a 85 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: bunch of tanner, right, which is this explosive. You shoot 86 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: it and it blows up on a fucking lawnmower and 87 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: shot at it close range and the blade cut his 88 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: leg off. Ship. So again, I'm saying this all not 89 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: to celebrate my own crapulence, but like, we all like 90 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: some stuff that's the entertainments of like junk food, right. Um, 91 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: So this isn't an episode about like trying to I'm 92 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: not trying to make the case that like reality TV 93 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: is bad and you should feel bad for watching it. 94 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: This is about the most fucked up things that have 95 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: ever happened within the broad umbrella of reality or what 96 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: you might call unscripted content. Um, there's not a particular 97 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: thesis here. I just spent a lot of time reading 98 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: about the worst things that have happened in reality TV, 99 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: and I decided to do a podcast None of You 100 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 1: Can Stop Mace deal with It. Will probably do another 101 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 1: episode in the future with more of these stories. Is exciting. Yeah, 102 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: before we start, I want to share my very favorite 103 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: reality television story, and this is a story about a 104 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: reality TV show I enjoyed. So when I was in Iraq, 105 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: this is like the second or the third, might have 106 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: been the fourth time. I forget exactly which time it was. Um, 107 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: but we're like, you know, when you're hanging out a 108 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 1: place like that, we're like going to refugee camps and 109 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: like frontline positions, and in order to get to both, 110 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: you have to spend time and like a bunch of 111 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: random living rooms because that's where everyone's like posted up 112 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: leader of these camps, these like different generals and ship. 113 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 1: They're all like hanging out in houses, and so while 114 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: you're waiting to get approval to go places, you're just 115 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,120 Speaker 1: like sitting in like usually an air conditioned living room 116 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: with the TV on and a bunch of guys with 117 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: their guns and phones out and ship. And one of 118 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: the times we were out there, this is the same 119 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: reality show kept going on. It came on in like 120 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: two or three different places, and I don't know what 121 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: the name of the show is. I have not brief 122 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: googling has not informed me of it. But the premise 123 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: was that there was this host who would like take 124 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: a rich guy out to the desert, like he would 125 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: They would be like driving a caravan and there would 126 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: be a contrived accident and like one of the cases 127 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: I remember, this guy is like in a little motor 128 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: cade and they get stuck in quicksand and his vehicle 129 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: sinks and he has to get out and he's like 130 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: on top of the vehicle and while that's happening, the 131 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: host dressed as a Komodo dragon comes out and attacks them. 132 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: Ship just fucking insane, Like I I don't know what 133 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: was like. I'm sure there's elements of this that I 134 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: was not grasping because there were no subtitles and I 135 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: do not speak Arabic um. But it was it some 136 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: of the wildest ship I've watched on TV. It was 137 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: so good. I don't know what's scarier, being attacked by 138 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: a Komodo dragon or a man dressed like one, because 139 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: they're both very pretty good costume. Yeah, oh my god, 140 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: it sounds like it's like Survivor man wild. I don't 141 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: know what the point was supposed to be, because on 142 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: all of them, people just like react the way you 143 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 1: would if you suck a photo dragon. Goddamn, Like where 144 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: we America can't talk, but we're like assimilated to our weirdness. 145 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: But it's kind of the same as when you watch 146 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: like the Japanese Brakes shows, Yeah, the Silent Library, where 147 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: it's like you have to be quite in a library 148 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: and they just like do funked up ship to you 149 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: and if you make a noise, you lose, and and 150 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: it's like that actually I think got an American adaptation. Um, 151 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: But like it's that extra context of not understanding the 152 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,079 Speaker 1: language or the extra layer that's like makes it so 153 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: perfect and bizarre. Man, I want to watch that so bad. 154 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: I love that s Yeah, someone will find it now 155 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: that we've talked about it, and we'll find the clips. 156 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: I would love to watch it again, um anyway, Dave. 157 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: On January eleven, nineteen seventy three, PBS began to air 158 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: the first of twelve hour long episodes of an American 159 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: Family to levision documentary about the Louds, an actual family 160 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: and this is probably the very first reality show in history. Now, 161 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: the Louds were upper middle class and lived in Santa Barbara, 162 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,599 Speaker 1: and over three hours of raw footage of them was 163 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: shot between May and December thirty one ninety one. The 164 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: initial intent was just to kind of chronicle their daily lives, 165 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: but during filming, the relationship between spouses Bill and Pat 166 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: Loud broke down, and the show ends with both parents divorcing. 167 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: Camera's actually caught Pat asking for a divorce on camera. 168 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: She tells Bill, you know there's a problem, and he responds, 169 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: what's your problem? This was picked by TV Guide as 170 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: one of the top hundred TV moments of all time, 171 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: and in some ways, viewers have never moved on from 172 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: the concept of watching unscripted life moments from rich people 173 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: in California right like this. This is broadly speaking, still 174 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: the reality TV What do you do you think? And 175 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: I don't know the answer to this? What they have 176 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: had that divorce if they weren't on camera? Who knows? 177 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: I I have not watched the twelve hours of the Louds. 178 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 1: It's the double slit theory of like, when observed, will 179 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,679 Speaker 1: they divorce? It can't help, right, it can't help. It 180 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: probably gives people just a more sense of like I 181 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 1: want drama in my life. Yeah, I'm being videotaped all 182 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: the time, So like you start like thinking of your 183 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: life like a TV show. I imagine. Yeah, it doesn't 184 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: seem like it could like make it easier for a 185 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: trouble within a merry a marriage to get solved. But 186 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: that said, I don't know anything about this particular couple. Um, 187 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: but it's worth noting that, like reality TV does not 188 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: start far from where it is now, right, like the 189 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: yeah this is this is still the heart of the 190 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: of the genre. Um. So an American family is hugely 191 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: successful and it immediately spawns an imitation by the BBC 192 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: call just the Family Now An American families particularly notable 193 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: because the Loud Family's oldest son, Lance was probably the 194 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: world's first openly gay TV star. Um Like, he's open 195 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: about being gay in the show in nineteen seventy three, 196 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 1: which is pretty groundbreaking for the time. Um and he 197 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: dies during the AIDS epidemic, which is, uh, you know, 198 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: there's a whole is an interesting person whose life to 199 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: study right this this show and he like, there's nothing 200 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: particularly problematic here, it's just an interesting piece of his 201 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it's your typical reality TV coming from PBS 202 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: and BBC as we all know, yeah, classic classic reality 203 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: TV stations. So in the years that followed, the series 204 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: went through the normal life cycle of a successful show. 205 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: There's a handful of parodies, right, like a bunch of 206 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: different like sketch shows do parodies of an American family. 207 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: There's like jokes and sitcoms of the day about moments 208 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: that have happened in the show. Um, and then ten 209 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 1: years after it airs, there's an attempted reboot that doesn't 210 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: do very well. Right, nothing at all weird here. This 211 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: is like more or less what happens with every successful show. 212 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: Most folks probably figured that was kind of it for 213 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: the genre, which had yet to be named. People didn't 214 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: talk about reality TV is a thing. There's just this 215 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: one weird show that had existed. But a few perceptive 216 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: individuals at the time recognized that something special was afoot. 217 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: Anthropologist Margaret Mead published an essay in TV Guide. The 218 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: New Yorker writes quote. Her contribution, which wasn't mentioned on 219 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: the cover, appeared in the back of the magazine after 220 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: the listings, tucked between an advertisement for Virginia Slims and 221 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: a profile of Shelly Winters, Bill and Pat Loud and 222 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: their five children are either actors nor public figures, Mead wrote, Rather, 223 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: they were the people they portrayed on television, members of 224 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: a real family. Producers compressed seven months of tedium and 225 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: turmoil into twelve one hour segments, which constituted, in Mead's view, 226 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: a new kind of art form and innovation as significant 227 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: as the invention of drama or the novel. And I 228 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: think that's true no matter how you like reality TV, Like, 229 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,559 Speaker 1: of course it's hit that point of cultural relevance already, 230 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: it's had that impact. We have the Trump presidency because 231 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: of reality TV, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. The biggest 232 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: shame about reality TV is when it's staged, right, Like, yeah, 233 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 1: it's the same opinion of documentary. Um, we'll get into that, 234 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: but yeah, but I think that is interesting. They're just 235 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: looking at it as like it's like the birth of 236 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: the novel, you know, Yeah, it will be with us 237 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: for a long time. It'll it'll be so broad that 238 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: I think it's like any genre where it's sort of 239 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 1: mixes with other genres. You know. Uh, you could argue 240 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: that just what we're doing, like TikTok uh and like 241 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: the the the YouTube's and so on, our offshoots of 242 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: reality TV because we're following people's lives. Uh, people are 243 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 1: kind of filming genuine moments, stage moments. It's all, it's 244 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: all part of the same thing. Yeah, and you know, 245 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: it's like with them, and like with novels, there's this 246 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 1: you know, there's horrible things you can tie to novels. 247 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: You know, Hitler was very influenced by the novels of 248 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: Karl may Um, you're right, yeah, yeah, we probably don't 249 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: have novels caused Hitler. We probably don't have the Bosnian 250 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: genocide without the Pelican brief obviously, Um, you know. But 251 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: also there's good things that novels have brought us to. 252 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: Um probably what assumes good things. I don't read books, Um, 253 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: you know, right, but I do watch Jack Ryan movies. 254 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: I do watch Jack Ryan movies, which it influenced my 255 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: life in a number of ways. Yeah, and I've been 256 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: told they started as some sort of book. Yeah. The 257 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: Jack Reacher series really helped me make peace with the 258 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: fact that, Um, I'm incredibly jacked. Uh. You know, there's 259 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: people it's really hard to be like a jacked white 260 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: dude exactly exactly finally representation exactly. It's it's wonderful. Yeah, 261 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: that's just like the yeah, anyway whatever, that this bit 262 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: has gone on long enough, so yes, yes it had. 263 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: So it's interesting then that it takes like Margaret meets 264 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: right about the how influential this art medium is going 265 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: to be. And it's interesting that it takes like twenty 266 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: years from the first reality TV show before it turns 267 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 1: into anything, like we have this idea for a long 268 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: time before people figure out what to do with it. 269 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: That I mean that happens sort of with found footage 270 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: as well, because there were like there was some found 271 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: footage films and then we kind of went quiet, and 272 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: then the Blair Witch Project brought it back finally, the 273 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: which is again one of one of the great works 274 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: of humanitarian right, yeah, the Blair Witch Project, without which 275 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: I don't know, we wouldn't have make a genocide just 276 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: before me yeah, yeah, yeah, we would have the VHS 277 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: movies which have solved world hunger. Sure, yeah, we'll go 278 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: with that. So the first show to take reality TV 279 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: forward was The Real World, which debuted an MTV and 280 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: n Rather than watching a family live there life and 281 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: risk the chance that it might be boring, MTV decided 282 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: to throw a bunch of young adults in a house 283 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: and film what happened. Um, the show was successful, but 284 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: it also was not like the kind of successful that 285 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: on its own was going to spawn a world like 286 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: changing industry. You know, um, you know, the real world 287 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: is kind of a proof of concept, but it's not 288 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: as influentialists and later things are going to be the 289 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: key to transmuting these particular these peculiar documentary style shows 290 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: into the thing that devoured television. Happened to be held 291 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: in the head of a Fox executive named Mike Darnell. 292 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: Prior to two thousand, Mike's background had been producing shows 293 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: like When Animals Attack, World, Scariest Police Chases, and a 294 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: variety of other premises now met by random weirdos on YouTube. Right, Like, 295 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: all the shows he gets started with are like the 296 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: things I watched on random YouTubers collect Yeah, that's oh yeah, 297 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: I remember America's finding some videos where it's like that's YouTube. Yeah, 298 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: that's the only way you can watch people getting hitting 299 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 1: the balls, and it's like we want that. I I 300 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: would argue reality TV is better than like When Animals Attack, 301 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 1: because that like that was just YouTube, but it was 302 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: YouTube done in this like really serious tone. Um, I 303 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: don't know if you like I I actually would see 304 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: you could see people like attack videos on when animals 305 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: attack would get reused on like World's Funniest Animals, and 306 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: they would just cover it in a different tone. Uh, 307 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: and like not mentioned the injuries, you know, like because 308 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: they just it didn't matter. It was just it was 309 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: so schlocky. Um, at least Reality TV had, like I 310 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: don't know, people involved a little more drama. Yeah, I 311 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: think like because also I always felt gross about like 312 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: America's Funniest Like a lot of these different videos shows less, 313 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: but like a lot of them would have like narration 314 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: that was like generally kind of mean spirited towards the people. 315 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: And I think it's much better to just have context 316 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: free loops of videos of people hurting themselves. That's that's fine. 317 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: And it was a whole industry that, Yeah, YouTube pretty 318 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: much killed. It is kind of funny that agree to 319 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: which that used to be the dominant thing on TV 320 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: and now it's just random dudes. One of my favorite 321 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: YouTubers is the car Crash Channel, which is just compilations 322 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: of car accidents right, yeah, what else? Like, you don't 323 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 1: need a commentary, No, I don't need I don't need 324 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: a word from anybody. Just get in bed, put on 325 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: the car crashes, and go to sleep. And go to 326 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: sleep to the car crashes. I love sleeping to train crashes. 327 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: There's nothing as soothing as watching a train hit a 328 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: box truck. Yeah. It just goes poof, yeah, just yeah, 329 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: just like you just sends right into the deeply soothing. 330 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 1: So Darnell is also the mind behind a two hour special. 331 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: So you know, this is how we get to start 332 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: doing these, like when animals attack. But then near the 333 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: end of the nineteen nineties, he has an idea for 334 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: a two hour TV special with the title who Wants 335 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 1: to Marry a Multimillionaire? So this is gonna be the 336 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: show that births all of modern reality TV. Really um. 337 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: It airs on Fox on February two thousand. In her 338 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: book Reality Bites Back, Jennifer Posner describes it this way. 339 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: The special, which predated the game changing Survivor, was a 340 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: hybrid of Miss America and a Male Order bride parade. 341 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: With executive producer Mike Flice of Next Entertainment, Darnell brought 342 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: fifty brides to be to Las Vegas to be auctioned 343 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,959 Speaker 1: off to a complete stranger. The sachet and swimsuits tittered 344 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: nervously and answered pageant style questions to assess their moral 345 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: fortitude and sexual prowess in thirty seconds or less. Groom 346 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: Rick Rockwell was hidden as he and the audience determined 347 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: who deserved the biggest prize of all. A brand new 348 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: multimillionaire husband, nurse and future playboy centerfold, Darva Conjure, Rockwell's 349 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: eventual choice got her first glimpse of her fiance moments 350 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: before they were legally wed on air nearly twenty three 351 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: million view We was tuned in. It's funny how when 352 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: read that academically, it really is horrifying. It's a nightmare, right, 353 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: Like that's that's like like an auctioning human beings off 354 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,239 Speaker 1: to a rich man. It's pretty bad. Yeah. It's one 355 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: of those where he's like, you had to you had 356 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: to be there. I guess I think if you were 357 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: there a lot of people but no, but it was, 358 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: but they were part of they watched it. Reality TV 359 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: created I think more than most things they hate watch right, yes, 360 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: oh god, yes, yes, um so the series got a 361 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 1: twenty eight share um, which is basically is a big 362 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: hit in terms people don't use as much anymore to 363 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: talk about success because streaming is kind of like who 364 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: gives a ship about those old terms. But anyway, it's 365 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: a big hit. Mike Darnell declared it the best show ever. 366 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: Uh or Chris Darnell. I think it was Chris ship. 367 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: How many Darnell's we got here? What's Mike? No? It is? 368 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: I think they're both my? Are they both? Mike's the 369 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: TV executives? It all checks out. Mike Flice, who's the producer, 370 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: later bragged Mike and I knew that the National Organization 371 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: for Women would hate us, that this would be the 372 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: most controversial show ever. We thought it was all good, 373 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: but it got so hot, so crazy red hot. They 374 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: said it was the most talked about show since Roots. 375 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: It was the lead sketch on Saturday Night Live. It's 376 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: maybe your reality show that involves auctioning human beings shouldn't 377 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: be compared to Roots. No, you might. You might not 378 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: want to be drawn attention to that, buddy. Yeah no. 379 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: This this also begins this problem, which is the it's 380 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: it's kind of resonates all the way to the Internet obviously, 381 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: which is like, oh, they're talking about us, and it's like, yeah, 382 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: that doesn't you know, that's not a good measurement of 383 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,679 Speaker 1: whether or not something's good or not. But I mean 384 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 1: it is for their purposes, because it's a measurement of 385 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 1: whether or not something can be worth money to advertisers, 386 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 1: which is all that matters. Now, speaking of advertisers, Dave, No, 387 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: you know what, we can say whatever we want on 388 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: this show because it gets advertisers. So I can say, 389 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: for example, Dave has an island off the coast of 390 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,479 Speaker 1: Indonesia where you can make grab a crude weapon spear 391 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: you know, um, a club you know, like you'd use 392 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: on a seal, a rock, and you can hunt children 393 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: in the open preserves that they keep on this island, 394 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: and they'll get cooked for You don't have to cook 395 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: the child brisket yourself. Takes care of that. I know. 396 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: It's the opposite actually how normally works. Yeah, right, all right, 397 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: but that's that's kind of the the appeal. That that's 398 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: the appeal, right normally, since you the ingredients and you 399 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: cook it on the child hunting island, you provide the 400 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: ingredients and cooks the food, right, because that's the most 401 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: fun part of that process, of the child hunting process. 402 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: How much does it cost? What does it go for? Oh? 403 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 1: I mean, you know you have to donate a significant 404 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: amount to coke industries. But but really, Dave, can you 405 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: put a price on hunting children on an island off 406 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: the coast of Indonesia? I mean no, but also yes 407 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 1: if you well, yes, they do, they do, they do. 408 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: But if you sign up for their meal box plan, 409 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: you'll be entered into a raffle to win a spot 410 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: on the next yacht over to the child hunting island, 411 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: which is worth quite a bit. So here's here's our sponsors. Uh, 412 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,399 Speaker 1: we're back, We're back, and we're talking about the only 413 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: mattress made entirely with linen stolen from the graves of 414 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: dead Egyptian peasants. That's right. It is named because the 415 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: ghost of dead Egyptian peasants lingers inside each mattress. You know, 416 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:52,680 Speaker 1: that's the guarantee. Yeah, I mean, what are they doing 417 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: with all that linen? Nothing? Nothing, tons of wasted linen. 418 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: It sounds super sustainable, yeah, environment exactly, there's so much 419 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 1: carbon wasted by getting linen that doesn't come from Egyptian 420 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:09,400 Speaker 1: peasants who were buried in lost desert cities. Um steals 421 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: those corpses and passes the carbon savings onto you. Yeah, 422 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: it's it's Yeah, it's convenient, it's good for the environment. 423 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: It's great for the environment. Yeah, and it's affordable. Is 424 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: there promo code? Can we make it even more affordable? 425 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: Promo code? Bastards? And they'll throw in a free ounce 426 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,199 Speaker 1: of mummy dust, which if if my eighteen nineties medical 427 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: textbooks or anything to go by is useful in a 428 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,239 Speaker 1: variety of ailment, stay, you can at least snort it, 429 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: and you've got the grip. You've got the shallots, the 430 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: shingles will cure them all. Mummy dust. Sprinkle it on 431 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: your mac and cheese. It's delicious. That was like three 432 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: and a half minutes of how we do it? Are 433 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,960 Speaker 1: you happy, Sophie? Did you get what you wanted? I 434 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: said that bits getting gold, you made a worse one. Yeah, 435 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 1: it's great. That's that's that's that's how what I've been 436 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: doing since the Bits, Sophie. I missed the bit well 437 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: too bad, So you probably won't be surprised to learn, 438 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: Dave that a show that was premised on basically taking 439 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: the idea of an arranged marriage and making it television 440 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: would turn out to have been unethical in some way. Right, 441 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: So they do this whole competition, right, some lady wins 442 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 1: this marriage to this fucking multimillionaire Rockwell, but they never 443 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: consummate their marriage, and for a very good reason, the 444 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: woman conjure has it annulled because she learns that Rockwell 445 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,640 Speaker 1: has a long history of violence against women. Um, so, 446 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,160 Speaker 1: you know, good call on on her part. Um comes 447 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 1: out like right as the show comes out that his 448 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: former girlfriend had filed a restraining order against him for 449 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: vandalizing her car, breaking into her home, and repeatedly physically 450 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: assaulting her. Good God, she stated, he said he would 451 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: find me and kill me. Also, Rockwell is not a multimillionaire, 452 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: but that's hardly seems like the primary issue here. Who 453 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: who would have thought that guy who goes on a 454 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:06,919 Speaker 1: TV show to uh look to like essentially buy a 455 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: woman from an auction, Yeah, would be a liar and 456 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: a violent abuser. Who who? Yeah, so his his former girl. Yeah. 457 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: So all this hits the press right after the show 458 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: comes out, and it's a big problem for Fox, because again, 459 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: this is two thousands, so there was just a little 460 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,639 Speaker 1: bit of shame left in the world. Was back when 461 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: we cared it was it was like the rest of 462 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: WIRs in southern California. There was still this like tiny 463 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: layer of water. It's not going to be there in 464 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: a couple of years, you know, just like the water 465 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 1: in southern California, but it was still a little bit there. 466 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: Now you can kind of see the boats that didn't 467 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: really have enough water, but there was at least something, 468 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: you know, Yeah, you could pretend like, oh, it's just 469 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: a dry and the rain will come back, It'll be 470 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: all right. Yeah, So there's a little bit of shame, 471 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: and it causes a problem for Fox. Darnell tells the report, 472 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: this is the worst day of my life. What a 473 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: great guy. Um. He gets excoriated by media, who, by 474 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: the way, like all of these journalists yelling at them 475 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:11,760 Speaker 1: were a lot of the same people who had been 476 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: like raving over how groundbreaking the show was and who 477 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: would who would go on to celebrate other horrible reality things. 478 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: So whatever, Um. But in private, like he pretends that 479 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 1: this is a horrible day for him in public. In private, 480 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: he is a static Flice later recalled that his first 481 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 1: reaction was, quote, great more publicity. Mike said, we gotta 482 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 1: get out in front of this. I'm like, absolutely, fuck, 483 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: it's a restraining order. Let's get an interview with the girl. 484 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: We'll put it on as part of as part of 485 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: the special. We had a whole plan because that's the 486 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 1: way we like it. Because that's the way we like it. 487 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 1: What an amazing kind of dude. I love it because 488 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 1: we had it all as a plan because and then 489 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: something is the shame center of his brain like kicked 490 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: in and like like turned it into because that's the 491 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,080 Speaker 1: way we like it. That is just his ego protecting 492 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: himself from something he knows. I think somewhere deep in 493 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,200 Speaker 1: he shouldn't do this. He is a bad person. Yeah, 494 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: when when you become aware that on your show where 495 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 1: women are auctioned off to the highest bidder, the guy 496 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: buying the auction was a spousal abuser on a horrific 497 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: kind of level of abuse and also lying about being rich, 498 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: you should be like, well, huh, maybe I should rethink 499 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: some things about like not just the show, but my life. 500 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 1: You know. He's the thing is that I don't know 501 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: much about how the biz works, the specifically the reality 502 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: TV biz. But I imagine that when you're casting reality TV, 503 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: you're looking for outrageous people who are willing to do 504 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 1: whatever on camera. Yes, and I'm not saying they all are. 505 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,239 Speaker 1: I'm just saying that that type of person tends to 506 00:28:54,280 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: have some personal problems. Yeah, let's say a higher level. Yeah. Yeah, again, 507 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: not all of them, not all. Yeah, it's just that 508 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 1: I can see why that would say attract people who 509 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: are problematic in a lot of ways. And so yeah, 510 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: it's I imagine that's why you have several stories similar 511 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: to this of reality TV where it's yeah, it comes 512 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: out that these people have done something horrifying, and it's like, yeah, 513 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: because you barely vetted them, they're they're not a professional performer. Uh, 514 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: and you stuck them on TV and made him a star. Yeah, 515 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: it's not the best thing to do, you know. It's like, 516 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: you know, Dave, I don't. I don't have a lot 517 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: of shame. Um, obviously, Like I think we both chose 518 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: entertainment as career, so we probably have a lower shame 519 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: threshold than a lot of people. Um, But like like 520 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: every now, like on Twitter, I'll just like get see 521 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 1: a tweet that I think is funny, and I'll share 522 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: it and then someone will like inevitably be like, oh, 523 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 1: you know, this guy did this horrible thing, and I'm like, well, no, 524 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: I didn't. It was just a random person on Twitter. 525 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: But then I forget that about it for the rest 526 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: of the day. It's incredible that this guy can be like, oh, 527 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: we filmed the whole several hour long TV special with 528 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: like a man who beat the ship out of his 529 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: girlfriend and as a restraining order against him. Yeah. Right, 530 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: that complete lack of shame. Yeah, it's amazable. I envy it. Yeah. Yeah. 531 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: It would make some things easier, like getting access to 532 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 1: a Lamborghini. That's like getting money. It makes that a 533 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: lot easier. And then you make YouTube videos about telling 534 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: people how to get money, and you tell them to 535 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 1: buy your book, which also will help them pick up women. 536 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: That's another kind of guy without much shame. Yeah. Um. 537 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: And also this does lead to all that because the 538 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: pickup artist culture is heavily related to reality TV show 539 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: and that show with what was a mystery? What was 540 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: it called? I assume it was a mystery because that's 541 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 1: that's one of them. The guys. Yeah, he definitely was 542 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,719 Speaker 1: in a bunch of reality ships. So when this all 543 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: blows up and there's this big backlash against who wants 544 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: to marry a multimillionaire, everyone kind of assumes that Darnelle 545 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: is going to get fired. Fox cancels the rebroadcast of 546 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: the show, and they had been talking about turning it 547 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: into a series because it was a huge hit, and 548 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: they declined to um and they promised never. Fox promises 549 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: to never be a part of any similar show in 550 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: the future, which is extremely, extremely funny, like yeah, Fox, 551 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: absolutely wow. So it's worth noting that even while the 552 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: heat is on other networks, as soon as Fox is like, well, 553 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: I guess we won't turn this into a show like 554 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: up N offers to buy it, of course, other TV 555 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: networks are like, well, we'll make it into a show. 556 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: I don't give a fuck im up N. All we 557 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: have is Voyager reruns right now, up N, please help us. 558 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: Most of that was actually their motto at the time. 559 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 1: Most of people listening to this podcast right now are like, 560 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: I don't know what UPN. That's because this episode of 561 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: our podcast will have more viewers than up and got 562 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:06,320 Speaker 1: in its entire time on the air. Absolutely, Um, But 563 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: Mike Flye turns up and down. He's like, now, I 564 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: don't want to give this guy to you, and I 565 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: got a better idea. So flies who had produced the show, um, 566 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: takes a variation of the pitch that he and Darnell 567 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: had made to ABC. Now they clean it up a 568 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: little from Middle America, right, and they relaunch Who Wants 569 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 1: to Be a multi Millionaire with some changes as a 570 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: new series called You're Either This Dave The Bachelor? Yeah, baby, Yeah, 571 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: that's where that starts. Yeah, and obviously The Bachelor is 572 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: a lot less problematic, although not to look there, there's 573 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: so much more and all of these shows. I'm sure 574 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: people will be like, no, there's like, yeah, of course 575 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of ship happened. It's tough. I've never seen 576 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: a single episode of The Bachelor. No, this is not 577 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: about The Bachelor, but it's funny where it comes from. Yeah. 578 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: So Big Brother comes out later into two thousand. It's 579 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 1: after Who Wants to be a Multimillionaire, and it's actually, 580 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: this is interesting. Big Brother is an import of a 581 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: Dutch show that's itself inspired by the real world, which 582 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: is like this thing that increasingly like up to this 583 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: day is big in reality where like some foreign country 584 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: will make a show that's inspired like these other shows, 585 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: and then like we'll steal that idea and then that 586 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: will like I don't know, it's fine, right, I've noticed that, 587 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: Like I assume it's all owned by the same people, 588 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:26,120 Speaker 1: but it seems like you just have to change like 589 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: a few words. Yeah, yeah, it's it's not it's not. Honestly, 590 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 1: there's not really a meaningful difference between like what they 591 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 1: did with the Office, you know, like it's not fucked up. 592 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: It's just like the way artworks like Foreigner painted this thing, 593 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: like shows where you can legally make a slightly different 594 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: version of this and it's fine. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, 595 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: this is fine. I just bring it up because I 596 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: find it interesting, not because it's like bad that they 597 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,040 Speaker 1: imported the idea behind this Dutch show like who gives 598 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: a fuck? So yeah, the War on Terror starts not 599 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 1: long after you know this this whole period of time, 600 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,239 Speaker 1: and as it gets down to the business of just 601 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 1: like fucking up a bunch of stuff, Reality TV is 602 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: becoming the biggest thing in US media. The Bachelor is 603 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: a Titanic hit. Basically overnight, it becomes ABC's top rated 604 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: show among eighteen to forty nine year olds, otherwise known 605 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 1: as the demographic with money. Well, that's what we knew 606 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: it as in two thousand colics. Yeah, definitely there was 607 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 1: in two thousand, especially smoking cigarettes. So despite the promises 608 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: they'd made in the wake of their disaster with Rockwell, 609 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 1: Fox committed themselves to reality TV more than any other network. 610 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 1: Jennifer Posner writes, by February two thousand three, Fox was 611 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: devoting a whopping in ABC thirty three percent of their 612 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: sweeps offerings to reality shows. These percentages increased over the years, 613 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: limiting the number of quality comedies and dramas available to 614 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: viewers and reducing opportunities for union represented actors, writers and crew. 615 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: Instead of firing their previously shamed reality group Guru, Fox 616 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 1: promoted Darnell to executive vice president of Alternative Programming. So 617 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: they it's they get to bust some unions and give 618 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: a creep a good job and then nice. Yeah, that's 619 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 1: that's the American dream, right, They're good for them. It 620 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: is nice, that is, and we will not be getting 621 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: into it enough. But that is a big part of 622 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: like why reality is so popular with producers and stuff 623 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:21,959 Speaker 1: like high level producers. Is like, well, you can gotta 624 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:23,720 Speaker 1: you can get away from a lot of union ship 625 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: with this. That is very true. You have people who 626 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: work for a lot less and you can cut out 627 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:35,320 Speaker 1: the writer's guild, you know. Yeah, yeah, as a real bummer, 628 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 1: it's very fun. So with that August title behind him, 629 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: Darnell helped to bring to life a number of the 630 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: most noteworthy early reality shows. There was two thousand ones 631 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: Temptation Island, in which real life couples were separated and 632 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: tempted into adultery. Unbelievable premise Joe Millionaire, in which a 633 00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,600 Speaker 1: bunch of women dated a guy they thought was a millionaire, 634 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,640 Speaker 1: only to realize he wasn't right. Isn't the twist? At 635 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: the end, they give him a million dollars they get, 636 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:06,800 Speaker 1: they get, they split like it's either a million or 637 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 1: half a million between him and the woman who agrees 638 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: to go out with him after note learning he's not rich, Like, 639 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:13,839 Speaker 1: if she agrees to still go out with him, then 640 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,080 Speaker 1: they both get money. I don't know what the moral 641 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 1: is there, Yeah, I mean there's no moral. It's Mike Darnell. 642 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: This guy doesn't have morals. Yeah, and just seeing what happens. Yeah, 643 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: it's just Magan TV. In two thousand four's The Swan, 644 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:31,439 Speaker 1: a bunch of women are given plastic surgery and other 645 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: risky surgical procedures so they can compete in the beauty 646 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: Badget Man Mike Darnell. Baby, he's the fucking He's the 647 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: Chuck Bearriss of reality TV, is what I'm getting from this. Yeah. Absolutely, 648 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: he just sat there all day and came up with 649 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: horrible things to do. Yeah, and killed for the government 650 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 1: on the side. My favorite show he did was the 651 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: short lived series Mr. Personality, in which a woman dates 652 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of men wearing masks that they can't take 653 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: off until the show winds, so she has to pick 654 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: the woman she wants to be with without saying without 655 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:08,960 Speaker 1: a mask. They have one of those now too, they 656 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: have like a blind date, but Dave. This one was 657 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 1: hosted by Monica Lewinsky. Oh, I mean what we know 658 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 1: about her now, it's like good for her. Yeah, I'm 659 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: not going to condemn her for like you gotta like 660 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: what other kind of for one thing? One other kind 661 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 1: of jobs are open to you. As Monica Lewinsky in 662 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: the early two thousand's like not a lot of hiring 663 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: opportunities after going through that ringer, So yeah, get get 664 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: what you can, Monica. But it's it's incredible, it's extreme, 665 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: Like the opening to this show is extremely funny and 666 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 1: we're just gonna play it well. Please now for indoor 667 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: bow food go it's this season finale Mr Personality. This 668 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: season on Mr. Personality, Hayley Valentine arm, a twenty six 669 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:00,320 Speaker 1: year old career woman from Atlanta, was introduced to Quantity 670 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:07,920 Speaker 1: eligible men their faces covered by match because he's touched 671 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: my heart in a different kind of way, like men 672 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:15,760 Speaker 1: range from unemployed to peacemaker masks. Hold on, do yourself 673 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 1: a favor. Look up the other Fox show Secrets of 674 00:38:18,719 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 1: Magic revealed with the Mask Magician, and I'm almost certain 675 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: they just reused those masks. I'm not. I mean, I 676 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:28,800 Speaker 1: haven't looked in a while, going by memory look for people. 677 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,719 Speaker 1: For people who aren't watching this, they look like servants 678 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:36,319 Speaker 1: at an eyes wide shut or yeah, they all have 679 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: the same masks. They all kind of look like M. F. Doom, 680 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 1: but with a little bit of like, uh, like the 681 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:48,239 Speaker 1: fucking skeletor from the Masters of the Universe movie. Mixed in. 682 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:53,839 Speaker 1: I'm shocked that they all have so funny. Here's more 683 00:38:54,719 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: speaker with a strategy of mind control. Ever, and I 684 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:04,800 Speaker 1: kept hearing the verse seventeen, the influences really unconscious. Haley 685 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: was forced to send ten suitors packing. Their masks were removed. 686 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 1: I think this totally sucks. The remaining ten were given 687 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:18,960 Speaker 1: new colored masks, and the competition taked in. Haley watched 688 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 1: as a law unraveled and the boys gone wild. That's 689 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:27,480 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about. This is my lovely bedroom and 690 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:31,080 Speaker 1: two men eliminated themselves. That's what I'm just gonna have 691 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: to do. I can't do this, so another bit of contemtible. 692 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: Like most reality TV, this is men wearing tuxes and 693 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,920 Speaker 1: masks that takes place in what looks like a like 694 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:49,439 Speaker 1: upper upper middle class like mcmanchion. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's 695 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 1: what's amazing about it too, is it's like an eyes 696 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 1: wide shut orgy on a budget. It's it's I'm not 697 00:39:56,239 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: saying I'm not saying I have this kind of money, obviously, 698 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: but it's like this is like someone who owns like 699 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: a tow truck company, like several old air house um 700 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,840 Speaker 1: which again nothing against that, but I'm just trying to 701 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 1: It's like a party, but all of the food is 702 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: like from Kirkland. You know, it's like Kirkland. It's like 703 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: a Kirkland brand rich people orgy. Right, it's not it's 704 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: not not wealthy, Like these people have money, but they 705 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:27,320 Speaker 1: don't have that much. The next clip please, oh yeah, yeah, 706 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: here's I. I picked this one because it's got a 707 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: little bit of that sweet Lewinsky action that I know 708 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,720 Speaker 1: everybody's looking for. She really is just kind of barely 709 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: in it, right, that's Monica behind the two talking now, Pilly. 710 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:50,200 Speaker 1: He had initially said that he took your breath away 711 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: and that you could get lost in his green eyes, 712 00:40:56,239 --> 00:40:59,240 Speaker 1: but you also said he seemed a little too smooth 713 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 1: in a big occulating. This is the mind control motivational 714 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: speaker and life coach for teenagers. He's thirty years old 715 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:34,239 Speaker 1: in the dark green mask. Meet Chris Burg. So I 716 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: love Burg who's into mind control. And he didn't die 717 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,279 Speaker 1: in a bar in Florida like ten years ago he 718 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:46,239 Speaker 1: had died in a bar and tabbed that or he 719 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 1: was part of the CIA's Enhanced Interrogation program in Iraq, 720 00:41:50,239 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: like one of the two. It's just it's one or 721 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,400 Speaker 1: the other. Either he is in fact good at what 722 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 1: he does or yeah, he's been stabbed in the stuff 723 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 1: at a bar. Florida one an incredible show. Holy shit, 724 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:07,720 Speaker 1: it's so funny. It's like it's like junk food. Because 725 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,080 Speaker 1: as soon as he was like I'm going to take 726 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,239 Speaker 1: off my mask, I'm like, here we fucking go. I 727 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 1: can't wait to see this. Let's see this weirdo. And 728 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:16,799 Speaker 1: then he was just some honky. He's just some he's 729 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:20,800 Speaker 1: just some some hockey. Yeah, he's just some fucking hockey. 730 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:24,879 Speaker 1: It's so funny. I think it got like five episodes, like, 731 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:29,360 Speaker 1: which is why Monica Lewinsky is not a staple of 732 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 1: reality TV to this day, which is tragic. Um, just 733 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: you can see that he's just like throwing ship at 734 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,160 Speaker 1: a dartboard, Like all right, let's put him in masks 735 00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:40,360 Speaker 1: and let's get who's famous that people wouldn't expect to 736 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,080 Speaker 1: see in a show. Monica Lewinsky got her for some money, 737 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 1: put her in the show. It didn't work, but they 738 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,399 Speaker 1: probably had a list. They probably look at one point 739 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:50,439 Speaker 1: William Shatner was going to host. You know, like it's 740 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: probably just like we have a list of people who 741 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 1: we know, we'll do it. Yeah, we know they do it. 742 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:58,440 Speaker 1: They need work, and like it'll people will be like, well, 743 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 1: what I gotta I guess I'll try that. Yeah, yeah, 744 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,440 Speaker 1: we're back so yeah, and it's worth It is kind 745 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:13,759 Speaker 1: of interesting to me that, like, having just gone through this, 746 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 1: the first reality show ever was like pretty complex and 747 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:20,359 Speaker 1: intelligent entertainment for its day, and there's some like real 748 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: cultural value there, but it winds up as this, you know, 749 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:30,920 Speaker 1: because reality TV and documentaries could be the same thing, right, 750 00:43:30,920 --> 00:43:34,440 Speaker 1: Like if you're just documenting something that you find interesting, 751 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 1: a slice of you know, life in America, like that family, 752 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:44,640 Speaker 1: Like that makes sense. It's just they realized quickly that's boring. 753 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:47,880 Speaker 1: And yeah, it's like even you can see in shows 754 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:49,840 Speaker 1: that are still around, like the Real World when it 755 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 1: debuted nineteen ninety two, it dealt with a lot of 756 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,800 Speaker 1: ship like aids and drug addiction and like LGBT issues 757 00:43:55,840 --> 00:43:57,879 Speaker 1: in a way that was a lot of folks will 758 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:00,239 Speaker 1: argue at least I'm not a comprehensive I don't know 759 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: much about the real world, but people who are critics 760 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 1: of culture will argue was more intelligent than it is today. 761 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,319 Speaker 1: UM Cultural critic LaToya Peterson writes that while growth and 762 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:11,120 Speaker 1: development were early on parts of the real world, in 763 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:15,360 Speaker 1: later days it became quote specifically cast for racists, assholes, 764 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,360 Speaker 1: and agitators. It's like a formula. Every season has some 765 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:21,520 Speaker 1: huge racial altercation. Every season as some kind of woman 766 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:24,200 Speaker 1: trying to sleep her way into self esteem. Every season 767 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:27,440 Speaker 1: has a guy coping with a breakup angrily. Right again, 768 00:44:27,480 --> 00:44:32,360 Speaker 1: they saw out people, Yeah we're unstable, yeah, yeah, and 769 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,320 Speaker 1: then they gave them money and fame. Well. And also 770 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,520 Speaker 1: as we saw with the very first with like Darnell's 771 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 1: first show and positive notes that like, a big part 772 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:45,880 Speaker 1: of this change is that folks follow Darnell's lead in bating. 773 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,360 Speaker 1: Advocacy groups like the National Organization of Women are the 774 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: double a CP or of clad with content that where 775 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:56,320 Speaker 1: people were like have controversies, which will get these groups 776 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: to weigh in, which will cause like journalists to write 777 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: about this controversy, which generates press and views. UM. And 778 00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: that's a big part of it too. Clicks. It clicks. 779 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,839 Speaker 1: It's all that clicks. It's it's triggering the libs, and 780 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,839 Speaker 1: it's all built upon the same idea, which is that 781 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 1: like any reaction is there is a reaction there for succeeds, 782 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:22,280 Speaker 1: even if the reaction is someone saying that's not funny, 783 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,040 Speaker 1: They're like we did it, and it's like did you though, 784 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: Like it's funny to me. The kind of what's happening 785 00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:33,279 Speaker 1: here is the way bullies work, right, which is like 786 00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:35,160 Speaker 1: if you react to them at all, you're giving them 787 00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:37,799 Speaker 1: what they want that we have just applied to like 788 00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:40,319 Speaker 1: all of culture now and reality is kind of how 789 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:42,080 Speaker 1: that happens, where it's like, well, I guess the way 790 00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 1: everything should work is that if you get people to 791 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:48,879 Speaker 1: react by being shitty, then than the person being shitty wins, 792 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 1: right exactly, like if you run a show that's just 793 00:45:51,760 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 1: someone going out in public and taking dumps in the 794 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,359 Speaker 1: ground at a mall. All right now, Dave, I told 795 00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 1: you that in confidence. We'll have our pitch meeting with 796 00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:03,160 Speaker 1: the h one in a week and maybe you can 797 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,680 Speaker 1: have multiple versions of that. It's like volcano and deep impact. 798 00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 1: You can never get too much of mull shitter. That's 799 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:12,879 Speaker 1: that's gonna be gold and it's spin off. Who wants 800 00:46:12,920 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: to watch a multimillionaire ship in a fucking a Spencer's 801 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:21,879 Speaker 1: gifts exactly. Oh, that'd be great because people at first 802 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:24,600 Speaker 1: they'd be like, something smells like ship, but they'd look 803 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:28,919 Speaker 1: and there's all the novelty ships and they're like, which 804 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,680 Speaker 1: one is it? Like one of them is? God. I 805 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 1: want to go into a spencer's gift and leave a 806 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:37,040 Speaker 1: real dump and then solve the novelty ones. They wouldn't 807 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:41,920 Speaker 1: find it for months. Anyway, this is going to be 808 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:45,360 Speaker 1: stolen by Fox in like a week and make somebody 809 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:48,400 Speaker 1: forty seven million dollars. I mean that could legitimately be 810 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:52,040 Speaker 1: like a sub chackass. It could be. It could make Yeah. 811 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:55,920 Speaker 1: In two thousand one, VH one launched it's Celebriality Block. 812 00:46:56,320 --> 00:46:59,000 Speaker 1: The lynchpin of this was the surreal life based off 813 00:46:59,040 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: the real world and people who were only celebrities in 814 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:04,040 Speaker 1: the loosest sense of the world, like at this point, 815 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 1: Flavor Flav would live together on camera. Flavor Flav became 816 00:47:08,040 --> 00:47:11,319 Speaker 1: a lot more famous later, but um, he was you know, 817 00:47:11,719 --> 00:47:13,439 Speaker 1: this is kind of what like blew him up into 818 00:47:13,480 --> 00:47:17,160 Speaker 1: being a reality star. It was huge. The production company 819 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:21,000 Speaker 1: behind it, fifty one Minds Entertainment, started spinning off next 820 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:24,800 Speaker 1: from Entertainment Weekly quote. That's when they found Megan Hauserman, 821 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:27,520 Speaker 1: a former playboy model who appeared on season three If 822 00:47:27,560 --> 00:47:31,720 Speaker 1: the WB turned c W reality competition Beauty and the Geek. 823 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:34,880 Speaker 1: She and her partner Alan Scooter Zackheim took home the 824 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:38,000 Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty thousand dollar prize with her bombshell 825 00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:40,640 Speaker 1: looks and sassy wood. Houserman became a fan favorite on 826 00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 1: Rock of Love with Brett Michaels Think The Bachelor but 827 00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 1: with poisons Michaels as its prize, and it spent off 828 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:50,720 Speaker 1: I Love Money and Rock of Love Charms School. Fifty 829 00:47:50,719 --> 00:47:53,000 Speaker 1: one Minds decided to give the model her own show, 830 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:56,160 Speaker 1: Megan Once a Millionaire. The funny thing about Megan was 831 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:59,760 Speaker 1: her stated ambition, which was to marry a millionaire, says Cronin. 832 00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:01,719 Speaker 1: So we said, what if we filled a house with 833 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,680 Speaker 1: millionaires and they were competing for you as their trophy wife. 834 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,160 Speaker 1: Here we go. This is um I sort of know 835 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: what's to come here. Yeah, this does not sound like 836 00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:14,120 Speaker 1: a TV show from Mr Timmy Dave. It sounds like 837 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,120 Speaker 1: a spell to in the world. But a lot of 838 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:19,000 Speaker 1: a lot of studio executives were convinced it would be 839 00:48:19,040 --> 00:48:23,200 Speaker 1: a hit. So VH one Green lights, this motherfucker. In 840 00:48:23,239 --> 00:48:26,000 Speaker 1: the casting notice, they asked for a quote single men 841 00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: of the highest degree with a net worth of a 842 00:48:28,120 --> 00:48:32,120 Speaker 1: million dollars or more. Now, rather than rely entirely on 843 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:35,720 Speaker 1: traditional casting, they sent producers to nightclubs to throw parties 844 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 1: where rich guys would audition by just like being at 845 00:48:38,640 --> 00:48:43,000 Speaker 1: a nightclub. Um, they sound like the worst parties. Imagine 846 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 1: that sounds yeah, that sounds like a nightmare. Imagine working 847 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:50,120 Speaker 1: a service job at one of those parties. What an 848 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:53,920 Speaker 1: absolute That's that's the that you could write a horror 849 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,560 Speaker 1: movie just about one of these nights. There aren't a 850 00:48:56,600 --> 00:48:59,960 Speaker 1: lot of ethical reasons to make and deploy a chlorine 851 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: gas bomb using the cleaning chemicals commonly found in any bar, 852 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:06,880 Speaker 1: but this would have been one, right. Oh yeah, I 853 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: don't think they would have arrested you. Yeah, it would 854 00:49:10,600 --> 00:49:15,200 Speaker 1: have been self defense. We all agreed this with self defense. Yeah, 855 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:19,440 Speaker 1: so um yeah, they do this thing. Um And one 856 00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:23,040 Speaker 1: of the men they find through this process is Ryan Jenkins, 857 00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:26,200 Speaker 1: a thirty two year old real estate developer from Las Vegas. 858 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:30,680 Speaker 1: It sounds like a perfectly rounded individual that I'm sure 859 00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:34,320 Speaker 1: we'll have no problems around him. Now. One one casting 860 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:37,120 Speaker 1: producer later recalled of him, Ryan Jenkins had one of 861 00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:39,719 Speaker 1: the best personalities on this planet. He was intriguing, he 862 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:42,040 Speaker 1: knew it. He wasn't the best looking guy in the world, 863 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 1: he just had this charisma. So all reality shows have 864 00:49:45,200 --> 00:49:49,359 Speaker 1: a process for vetting candidates. This was clearly necessary after 865 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:51,680 Speaker 1: the first Millionaire show blew up due to its lead 866 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:55,760 Speaker 1: Mail being an abusive monster with a restraining order against him. 867 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:58,239 Speaker 1: Every network and production company, though, did this in a 868 00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,359 Speaker 1: different way. The most Rigorou shows included the kind of 869 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:03,960 Speaker 1: like applications included the kind of information you need to 870 00:50:03,960 --> 00:50:06,360 Speaker 1: get a mortgage you have to file it, every address 871 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:09,359 Speaker 1: you'd ever had, every job you've had. There were psychiatric 872 00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:14,880 Speaker 1: ski screeners, inc. Block tests, Etcetera. Entertainment Weekly continues. The 873 00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:17,560 Speaker 1: other key component is the criminal background check, which involves, 874 00:50:17,560 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: in parts, searching court interest records in every county a 875 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:22,520 Speaker 1: candidate has ever lived. When it came time to run 876 00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:25,600 Speaker 1: checks on all of Megan's potential millionaires, VH one turn 877 00:50:25,640 --> 00:50:28,800 Speaker 1: to Collective Intelligence, a Washington State based company the network 878 00:50:28,800 --> 00:50:31,520 Speaker 1: had been working with since two thousand three, but Collective 879 00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:35,040 Speaker 1: only specialized in US based criminal searches, so for Jenkins 880 00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:38,640 Speaker 1: a Canadian citizen. The company subcontracted out the search to 881 00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:42,759 Speaker 1: another firm, Straight Line International. Ryan Jenkins's record came back 882 00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:45,560 Speaker 1: clear and he was invited to join the cast. So 883 00:50:46,160 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 1: this is gonna go. Yeah, is a Canadian? You know 884 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:55,359 Speaker 1: they're they're nice people. Sure, no problems there. Megan Wants 885 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:58,600 Speaker 1: to Marry a Millionaire launched on August second, two thousand nine, 886 00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:02,200 Speaker 1: and it is one of the cringest shows I've ever experienced. 887 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:08,560 Speaker 1: Let's watch the introduction. Okay, I've a milk and when 888 00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:13,879 Speaker 1: a man who takes her there, a gentleman extraun enough 889 00:51:16,200 --> 00:51:27,040 Speaker 1: wants me wants Megan gets oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 890 00:51:27,120 --> 00:51:31,120 Speaker 1: yeah yeah, what Megan wants Megan gets. That's that's the 891 00:51:31,200 --> 00:51:37,120 Speaker 1: good stuff. Dave. Wait, you already explained who Megan is, right, Yeah, 892 00:51:37,320 --> 00:51:40,600 Speaker 1: she's a playboy model whose primary ambition is to marry 893 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:44,360 Speaker 1: a millionaire. I still feel like saying, who does she 894 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:47,960 Speaker 1: thinks she is? It's just like, my god, all right, 895 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,759 Speaker 1: I mean, good good for her, I guess, I mean, 896 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,680 Speaker 1: you know, I'm saying that definitely not good. Good for 897 00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:57,720 Speaker 1: her for wanting a millionaire and knowing what she wants, 898 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:00,600 Speaker 1: and I get I assume this will end really happy 899 00:52:00,640 --> 00:52:02,920 Speaker 1: with her getting a millionaire. Yeah, I mean I think 900 00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 1: she gets rich eventually. So there you go. Uh so, 901 00:52:06,360 --> 00:52:09,040 Speaker 1: Ryan Jenkins in this episode, like the first that it's 902 00:52:09,080 --> 00:52:11,880 Speaker 1: interminably long. She's just like meeting all of these guys, 903 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:17,520 Speaker 1: it's unbelievably awkward. Um some of them are like creepy 904 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:21,760 Speaker 1: old dudes who are like really weird and it's it's whatever, 905 00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:24,120 Speaker 1: like it's it's it's they're all creepy in some way. 906 00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:25,920 Speaker 1: They're all the kind of people who would show up 907 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:29,360 Speaker 1: on a show with this premise. Um, so it's horrible. 908 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:33,000 Speaker 1: And in his introduction, Ryan Jenkins describes himself as quote 909 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,160 Speaker 1: a little bit of Prince Charming, a little bit of 910 00:52:35,200 --> 00:52:38,680 Speaker 1: a bad boy. And here's here's here's him showing up 911 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:43,520 Speaker 1: on screen for the first time. Okay, hello Ogan, look 912 00:52:43,560 --> 00:52:46,600 Speaker 1: we're matching already, we are matching. Have you met any 913 00:52:46,640 --> 00:52:50,200 Speaker 1: Canadians before? Never looks about time, don't you think absolutely? 914 00:52:50,719 --> 00:52:55,040 Speaker 1: Let you know a little secret please to Ryan whispers 915 00:52:55,120 --> 00:53:02,560 Speaker 1: in my ear, you're gonna love Canadian bacon. Oh oh 916 00:53:03,200 --> 00:53:08,320 Speaker 1: fuck fuck that was a dick thing, right, I think? Yeah, 917 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 1: I probably I just lost a year of my life. 918 00:53:11,520 --> 00:53:14,600 Speaker 1: Yeah that that takes a lot out of you. My god, 919 00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:19,239 Speaker 1: just the facial hair on Oh it's horrible, legal. I 920 00:53:19,239 --> 00:53:24,239 Speaker 1: mean this was you know, the early two thousands. Every time. Yeah, oh, 921 00:53:24,360 --> 00:53:26,720 Speaker 1: I can't defend it. I know there's a different time 922 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:30,839 Speaker 1: back then, but still that facial hair. You're gonna love 923 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:37,880 Speaker 1: Canadian bacon's flat because yeah, flat and flat, not not 924 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:41,560 Speaker 1: quite cooked. Right. Yeah, here's the thing, if he was 925 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:45,879 Speaker 1: actually just talking about Canadian bacon, that would be delightful, right, 926 00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:49,960 Speaker 1: if he just wants to like cooker some Canadian He 927 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:54,440 Speaker 1: was not. He was not, but that would have made 928 00:53:54,520 --> 00:53:57,160 Speaker 1: him a winner. He probably could have gotten all the 929 00:53:57,160 --> 00:53:59,960 Speaker 1: way to the top that way. But no, it's probably 930 00:54:00,200 --> 00:54:03,480 Speaker 1: Yeah about his like tapeworm dick, like his flat, floppy, 931 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:08,640 Speaker 1: floppy tapeworm dick? Is it Canadian big in like round two? 932 00:54:08,719 --> 00:54:12,320 Speaker 1: Like it's like a it's wrong, it's not right. It's 933 00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 1: like poutine. You're not supposed to put it in your body. 934 00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:19,600 Speaker 1: It just exists because we you know, because America, the 935 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:22,600 Speaker 1: one time we pull our punches, it's with Canada. And 936 00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:25,400 Speaker 1: look at this nonsense that exists. Now, look what we 937 00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:28,200 Speaker 1: let happen. I'm gonna I'm going to need Garrison to 938 00:54:28,360 --> 00:54:35,560 Speaker 1: fact check everything you just said. So Ryan advanced to 939 00:54:35,640 --> 00:54:38,399 Speaker 1: the final round of the show. Um Hauserman liked him, 940 00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:41,319 Speaker 1: although she saw some quote unquote red flags, like the 941 00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:43,520 Speaker 1: fact that his rolex was fake and that he only 942 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:47,080 Speaker 1: brought a single pair of pants for five weeks of filming. Amazing, 943 00:54:47,760 --> 00:54:53,399 Speaker 1: all right, I wish I could, I wish I could 944 00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:57,120 Speaker 1: act better than him, but I do only own a 945 00:54:57,200 --> 00:55:00,239 Speaker 1: single pair of pants. Dave. I know this about having 946 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,760 Speaker 1: lived with you, but also, you're not a millionaire. That's true. 947 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:08,600 Speaker 1: I'm not. You're right. Yeah, I can't. I can't afford 948 00:55:08,680 --> 00:55:11,560 Speaker 1: multiple pairs of pants. You're right. That's why. That's why 949 00:55:11,600 --> 00:55:15,000 Speaker 1: I only have one pair. I'm the victim here, You're right. So, yeah, 950 00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:17,879 Speaker 1: it's weird. Yeah, it is weird for him. It's weird 951 00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:22,000 Speaker 1: for him. Um. So she thought he was sweet, um, 952 00:55:22,040 --> 00:55:24,439 Speaker 1: and she almost picked him as the winner. She looked 953 00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:26,719 Speaker 1: him up on Facebook one night during shooting and got 954 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:28,920 Speaker 1: his phone number and called him privately to tell him 955 00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:31,120 Speaker 1: she planned to pick him. But then she told the 956 00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:33,480 Speaker 1: show's producers what she planned to do, and they were like, 957 00:55:33,520 --> 00:55:37,600 Speaker 1: oh no, absolutely not. Um. They justified this as saying 958 00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:40,239 Speaker 1: he wasn't likable and was just putting on a show 959 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:43,480 Speaker 1: for her, and she eventually agreed to send him home. Quote, 960 00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:47,400 Speaker 1: he was really upset, and I was upset also, so 961 00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:50,360 Speaker 1: that's a shame. She planned to call him once filming 962 00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:52,120 Speaker 1: was over and explained that she had just been doing 963 00:55:52,160 --> 00:55:55,840 Speaker 1: what her producers wanted. The show flopped, but Hauserman remained 964 00:55:55,880 --> 00:55:58,520 Speaker 1: in contact with Ryan. He told her that after she 965 00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:00,560 Speaker 1: sent him home, he was so upset that quote, I 966 00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:03,439 Speaker 1: went to Vegas and I met a girl. Um As 967 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 1: is normally the case on reality shows. Producers hired several 968 00:56:06,560 --> 00:56:09,239 Speaker 1: of the failed contestants of this show for other projects, 969 00:56:09,239 --> 00:56:12,279 Speaker 1: and so four years later, in two thousand nine, Ryan 970 00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:15,360 Speaker 1: Jenkins has cast for a show called I Love Money three, 971 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:19,880 Speaker 1: vying her two d and fifty thousand dollar prize because 972 00:56:19,920 --> 00:56:21,959 Speaker 1: you know, he's not actually a millionaire and he could 973 00:56:21,960 --> 00:56:26,080 Speaker 1: really use the cash. Entertainment Weekly continues he kept calling 974 00:56:26,120 --> 00:56:28,560 Speaker 1: her on the phone, his wife, saying, I'm going to 975 00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:29,840 Speaker 1: win this and you and I are going to have 976 00:56:29,880 --> 00:56:33,120 Speaker 1: the life I've always promised, recalls Mark Cronin, co founder 977 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:36,680 Speaker 1: of fifty one Minds Entertainment, the production company behind Money, 978 00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:38,960 Speaker 1: Megan the Surreal Life and the majority of the h 979 00:56:39,040 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 1: one wildly successful celeb reality shows of that era. Then 980 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:45,400 Speaker 1: he would ask her where were you last night? Because 981 00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:47,440 Speaker 1: he's in Mexico shooting the show and she lives in 982 00:56:47,480 --> 00:56:50,279 Speaker 1: Las Vegas. He was very jealous and very suspicious of her. 983 00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:52,600 Speaker 1: We were actually making a story of it on the show. 984 00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:54,640 Speaker 1: We were like, look at this guy. He's obsessed with 985 00:56:54,640 --> 00:56:58,160 Speaker 1: this model he married. Cronin continues, it was funny until 986 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:01,720 Speaker 1: it wasn't funny at all. I guess why it stops 987 00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:05,319 Speaker 1: being funny. I have an idea. Yeah, it's pretty bad. 988 00:57:05,480 --> 00:57:09,399 Speaker 1: It's pretty it's not funny. On August fifteen, two thousand nine, 989 00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:12,480 Speaker 1: soon after I Love Money three wrapped fire, his his 990 00:57:12,560 --> 00:57:15,440 Speaker 1: wife's strangled and mutilated body was found stuffed in a 991 00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:19,800 Speaker 1: suitcase tossed to a dumpster in Buena Park, California. I 992 00:57:19,840 --> 00:57:23,760 Speaker 1: wonder what happened? Yeah, So Jenkins goes on the run, 993 00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:27,040 Speaker 1: and as this all gets public, TMZ finds out that 994 00:57:27,080 --> 00:57:30,400 Speaker 1: he has an extensive criminal record, um including an arrest 995 00:57:30,440 --> 00:57:33,240 Speaker 1: in two thousand five for assaulting a girlfriend in Calgary, 996 00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:35,760 Speaker 1: which v H one and fifty one mind said was 997 00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:39,320 Speaker 1: not on his background check. Uh. Jenkins eventually kills himself 998 00:57:39,360 --> 00:57:43,080 Speaker 1: in a hotel room in British Columbia in auguste. Um. 999 00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:46,160 Speaker 1: And yeah, it's this whole big story, big big, ugly 1000 00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:50,840 Speaker 1: story for the reality TV industry. Yeah, collective intelligence gets 1001 00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:52,560 Speaker 1: most of the blame for this, and they wind up 1002 00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:56,600 Speaker 1: laying off their workforce. Um. The whole nightmare reportedly leads 1003 00:57:56,640 --> 00:57:59,520 Speaker 1: to an increased willingness for production companies and networks to 1004 00:57:59,520 --> 00:58:04,920 Speaker 1: pay for thorough background checks. So that's good. It feels 1005 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:08,600 Speaker 1: like everybody in America should go to jail for a day. 1006 00:58:08,880 --> 00:58:11,040 Speaker 1: It feels like we all got to go to jail 1007 00:58:11,120 --> 00:58:15,360 Speaker 1: for that one. It's just like our culture everything. Everybody 1008 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:18,720 Speaker 1: should just for your shift and then you're the guard next, 1009 00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:22,200 Speaker 1: because like we got to get through everybody, right, we 1010 00:58:22,240 --> 00:58:26,600 Speaker 1: should all feel fucking ashamed. If some refugee comes into 1011 00:58:26,640 --> 00:58:29,240 Speaker 1: the country, it's like, hey, sorry, it's been so tough 1012 00:58:29,240 --> 00:58:33,280 Speaker 1: over in Ethiopia or Ukraine. Glad you're here. You gotta 1013 00:58:33,280 --> 00:58:35,600 Speaker 1: go to jail for a day. Now. There was this 1014 00:58:35,680 --> 00:58:40,200 Speaker 1: show like fifteen years ago. No one has stopped it 1015 00:58:40,240 --> 00:58:45,480 Speaker 1: from happening. He stopped it obvious that this person was Yeah, look, 1016 00:58:45,520 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 1: we know you new here, but every American has some 1017 00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:52,400 Speaker 1: collective responsibility for this show. I mean, listen, in our defense, 1018 00:58:52,480 --> 00:58:54,720 Speaker 1: he did say he was kind of a bad boy, 1019 00:58:55,080 --> 00:58:58,080 Speaker 1: so this is this would fall under the kind of 1020 00:58:58,160 --> 00:59:01,280 Speaker 1: a bad boy ages. Yeah, he's like, that's what he 1021 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:04,200 Speaker 1: actually whispered. He's like in her ear, he's like, I'm 1022 00:59:04,240 --> 00:59:09,040 Speaker 1: a murderer. I am. I am going to be a murderer. Yeah, yeah, 1023 00:59:09,280 --> 00:59:12,320 Speaker 1: Oh my fucking god. Now the good news, Dave, is 1024 00:59:12,360 --> 00:59:15,280 Speaker 1: that sketchy, violent dudes getting through vetting is no longer 1025 00:59:15,320 --> 00:59:18,760 Speaker 1: the main threat faced by reality shows. We're gonna talk 1026 00:59:18,800 --> 00:59:22,000 Speaker 1: about what is in part two of this series, Dave. 1027 00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:28,640 Speaker 1: How you like in reality is in reality? And you know, 1028 00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:33,960 Speaker 1: I'm mixed feelings always on reality, so you know, I 1029 00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:37,880 Speaker 1: can't can't complain, but really I don't have many compliments 1030 00:59:37,920 --> 00:59:41,000 Speaker 1: for it either. Yeah. I feel the same about reality 1031 00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:44,200 Speaker 1: as I do about Reality TV, which is I feel 1032 00:59:44,200 --> 00:59:47,040 Speaker 1: like we could do better. Yeah, I feel like we 1033 00:59:47,080 --> 00:59:49,760 Speaker 1: could do better. You know. Um, But you know who's 1034 00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:53,960 Speaker 1: doing great, Dave, is your podcast network Gamefully Unemployed, where 1035 00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:56,959 Speaker 1: people can listen to hype casts and hear about what's 1036 00:59:56,960 --> 00:59:59,520 Speaker 1: coming out in in a Hollywood. They can listen to 1037 00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Fox Older is a Maniac and learn how the FBI 1038 01:00:03,760 --> 01:00:08,640 Speaker 1: definitely really functions. Um, yeah, it's been Yeah, it's our 1039 01:00:08,680 --> 01:00:14,240 Speaker 1: own behind the bastards for Fox Molder and Fox Molder only. Yeah. Yeah, 1040 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:16,920 Speaker 1: it's so detailed in fact that if you listen to 1041 01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:19,440 Speaker 1: every episode of Fox Molder is a Maniac, you are 1042 01:00:19,560 --> 01:00:22,560 Speaker 1: legally an FBI agent and can carry out raids and 1043 01:00:22,680 --> 01:00:26,600 Speaker 1: stings on whoever you want it. Yeah. I mean, you know, 1044 01:00:26,640 --> 01:00:29,200 Speaker 1: the government might say otherwise, but it's like a little 1045 01:00:29,240 --> 01:00:32,200 Speaker 1: wink wink, what do they know? What do they know? Yeah, exactly, 1046 01:00:32,280 --> 01:00:35,160 Speaker 1: They're just working with you. Yeah. So yeah, everybody check 1047 01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:41,280 Speaker 1: that out. Gamefully Unemployed, game fully, patreon dot com dot wait, 1048 01:00:41,360 --> 01:00:44,560 Speaker 1: I can do it, Patreon dot com, slash gamefully Unemployed. 1049 01:00:45,160 --> 01:00:48,880 Speaker 1: We're on Twitter as well, gamefully and I think just 1050 01:00:48,920 --> 01:00:52,640 Speaker 1: gooding like that, something like that. All right, google them 1051 01:00:52,720 --> 01:00:56,200 Speaker 1: and then google yourself, but like in a sexual manner, 1052 01:00:58,520 --> 01:01:02,240 Speaker 1: your name just happen. Okay, cool, Yeah, google your name 1053 01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:06,160 Speaker 1: plus nude. See what happens. You'll get something. It won't 1054 01:01:06,160 --> 01:01:08,760 Speaker 1: be you won't be happy you got it, but you'll 1055 01:01:08,800 --> 01:01:13,520 Speaker 1: get something. Anyway. This has been the podcast. I've been 1056 01:01:13,600 --> 01:01:16,760 Speaker 1: Robert Evans, you've been David Bell and Sophie has been 1057 01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:17,600 Speaker 1: disappointed in me,