The Truth Behind Reality TV Casting

Going Through Reality TV Casting Opened My Eyes

Reality tv casting can be brutal. I had an eye-opening experience that was my first opportunity to view it up close. First off, it’s important to know that when I was interviewed for this reality tv show, I was blissfully unaware of how the shows were actually run behind the scenes. Bingeing on reality tv shows was somewhat of a pastime (starting with Laguna Beach and The Hills in high school). Often, I wondered how the camera crew was able to capture the storylines. I knew that there was an element of deceit to the dialogue, but I didn’t comprehend how the shows truly worked. Years later, Lauren Conrad came out talking more in detail about how behind the scenes of The Hills went down, but even then, the whole story was hard to grasp.

Although people talk about the contrived drama on shows like The Kardashians, the actual nature of the shows is not widely spoken about when it comes to reality shows featuring non-celebrities. The existence of darkness in the drama finally came to light for me when I was interviewed to be on a reality tv show. After my experience, I became aware of the fictional show called Unreal— a story following a producer on a made-for-tv reality dating show, based on the experience of a real Hollywood producer from The Bachelor. Needless to say, both encounters forced me to confront the damaging effects that the dating show has on feminism, mental health, and society as a whole.

Behind Reality TV Auditions

I was first approached by a producer (let’s call her Jane) working for a production company, by email. When the email arrived in my inbox, I truly thought it was a hoax and someone was trolling me. Why would they approach me out of all the other bloggers? Why would anyone be interested in my life? After the initial shock, I realized that I had indeed been contacted by a production company for actual reality tv casting.

Specifically, the show was set to take place in Salt Lake City. The production company was looking for influencers in Utah to be a part of a cast for a show based around the blogging industry. After the Allure article came out last year about why the blogging industry is saturated with Mormon women, a huge discussion on the topic was brought into the media. Why were Mormon women, specifically those that had lived in Utah at some point, more engaged in the blogging community? The production company I was in contact with saw this question as a jumping off point for a show series. If people could become invested in the lives of those on Real Housewives, and they are already keen on bloggers who share details of their lives online, why wouldn’t they be interested in watching a reality tv series about a combination of that?

Jane and I went back and forth via email, and she asked to set up a Skype call so that we could get to know each other better. Leading up to the phone call, I felt excited and nervous about the opportunity ahead of me. I knew that I had to look my best and essentially “preform” on this phone call. Albeit minimal, I understood that the video call could also be cut and trimmed to make me seem a certain way. This pressure made me anxious. However, being on a reality tv show had the potential to launch my career. I looked at people like Michelle Money, the woman portrayed as a villain on season 15 of The Bachelor, who came out successful. It crossed my mind how being on tv would open the door to work with countless brands, build awareness of my blog, and pull in an invested audience. At the time, I felt eager that the show would ultimately bring me more success than failure.

My Experience During a Reality TV Audition and Interview

Our initial video call went easier than I could have imagined. I prepped for the session by styling my hair, doing my makeup, and setting up the room to be well lit and look clean. I was ready. Jane let me know more about what the show was about, the networks (BIG networks) they were pitching the show to, and the idea behind the series. Not once during the call did it seem destructive. She asked me to tell her my story, why I blog, what life was like for me growing up, about my teaching career. Once I had warmed up to the conversation, we spoke about deeper subjects like my affiliation with the LDS religion, body image, and the pressures of perfection in the blogging career path. While I opened up about a lot, sharing the information with Jane seemed harmless. She let me know that she would be editing the recorded call to take out her talking and that she would send it to the casting director to see if I was a good fit. Jane also let me know that she would be interviewing my friends, and if all went well, we would set up a group call to film us interacting together. She mentioned countless times that this show would be about showing women empowerment and women finding success with their own businesses.

In addition to wanting to interview me, the casting producer asked for a list of women that I was in contact with in the Utah blogging world. Naturally, I included my two blogging best friends on that list. In my mind, I wanted to share in this success with them, and I also wanted them by my side as we ventured through the show. The producer pressured me to assemble an ongoing list of women that she could screen, and hopefully, interview as well. I texted her whenever a name popped into my head. We built a camaraderie and I felt comfortable opening up to her. In the back of my mind, a small part of me wondered if Jane was just doing her job and acting like she enjoyed talking to me to complete what was asked of her. In the end, I always felt like she was genuine in her interest. It seemed pretty impossible to me that Jane, or anyone, could fake friendliness to that extent.

Group Interview with a Producer

Eventually, after a few weeks of Jane speaking to my blogging friends and a lot of back and forth between us, the group interview was set up. This was when I started to see the story unraveling and noticed the nefarious nature of Jane. My friend, let’s call her Gretchen, and I posted up together with my computer in a well lit room. Getting on a Skype call for the second time was much less intimidating, especially with Gretchen by my side. All three of us (that includes Jane on the video, calling from California), laughed, joked and commiserated during the hour long conversation. Sometimes, if Gretchen or I said something particularly funny or memorable, Jane would have us repeat the interaction so that she could capture it just right for future editing. Near the last fifteen minutes of the discussion, Jane asked us who we thought was the “airhead” of our Utah blogging friends. Gretchen and I exchanged a look, didn’t skip a beat, and turned to Jane and feigned ignorance. We were both closed-mouth about the gossip that we both knew was true. Jane persisted to try and pull a name out of our mouths, but both Gretchen and I were vigilant in our silence. Later, after the phone call ended and Jane failed to get us to speak on the subject, Gretchen and I talked about who we would have mentioned. We both knew names to give her, but deep down in our guts, and possibly from previous experience, we knew that giving out a name would end badly for all parties — except for Jane.

The Reality of a Reality TV Show

Ultimately, every story needs adversity. Typically in a reality tv show, this means friends turned enemies and constructed drama between the two parties. Even a reality tv show about Utah bloggers wasn’t exempt from such a narrative. A few days after my group phone call, Jane text me and asked a question I knew was coming. “Who is your enemy in the Utah blogging community?” A name came to my mind. After being immersed in the blogging world for 4.5 years, I was bound to have a few people that I disliked and I’ll bet there are some who disliked me equally. However, sharing that name would not only put the the other girl at risk, but also make myself more vulnerable. I wrote Jane back, “I feel uncomfortable giving you any names. I don’t want to hurt anyone or cause tension.” Jane responded, “In order for there to be a show, we need a storyline.” There it was. The truth: orchestrated drama. The success I wanted from the potential show would mean accepting the drama to unfold, or be puppeteered, on screen.

After watching the show Unreal, I finally understood how a reality tv show is organized. The shows have producers, most people know that. What most people don’t realize is that a producers job is to produce the spectacles that we watch develop on screen. Remember those one-on-one interviews that we see where cast members are talking to the camera? Producers are the ones on the other side of the screen, asking questions, and driving the storyline through their emotions. They learn about these contestants lives, down to their insecurities and home life, and then they use this knowledge to evoke unnecessary emotions from the people on camera. The producers pretend to be these contestants friends, building trust and breaking down walls. Then, they pit women against women, spreading gossip and telling lies to make them feel like they are unsteady. The rumors work, and many of these contestants do become unstable– and who wouldn’t?! As an audience, we can see a clip of a woman crying and acting irrational, but what we don’t see is that a producer could have brought up her turbulent family life, body image, or mental health issues. Cameras roll 24/7, and then when enough has been captured, the film and editing team will cut and crop clips, sewing once innocent shots into a web of lies and drama that keeps the viewers coming back for more. What the spectators see as a tale of tears and turmoil may actually be orchestrated to appear that way. That’s showbiz, folks!

The Negative Effects of Reality TV Casting

After reading all this, if you still don’t understand why I think these shows have a negative impact on society, let me break it down for you. Reality shows are anti-feminist. True feminism is about equality, women supporting women, and an understanding that by allowing women to make their own choices, we are providing for a more inclusive future. The reality tv shows that I have watched do the opposite of this. Although, some shows like The Kardashians allow for the reality tv stars to control their own narrative, most do not. Additionally, unlike the aforementioned show, most women do not get royalties, millions of dollars for appearances, or empires built off of their likeness. Most women (and men) participating in this show walk away with a small payment. Along with that, these shows do not benefit the mental health movement that we have worked so hard to reveal in the media. Reality tv shows expose mental health in a negative manner, rendering people defenseless and controlling their fears, anxieties, and emotional health, exposing these in front of millions.

One last thing, before you state that these contestants knew what they were getting into, that they should have researched, and that they had it coming: please remember that the production companies prey on these people. There is a betrayal of trust that many do not even imagine possible. In fact, a great deal of these people don’t know how their story will be spun, for better or for worse, until the season is aired. That’s how good TV is made. After all, the network isn’t trying to build us up as a society. Their bottom line is to increase viewership and revenue.

In the end, the reality tv show based around the lives of Utah bloggers never was picked up by a network. For months, I wondered if my friends and I would be on the next big TV show. Jane ghosted everyone that had been interviewed, and we never heard another word. Since I followed her on social media, I knew she had left her job, moved across the country, and began exploring feminism herself. Seeing this still leaves me with that unanswered question: did Jane actually enjoy us, or was she playing a part? Exiting her life for a more fulfilling lifestyle makes me want to believe that she knew all the long the tragedy that reality tv can create.