The Craziest Sh*t I Have Ever Seen: Confessions of a Reality TV Addict
I have something embarrassing to admit: I am a reality TV addict. One of the most recognizable symptoms of this addiction is an incredibly high threshold for shock factor. The shock factor—the moment that makes you say, “This sh*t is crazy”—is what keeps us reality TV lovers coming back for more, constantly chasing that jaw-dropping, this-cannot-be-real moment. Chasing the shock factor is a vicious cycle, one that has led me to some strange places. Those places are what I’m here to share with you today.
But first, a little background. My journey into reality TV began at a young age, growing up in what I’ve dubbed a “TLC Household”. For those unfamiliar, TLC—short for the ironically named The Learning Channel—is a cable network notorious for its niche reality shows. Thanks to TLC, my mother enriched my sister and me with hallmark childhood classics like Say Yes to the Dress, 19 Kids and Counting, Breaking Amish, and Sister Wives.
Now in college, I’ve taken it upon myself to transform my college home into a TLC Household. I’ve watched my roommates fall into the reality TV rabbit hole, experiencing the thrill of that reality TV shock factor. I look on with nostalgia, remembering a time when a simple scandal—like The Bachelor telling two women he loved them—was enough to satisfy me.
This brings me to the second most distinct characteristic of a reality TV addiction: the insatiable need to make others watch and experience the thrill of the shock. So, here we go—I now present my most vulnerable confessions of TV guilty pleasures, guaranteed to deliver the most shocking of shocks…
MILF Manor (2023) Shock Rating: ★★★★★
Ah, MILF Manor. After watching the series, my thoughts included—but were not limited to—Why? How is this allowed? And why would anyone sign up for this? (All, I might add, excellent indicators of the shock factor.)
The pilot episode of Season 1 opens with a glossy villa in Mexico, where we meet our stars: eight self-proclaimed MILFs. These single women, aged 40-60, have arrived under the impression that they’ll be finding love among a group of eligible 20-30-year-old “men.” The twist comes minutes later, as the MILFs stand anxiously behind a large linen curtain, their bachelors waiting on the other side. When the curtain drops, it’s revealed that the bachelors are, in fact, their own 20-30-year-old sons.
If you make it through the first episode, the rest of the season only gets more jaw-dropping. The MILFs embark on a season-long journey of dating each other’s sons, crossing boundaries, and participating in activities that would surely get them banned from the PTA.
Tickled (2016) Shock Rating: ★★★★☆
Tickled is a documentary produced by a New Zealand journalist who stumbles upon the bizarre world of Competitive Endurance Tickling during a routine deep-dive on the internet. What is Competitive Endurance Tickling, you ask? Well, that’s exactly what this documentary sets out to uncover.
What makes this story instantly shocking is the response the journalist receives after innocently inquiring about conducting an interview for a story. Instead of cooperation, the organization behind the sport responds with hostility and aggression, abruptly refusing to meet due to the journalist’s sexuality. This reaction only deepens the journalist’s curiosity: Why does this sport exist? Who is behind it? And why are they so determined to keep it hidden from outside investigation?
Three Identical Strangers (2018) Shock Rating: ★★★☆☆
In an attempt to not appear to be a total freak, I am making my third suggestion a shocking, but less taboo piece of reality work. Three Identical Strangers tells the incredible story of three triplet brothers whose existence was unknown to each other or their adoptive parents until they were 18 years old. In the spirit of letting you all experience the shock that I did while watching this documentary, I am not going to reveal any more details. In this documentary you can expect feel-good moments, humor, tragedy, and an attempt to answer one of the biggest questions in psychology: how much of who we are is nature and how much is nurture?