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 identifiable symptoms of a reality TV addiction is an incredibly high threshold for shock-factor. The shock factor – the thing that makes you say “this sh*t is crazy,” is often what keeps us reality TV lovers undoubtedly coming back for more – on the constant pursuit of that moment of jaw-dropping, this cannot be real, shock. Chasing the shock-factor is a vicious cycle and one that has brought me to some weird places…those places are what I am here to share with you today.
But first a little background…My journey into reality TV started at a young age growing up in what I have deemed a TLC Household. For those who are not familiar, TLC which is short for the ironic name of The Learning Channel is a cable television network known for its production of niche reality show topics. Through the powers of TLC my mother enriched my sister and I with the hallmark childhood classics like Say Yes to the Dress, 19 Kids and Counting, Breaking Amish, and Sister Wives.
Now in college I have made it my distinguished duty to turn my college home into a TLC Household. I have watched as my roommates fall into the reality TV rabbit hole and experience the thrill of a reality TV induced shock factor. I watch them longingly as I recall a time when a simple scandal like The Bachelor telling two girls that he loves them once satisfied me too.
This brings me to the second most distinct characteristic of a reality TV addiction: an insatiable need to make others watch and experience the thrill of the shock. So here we go, I now present my most vulnerable omissions of TV guilty pleasures, guaranteed to give the most shocking of shocks…
MILF Manor (2023) Shock Rating: ★★★★★
Ah, MILF Manor, how Freud would have loved this one. MILF Manor is a distasteful, uncomfortable, and down right wrong production of reality TV. Upon watching the series I had thoughts like, but not limited to: Why? How is this allowed? And why would anyone sign up for this? (all great signs of shock-factor).
The pilot episode of Season 1 of MILF Manor opens to a shiny villa in Mexico where we meet our starring 8 MILFs (Mother I’d Like to F*ck). These 40-60 year old single mothers have come here under the pretense that they will be looking for love within a group of eligible 20-30 year old “men.” The twist comes minutes later as the MILFs stand anxiously behind a large linen curtain, with their bachelors waiting on the other side. As the curtain falls it is revealed that the bachelors are in fact the women's 20-30 year old sons. The shock you will feel in this moment will have you hooked and trust me the rest of the season is only more shocking from there. The MILFs then embark on a season-long journey of dating each other's sons, overstepping, and partaking in activities that are sure to get the mothers disowned from their PTA.
Tickled (2016) Shock Rating: ★★★★☆
Tickled is a documentary produced by a New Zealand journalist who came across Competitive Endurance Tickling during a routine deep internet dive. What is Competitive Endurance Tickling you ask? Well, so did this journalist and that is what this documentary sets out to answer. What makes this story instantly shocking is that after the journalist innocently inquires about conducting an interview for a story about Competitive Endurance Tickling, he is met with a hostile and aggressive response from the organization who has unexpectedly disagreed to meet because of the journalist's sexuality. This makes the journalist all the more intrigued to find out why this sport exists, who is behind it, and why they are so interested in keeping it away from outside investigation. This one is weird, unsettling, and reveals an unsightly angle of humanity we all know, but hate to see exist.
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 non-distasteful 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?