Reality TV is the ultimate puppet master

Today, I want to share a reflection on how reality TV is the ultimate a puppet master, based on my personal experience from being on Married at First Sight (the most watched TV show in Australia).

Reality TV is no longer a safe space

While MAFS do put out casting calls to the public (and choose randoms such as me), MAFS producers rely heavily on picking up contestants on Instagram and TikTok.

And that’s because reality TV shows rely heavily on casting influencers to draw in viewers. Talent scouts slide into the DMs of potential contestants – usually people with some degree of following and “influence” – and hit them up to appear on the show.

Apparently though, there is a problem. Influencers aren’t so keen on going on reality TV shows anymore because they “no longer consider reality TV a safe space” (Yahoo Lifestyle). Influencers don’t want to appear on MAFS because they've built a decent profile and brand which MAFS might utterly destroy.

It's been reported that many influencers who were scouted pulled out when they received their final contract. And that comes as no surprise to me.

The seven rules of the game

The MAFS contract is 37 pages long. And while I struggle to get my head around contracts and the language they use, the very first thing you get to read in the MAFS contract (set in a highlighted box) are what I call “the seven rules of the game”. ?

• You may or may not be shown in a way that you consider favourable or unfavourable.
• You may be shown in a way You consider to be embarrassing.
• You and your Partner may not result in a successful or compatible match.
• You may receive a lot of public attention, including on TV, in newspapers, social media and by paparazzi and other commentators, that may be untrue, negative or unwanted.
• You are not guaranteed financial rewards or fame by participating - this is a program where the main goal is to find love.
• Your appearance on the Program may result in others seeing or treating you differently in your personal, work or professional life.
• You may experience these things during and after Your participation in the Program and its broadcast in both Australia and internationally.

Yeah, and that’s why influencers don’t consider reality TV a safe space. That and the fact that they take full control of your social media for the better part of six months, which means a loss of income for influencers.

Exploit throughout the world, in perpetuity

Another interesting feature of the puppet master contract is the word “exploit”: it’s used throughout. Such as this statement:

ESA and/or Nine may Exploit the Program, the Advertisements and the Material (both within the Program and separately from the Program) by any means, for any purpose and in all media, now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world in perpetuity.

As far as I know, the word “exploit” means to treat someone unfairly, selfishly or unethically to make money or get an advantage. I began to think that the word “exploit” had another, legal meaning, and apparently it does.

Exploit means to research, develop, make, have made, use, offer for sale, sell, import, export or otherwise exploit, or transfer possession of or title in, a product.

So, in this context, and using simpler language, exploit means to employ something to your greatest possible advantage: as in exploiting the content of the show to gain maximum commercial advantage. And so, if you are shown in a way you consider to be embarrassing, tough shit buddy. It's a great earner for us.

Did the puppet master damage my brand?

Surrendering your personal brand to someone else is quite a big deal. A lot of people think poorly or badly of me after watching MAFS. Do I feel exploited? Not really. Although a marketing friend did suggest to me that my brand had been damaged, and that I needed to reassert "my former, true self" in the business and public domains.

On the other hand, a lady I don’t even know messaged me her top ten things she liked about me on the show: ?

Hi Richard. I just wanted you to know the top 10 things I thought were fantastic about you:

1. Your free spirit.

2. Your kind eyes.

3. Your infectious smile.

4. Your patience.

5. The fact that you never gave up.

6. The fact that you took the opportunity so seriously and applied yourself with genuine effort.

7. Your inhibition.

8. Your good nature.

9. Your honesty.

10. Your caring nature.

As a guy who doesn’t take compliments that easily, I’ll take that one. Thank you so much. You are very observant. As for the “untrue, negative or unwanted” public and media attention, get a life guys.