Do some "reality TV" shows use light forms of torture?

[Elspeth]

Things like sleep deprivation...

http://www.ivygateblog.com/blog/2007/10/tory_tells_all_in_exclusive_interview_im_not_sexy_and_tyra_feared_me.html

"IG: Tell me about the catfights. Which of the girls are actually crazy, or was it all for the camera?
VM: Oh my god, it's so crazy but no one's actually like that at all. If you're filmed 24 hours a day, you're bound to do stupid things. Everyone is also so sleep-deprived, which is why they fight a lot. You're not allowed to read, watch tv, or to leave the house. All you can do is cook and talk to each other. You get tired and bored, and people get on each other's nerves. ... Every time you see one girl on the show, there's usually at least ten people on the side: producers, cameramen, sound crew. You're not allowed to talk to the cameramen or sound people, but one or two producers will ask you questions....

IG: What else did they do to create drama?

VM: The sleep deprivation thing really made everyone crazy. They would deprive me even more because I wasn't manipulated as easily, I guess. I would get maybe two or three hours of sleep a night, and had to nap whenever I could. It makes you physically ill and mentally insane. A couple girls got sick.

[Make7]

1. Does watching a "reality TV" show count as being tortured? ( n/t )

[davidinalameda]

2. amen to that

my New Year's resolution is to stop watching that trash

[Sherman A1]

12. You hit the nail on the head

I can't stand them and use that magic remote to find anything else.

[blondeatlast]

18. Indeed, but it appears there are a LOT of masochists out there. nt

[Hekate]

3. Only for the viewers. Not being a masochist, I turn the channel. nt

[Elspeth]

4. Actually, from what I have been reading, the contestants are put through some unethical stuff

Sleep deprivation, being forced to sleep in the same bed with others they may feel uncomfortable with, being subjected to psychologically invasive "armchair therapy" on camera....and that's just one show.

[Captain Angry]

5. Nope. It's all consentual.

She could have left whenever she wanted.

[Elspeth]

6. Do they sign contracts agreeing to be sleep deprived?

I think some of the psychological damage inflicted is actionable.

[Captain Angry]

7. No contract keeps them there.

This isn't some desert island where they're abused away from authorities.

She certainly signed an unreal consent waiver to do that show. All contestants do.

Look at American Idol. Cowell owns the show. He gets to treat people like crap. Yet every single last one of the people who apply for work on that show are signing away their rights to him. He is the producer that makes the money if the contestants go on to be successful.

Fox is just happy to sell ads during the shows. It's a brilliant business model. The most expensive part of the music business is to find and cultivate an artist. He gets a million people knocking his door down to try and be that artist.

Same thing goes for modeling.

[Elspeth]

8. Actually, that show tends to pick those who have the least potential to model as winners

This last cycle was a great example of that. The girls with real modeling potential were eliminated on various pretexts and the girl who won really doesn't have that kind of potential.

[Captain Angry]

9. I've never watched the show. That's interesting.

I just know about the business models that are underneath them.

It's all so dishonest and distracting. We're being dumbed down. All the really intelligent and educational material has been pushed to the upper tiers of satellite/cable. PBS is barely useful nowadays. The networks are completely useless.

The old Discovery/History/Learning channel lineup has become reality and trash TV.

So depressing.

[Djinn]

10. no

they're not compelled to stick around. I'm sure it wasn't intended but comparing torture with voluntary involvement in a TV show is off.

[KitchenWitch]

11. Not sure if torture is quite the right term, perhaps hazing is a more apt descriptor

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Our reality shows are nothing compared to the Japanese...

I saw one where three guys stood over huge hammers which flew up and hit them in the nuts if they gave a wrong answer.

(I'll take psychological torture any day...)

[Elspeth]

14. This is insane. What guy would volunteer for that?

And ouch!

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Macho points and cash, n/t

[Echo In Light]

16. Lions/10 - Christians/0

[MyNameGoesHere]

17. these idiots volunteer for torture, our country takes prisoners of war

and tortures them. See the diff?

[blondeatlast]

19. Here's an idea, VM. Leave. People in Gitmo don't have that luxury. nt

[KoKo]

20. The few I've tried to watch promote cruelty and psychological distortion.

I won't watch them and hope that folks who do ...understand what's going on.

[Elspeth]

21. I agree with you. I watched Top Model this season for the first time

I thought it was a real contest, but when I heard that they sleep deprived these girls, I just lost my stomach for it.

[Xithras]

22. It's never torture if you can walk out.

If you were afraid of snakes, and I were to throw you into a pit of snakes against your will, that's torture. I am putting you into a terrifying and potentially painful situation against your will and your ability to escape.

When Fear Factor participants did the same thing, it wasn't torture. They could stand up at any point, say "I'm Done", and walk away.Same goes for sleep deprived model wannabe's.