Reality bites
But these are the unpredictable twists and turns that producers are forced to contend with when they're dealing with real human beings instead of scripted actors. It's a testament to the spinmasters at Fox Reality that I hadn't even heard about the death of one of the residents of "Paradise Hotel 2" (9 p.m. Mondays on Fox Reality) until a reader wrote to tell me about it last week. Nathan Clutter committed suicide last October just four weeks after the show wrapped. Apparently depressed and possibly suffering from bipolar disorder, he jumped off a radio tower in Texas, leaving no note, but this possessions and his dog were left in his car with some food and water for the dog.
Fox referred to his death as a "climbing accident," but the local authorities recently ruled it a suicide. His uncle told reporters that his nephew was dealing with "bouts of depression" and was planning to come home to seek treatment. There's a short note on his bio on the Fox Reality Web site; otherwise, though, "Paradise Hotel 2" is airing as scheduled.
Now, of course his death may have had nothing to do with the show. But this definitely forces us to ask ourselves, as viewers at the very least (since clearly we can't expect anyone at Fox to ponder even the most pressing ethical questions), are we comfortable watching a show that, even if it didn't make the kid's life much worse, apparently didn't make it any better? And for all the talk of how they screen for mental health issues, isn't it pretty obvious after watching about three seconds of most reality shows that they basically go out looking for people with mental health issues? And isn't it clear that, when you take unstable young people with fragile egos who hope that being on TV might make them rich and famous and loved by all, and then you place them in an unsettling environment with lots of alcohol and social pressure, and you film the whole thing and broadcast every dumb thing they do and say for weeks on end -- isn't it pretty clear that there will be serious emotional repercussions for those involved?
Yes, I can see how millions of dollars have been invested, and any reality show is likely to air regardless of what happens to any of the contestants during taping or after the show has wrapped. This is a little different, though -- this is one of the sleaziest shows on the air, and the kid committed suicide four weeks after filming ended. Yes, some reality show contestants (like those on "Big Brother") receive on-site psychological treatment and they're sometimes offered treatment in the wake of filming, when many experience depression. But think about it: Producers put people through hell, shame them, and then let them talk to a counselor to make up for it (and to guard their own asses legally)?
In the age of "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" and a million other outrageous shows, maybe this is an absurdly outdated consideration, one that signals my status as a curmudgeonly old dodo bird, fast approaching extinction. The truth is, though, it takes a lot for reality TV to creep me out, and for me, "Paradise Hotel 2" just went from delightfully creepy to deeply, disturbingly, soul-crushingly creepy.
But in today's depraved TV freak-show world, "soul-crushingly creepy" may be the most adaptive trait of them all.
Next week: FX's soapy freak show "Dirt" returns for a second season.
About the writer
Heather Havrilesky is Salon's TV critic. She also maintains the rabbit blog. You can find more of her columns in the I Like To Watch directory.
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