Reality TV as we know it today has changed significantly from its origins. The first reality TV show, “An American Family,” premiered in 1973 and established the genre as the tame everyday following of an average family’s routine. Modern reality TV consists of screaming matches, emotional distress and even physical altercations. We have come to crave, even expect, intense drama that viewers could never handle themselves.
I am an avid consumer of many “trash” TV dating, competition and lifestyle shows. My favorites are “Vanderpump Rules,” “Love is Blind,” “Jersey Shore” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” If you don’t live under a rock, then you know just how messy the storylines in these shows can get.
But our beloved reality TV only shows glimpses of the true horrors that impact the real people on screen.
In many shows, drama often exhibits a cast member’s negative character traits or even mental illness. Many cast members throughout my favorites have exhibited extreme cases of emotional instability to the point of being a danger to themselves or others. These shows glorify mental illness and use it for entertainment value.
For instance, in “Love Island” season seven, Huda Mustafa quickly proved to be troubled and highly susceptible to environmental stressors, becoming known as “Hurricane Huda” online due to her intense reactions to situations. Now, eight months later, Mustafa received a restraining order against her for threatening behavior toward the mother of her boyfriend’s child, Nicole Olivera. ”After about 12 hours of terrifying and mentally unstable threats against her, her daughter & my son’s lives, she Ubered to where my son & I live and broke into the building uninvited (obviously),” Olivera alleged in the document.
These same behaviors demonstrated on the show were involved in the alleged harassment case opened against her. I personally saw Mustafa as a hurt woman at the beginning, but afterward, I could not support or stand by emotionally abusive and manipulative behavior that she was partaking in.
Similar to Love Island’s Mustafa, Jax Taylor from the “Vanderpump Rules” series was known for his emotional outbursts and overreactions. Taylor was unstable and aggressive and cast members often got into fights with him. Throughout the series, Taylor became more comfortable with therapy, but his intimidating behavior continued, struggling to keep a partner because of his patterns of disrespect and eventually being diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder.
Although the diagnoses are a potential explanation for his behavior, it is not an excuse. Watching Taylor constantly put me on edge and made me fear for his chosen opponent’s safety.
Alongside mental health issues, we also often see relationship abuse displayed on reality TV shows. Recently, Taylor Frankie Paul of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” was accused of domestic abuse, leading to filming of the show being halted and the cancellation of her “The Bachelorette” season. Although still allegations, a video on TMZ depicts the alleged physical assault against her partner. According to TMZ’s description of the video, “she persists, throwing 2 more stools at him. At that moment, you hear her child, who was curled up on the couch, begin crying. The police report says the 5-year-old girl was hit and later had a ‘goose egg on her head.’”
This case is from 2023. ABC was likely aware of the charges when casting her, but only reacted when the video of the assault was released and gained more attention.
In “Jersey Shore,” there are blatant examples of domestic violence between aggressor Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and victim Samantha Giancola, or Sammi Sweetheart. Throughout the early seasons of the show, Ortiz-Magro and Giancola were constantly arguing, with the conflicts escalating to tumultuous points. Giancola was constantly abused and manipulated by Ortiz-Magro on national television for several years until the show ended in 2012. Business Insider explains, “Ortiz was subsequently so aggravated by the breakup that he attempted to destroy Giancola’s belongings by throwing them on the porch — including the bed she was standing on during the altercation.”
Although no arrests were made, it was clear to viewers that Giancola was in a dangerous situation. Jersey Shore aired in the 2010s when reality TV was much more unhinged, but even then, someone should’ve stopped what was happening to her on national television. Seeing a young woman so blatantly battered and abused was heartbreaking and even more terrifying was that this was going on in front of people she considered close friends.
Also in “Jersey Shore,” Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino was struggling with an active drug addiction while filming the show. After the show finished, Sorrentino opened up about his drug dealing and abuse until 2015. Viewers of the show know that Mike was always erratic and could be frightening when angry, explaining the drug use that has come to light. I wish now that the show had used its massive popularity to bring attention to drug abuse and its dangers, rather than record it for entertainment purposes.
I am an avid watcher of all these shows, but there are clear lines that need to be drawn to avoid enabling these behaviors. Allowing these behaviors to be aired on television normalizes putting yourself or others at risk. Don’t get me wrong, the drama from these shows keeps me completely captivated, but there is no reason to give abusers platforms and exploit the mentally ill.
Deirdre Pryal is a sophomore majoring in sociology.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.