The fabricated situations, unlikely odds, pre-scripted events and misleading editing of this genre cast suspicion on the “reality” quotient. Early shows like "Survivor" and "The Real World" faced allegations of being staged to elicit strong emotions and histrionics from the cast.
The emotional and physical well-being of participants is often manipulated for the sake of profit and ratings. Some cast members have revealed that producers guided their statements during confessionals, controlled their consumption for product placement reasons, and refused to interfere even when violence became a concern.
Elimination-type shows purportedly find winners based on public voting and/or fair judging. However, the selection processes of many shows are premeditated and motivated by corporate profit and certain audience or syndication biases.
Some reality TV characters embody a departure from accepted moral values in regard to lewdness, promiscuity, alcoholism, superficiality and domestic violence. The spectacle of humiliation, melodrama and interpersonal conflict has an influence on our culture.
Producers of reality TV have had to make their programs gripping on a very intrinsic level. Watching the misfortune of others is often cathartic, and most emotions displayed are genuine on some level. Perhaps, in its un-realistic way, reality television is about reality at its extremes, testing the limits and providing insight into behavior and human nature.