As one of the most beloved and addictive genres of television on the planet,reality televisionhas captivated the world thanks to its unscripted peek into, well, reality. The genre has manifested itself into a subculture with a highly devoted and fervent fandom that is reminiscent of some blockbuster intellectual properties likeStar WarsorMarvel. There are reality show-obsessed individuals who eat, sleep, and breathe Bachelor Nation, thanks toThe Bachelor,The Bachelorette, and its spin-offs. Fans ofRuPaul’s Drag Racegather at weekly viewing parties to celebrate their show like it’s their own Super Bowl. What makes these fandoms similar to how people watch scripted television and movies is thanks to how the stories on these shows are told. Whether it’s a competition reality program or a docu-follow series, the edit of a show is essentially equivalent to how a scripted piece is told. Reality television may be “unscripted,” but thanks to reality television show editing, a certain story is portrayed.
Like any piece of media that is edited,what’s cut or even kept in is crucial to how an audience intakes the content.The narrative can change simply through what words or images are presented in each scene, who the camera is showcasing during a certain moment, or which character is featured as the talking head to divulge important information. There is one mantra that many reality stars have lamented after they’ve stepped foot off of their respective reality television shows: blame it on the edit.RuPaulfamously turned this phrase into an entire track thanks to how many drag queen contestants have felt following their time onRuPaul’s Drag Race. But they’re not alone. Why do they blame the edit over the reality of the things they said or did? Because they know the full story and know what the editors chose to include. And that’s why an edit can sway the narration of a reality show — the selection of footage and just exactly where it’s placedwill alter reality.
A reality show where a group of contestants are stranded in a remote location with little more than the clothes on their back. The lone survivor of this contest takes home a million dollars.
Reading the Edit of Reality Television
When it comes to “reading the edit,” reality television fans have become experts.Those keen-eyed viewers can often figure out how a reality television episode will goor how a character may be portrayed. It comes from years and years of watching and understanding the tricks of the trade. With a genre that relies on certain tropes, character personas, and stories, reality TV viewers might be clued into the narrative simply by how a show is cast. Perhaps it’s the “super fan” that has stormed Reddit to dissect the latest theory or provide one of their own. Through consistency of storytelling, the edit of a reality show can convince an audience that this was, in fact, reality.
Because reality television is — mostly — unscripted,it’s the important role of the editors to tell the story. It’s a major reason why reality television is successful. It’s creating a narrative from scratch using the pieces of a puzzle that spilled from the box. Perhaps it’s a perfectly clear picture, or maybe it’s distorted ever so slightly to remove that scene or person that didn’t work to allow the ultimate narrative to shine. Some reality television fans still enter blindly andallow entertainment to be their guide.Whether they are watching a competition or a docuseries, they have their popcorn bucket in their lap as they blissfully kick their feet up and watch it all unfold. But for those who know, these clues may ruin the fun and games of watching your favorite show, but it also makes it exciting when they feel validated when they get the result correct.
‘Survivor’ and the World of Edgic
To feel validation by understanding the edit came thanks to a very devoted and amazing community fromSurvivor. The concept, whichseemingly beganwithin the special sect ofSurvivorfandom on the “Survivor Sucks forum,” is a very detailed exploration of media theory and statistical analysis through watching the season unfold. Asbrilliantly detailed byMartin Holmesof InsideSurvivorfame,Edgic breaks down simply by combining editing and logic. While originally eager to decipher the winner of a season, it has moved beyond and explores the narrative of a specific outcome that is revealed through how the program is edited.
In the world ofSurvivor, certain fans thrive in the world of Edgic. In this universe,viewers assign a certain player a rating based on their appearance in a specific episode combined with the type of content they receive. How players are portrayed through their percentage of screen time, their personality type, and the tone of their portrayal all factor into the Edgic results. Martin Holmes breaks it down even further in each category that helps to understand this universe. Players can be seen as “invisible” to “over the top.” They can be portrayed anywhere from “super positive” to “super negative.”
Over time, studies show that players who are frequently rated over the top rarely win. Whether positive or negative, includingtwo-timeSurvivorAbi Maria Gomes, are often used as a driver of drama as opposed to a contender for the title. Players who have an under-the-radar edit tend to not be contenders in the competition, butsometimes end up winning it all. As evident in theNew Era ofSurvivor. Once you understand the mechanics of reality television science, it can change the entire perspective of your viewing experience.
In the lore ofSurvivor, one of the most joked about castaways that was used as a verb for future players wasKelly ShinnonSurvivor: Nicaragua. She was known as “Purple Kelly,” not only because there were two Kellys on the season, but purple referred to having minimal screentime. Part of why she was given this edit was perhaps due to unhappy producers, becauseshe ultimately quit in the middle of the season.Since the days of Purple Kelly, manySurvivoranalysts have referred to future players receiving a purple edit. Over time, the editors ofSurvivorhave caught on, trying to hide the winner within the edit a bit more. Such was the case withSurvivor 41winner,Erika Casupanan.
Many questioned her victory based on how the show portrayed her. With her minimal confessionals compared to the other end-game castaways plus the Final Tribal Council jury praising her game, yet lacking on screen,Erika’s victory was bombarded with questions. Why minimize a winner’s journey no matter how television-worthy it was? While it made some believe her victory wasn’t warranted, it allowed others to now view the show from another perspective. Even the winner, who broke numerous milestones with her victory, wasn’t thrilled with how she was edited during the season.Through a Twitter (now X) post, Erika wrote, “I’ve avenged my purple sister,” referencing the aforementioned Purple Kelly. She even expressed her concern, as a longtimeSurvivorfan,how she would be received by the fans due to her edit.With the traditional winner’s edit coming into question, it has allowedSurvivorto find a new and exciting way of viewing. But it’s also placed the editors on high alert that those excitable fans will question every puzzle piece they place.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Don’t Always Hide the Results
One of the most brilliant aspects ofRuPaul’s Drag Raceis the show’s ability to capitalize on the product in a very meta way. Many popular phrases that have been used by RuPaul during the show have, over time, been repurposed into other monetary gains. Like music. Ru’s phrase, “Bring back my girls,” was turned into a hit song. And with so many queens complaining about their portrayal on the show thanks to their edit,RuPaul took the concept and created the song “Blame It On the Edit.”
The more and moreDrag Racebecame mainstream,the queens competing on the show came under fire as they discussed their edit.Unlike other competition shows,RuPaul’s Drag Racegives a platform for drag artists who will then use this newfound fame to launch their careers. So,for those queens who are negatively portrayed as villains, such asPhi Phi O’HaraandMistress Isabelle Brooks, it’s affected their careers as the fans hold them accountable, believing what they see on screen is the artist they would see in the real world.TheDrag Racefandom has already been heavily criticizedfor its toxic treatment of queens, especially those of color, but it’s often due to how the personalities are portrayed. So, blame it on the edit indeed!
There have been many times in the world of reality television when personalities have been edited out or edited around due to their off-camera conduct. OnBelow Deck MediterraneanSeason 5,Peter Hunzikerwas fired for a racist social media postand thus was edited out of the remainder of the season. Eagle-eyed viewers could see him in the background of certain scenes, but ultimately, his story was removed from the program. The most infamous instance of this happening onRuPaul’s Drag Racewas during Season 12 with contestantSherry Pie.Due to allegations of sexual misconduct, the show decided to edit her out.But for a show that was already in the can and was competition-based, it wasn’t as easy as just removing her from scenes.
She was an actual competitor and a contender for the crown, which she would have been in the finale had it not been for her actions. So much of her removal from the show was through Werk Room appearances andscenes where others could handle the burden.Unfortunately, when she was erased, it placed her antagonistic character ontoBrita, who ultimately received a negative edit, causing her to be admonished by certain fans and affecting her career off the show. The legendary and celebrated New York City drag artist leftDrag Raceanything but. Itcaused serious damage to her mental well-being, all because of the fandom’s reaction to the edit of a show.
But for the queens who are seen on a show likeRuPaul’s Drag Race, some viewers believe they cantell which queens will be in the top and bottom of each episode by simply seeing who RuPaul is chatting with during the Werk Room walkthrough. If a contestant is not seen, it often means they are not a factor in that specific episode. For example, take Episode 4 of RuPaul’sDrag RaceSeason 16. In this episode, the queens were tasked to do a parody ofSaturday Night Livewhere they performed sketches in teams. Ru and judgeRoss Matthewsspoke to certain groups about their experience and preparation for the challenge. At this point in the competition, 13 contestants were remaining, but they only spoke with the queens who would end up being in the top and bottom for the week. The others had little to no impact on the outcome of the episode, and thus, they were not featured.
Reality TV Crossovers Keep the Genre Alive
Big Brother stars on The Amazing Race, a Survivor contestant on Big Brother proves that the crossover in reality TV is enticing.
The World of Unscripted Reality and Editing
Over in the world of unscripted reality,there are moments when characters are not happy with their edit, claiming they are not being portrayed correctly.In these moments, the editors have the opportunity to slice and dice to tell the story they want to share. Of course, nothing is worse than being seen as a villain, but if the words are captured on camera, the editors can craft the narrative as they see fit. They will complete their puzzle for the best of the show and rake in those ratings. Part of how a narrative can be guided for a certain result is through a technique called “Frankenbiting.“In an article fromVanity Fair, former reality stars have spoken out about how a sound bite can be taken, pulled apart, and glued together to allow a new sound bite to be created. Often, these moments can haunt reality stars for their entire lives thanks to the world of YouTube and social media.
For story-based reality series, storyline producers help guide the narrative for the editors to then piece it all together. They can be concocted to clarify a story that will ultimately be told. A character can go from a hero to a villain with simple Frankenbiting. If the more interesting direction is to turn a character into the antagonist, odds are, the editors will make that your reality. During Season 9 ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the entire season focused on the dramatic storyline regardingDorit Kemsley’s adoptive dog fromLisa Vanderpumpending up in a shelter. As the season went on, stories were leaked to the press, causing a still unresolved rift between LVP and her longtime best friend,Kyle Richards. At the moment, they were living their truths, experiencing a horrifying situation in real-time. But when the show reveals their version of the events,the players involved may not be portrayed in a manner that reflects the actual events.
How a Reality Star Gets Edited
In the world ofThe Real Housewives of New Jersey, longest-tenured castmemberTeresa Giudicehas become one of the most polarizing figures due to her endless family drama over the years. Editors love to use her confessionals where she mispronounces or uses words incorrectly. They make her look foolish, but in a way, it makes her relatable. Then you have the ultra-dramatic eighth season ofSummer House. The very public, on-camerabreakup of engaged cast membersCarl RadkeandLindsay Hubbardtook a real turn during the reunion, as Lindsay accused Carl of working with producers to create this scene.Andy Cohenadmittedly denied this, as did Carl, but it was a window into how reality shows can possibly be manipulated. The editors and producers are going tomake the best story come to life on screen.Even if it ruins lives in the process. Bad-faith editing has become present, so reality stars do try to edit themselves as they film. It then becomesup to the viewers to decide how real their reality show is.
So how real are these unscripted reality shows? Well, no matter the program, there has always been immense discourse about fact versus fiction. Whether it’s the vitriol surroundingthe staging of a show likeHouse Hunterson HGTV orthe “fishy editing"on Discovery Channel’sDeadliest Catch, how these docuseries are still revered seems to make little to no difference to fans. Is reality television all an illusion? Parts of it are! But the editors need to indulge in this fantasy as,at the end of the day, it’s all for entertainment.
Reality television fans are never ever going to stray away from their beloved genre. But the more content that becomes available, how viewers consume it will adapt and change. How viewers will feel about a show is determined by the story they are presented with. They will cheer on the winner of a competition program for how they were portrayed during their journey. They will jeer a reality star for their outlandish actions. Yet, if the cameras are rolling and the people are watching,the battle between reality and perceived reality will forever be tested.
