After dramatic 'Bachelorette' finale, has reality TV gone too far?

Three in five Americans believe reality TV has gone too far, according to new research.

A new survey of 2,000 respondents examined people’s perceptions of reality TV with results showing many feel unscripted programs are taking too many liberties monetizing participants’ traumatic moments.

Respondents were asked whether they felt reality TV has taken participants’ personal hurt too far in entertainment—and a little more than half (57%) believe it has.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research, comes after the controversial Bachelorette season 21 finale in which star Jenn Tran was forced to re-watch her engagement breakup on live TV.

The episode saw fan backlash on social media with online conversations questioning the ethics surrounding the network’s decision to air the incident.

Results of the survey show half of Americans (56%) surveyed believe reality TV producers should be held accountable for the mental health of participants.

Half of millennials surveyed (46%) said they are reconsidering watching the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise with 45% saying the Jenn Tran incident made them reflect on the reality TV they consume.

“Viewers are sympathetic to reality show participants,” said Dr. Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist-consultant for reality TV. “But would they watch such shows if they were all warm and fuzzy as compared to the ones that put participants in the most humiliating situations?”

Lieberman said that in addition to viewers changing their minds on what they consider entertainment, other improvements should be made. “A good start would be to provide crisis aftercare for the participants in their home town, instead of quickly shoving them off the set and into cars taking them to the airport.”

When asked what additional policy changes Lieberman would like to see put in place to protect reality TV participants, she said, “Reality show contestant contracts basically say that the production company isn’t responsible for anything that goes wrong, anything the participant didn’t expect, or any damages to their reputation or to their life. But, it says this in veiled language, while holding out the promise of fame and fortune as a carrot.”

Lieberman went on to explain, “Reality shows should do more to evaluate the prospective participant’s mental health. Some shows have a psychiatrist-consultant, but the majority do not.”

Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans; administered and conducted online by Talker Research between September 6 and September 11, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
● Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
● Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
● Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
● Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
● Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
● Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.