The Moment of Truth: The Difference Between Reality Shows & Game Shows

 

Last night, I tuned in to watch the much-hyped and sensationalized show, Moment of Truth on Fox. For those of you who have heard absolutely nothing about it, the show, hosted by Mark Wahlberg, is a game show where contestants are asked a series of increasingly embarrassing personal questions while hooked up to a talking lie detector that reveals whether or not they are truthful in their answers.

As a suggestion to the producers, I think they should ask ABC if they can use a sound clip from LOST and play it when the contestants are lying. For those familiar with LOST, I would love to have them play the audio of Sayid interrogating Ben after he found out he wasn’t Henry Gale: I want to hear Sayid yell, “You’re lying!” when the contestant is caught lying. I also want a bucket of green slime to be dumped on their head, like they were on a Nickelodeon game show from the 1990’s.

But back to The Moment of Truth: while the contestant is being questioned, three of his loved ones are sitting together off to the side of the stage, and we get to see their responses to the questions. The first stooge of the night was an ex-football player, who brought along his wife and friends. I must admit that I am a sucker for a pretty face, and this attractive group gave me incentive to watch long after I ceased to be entertained.

The ex-jock, Ty Keck was asked some questions that were relatively harmless, like had he ever hit someone’s car and not left a note, and did he think he was better looking than all of his friends. Then ex-pro football player Rodney Peete came on stage to ask him his first controversial question. There was absolutely no need for Rodney Peete to ask him anything, except for Wahlberg to do some gratuitous tv show name dropping. The question was basically, had he ever looked at any of his former team mates naked bodies in the shower. Of course he had, and the question kind of reminded me of playing truth or dare in the seventh grade.

But instead of having Peete ask the question for the sake of having a celebrity on the show, why not bring out an ex team mate to ask the question? Wouldn’t looking him in the eyes and answering the question have been more interesting?

Long story short, Keck was done in when he lied about having never touched a female client inappropriately as a personal trainer. Yeah, the wife was upset and we can imagine that there would be some explaining to do on the trip home. But, so what?

This is why I hate it when people put game shows in the reality show category. This is not a reality show. It is a game show. Back in the day, The Newlywed Game was a game show despite the fact that the couples revealed personal facts. People knew it was a game. People were not led to think it was something it wasn’t.

In a reality show, people’s lies are exposed and it matters in the context of the show. We have gotten to “know” the people, so when they are busted, we care. I don’t give a crap about Ty Keck, his wife or friends. I have no reason to. Who cares if he or anyone on The Moment of Truth is caught in a lie and tears are shed on national TV for a few seconds? But I care when the lunch lady on Survivor says she was demoted on her job, when actually she wasn’t. I care when Dr. Will weaves a tangled web of deception that affects the hamsters in the Big Brother house and changes the game.

Just because a game show airs in the evening doesn’t thrust it into the realm of reality show viewing. It is still a game show, and it is still superficial entertainment, no matter how much it is sensationalized. More superficial than many critics think reality tv is? In a word: Yes.

Moment of Truth doesn’t suck because it’s a game show. It sucks because it is one of several game shows pretending to be something it’s not.