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Naked, Afraid, and at the Mercy of Producers

Connecticut Public Radio | By Colin McEnroe,
Patrick Skahill
Published December 9, 2013 at 4:48 PM EST
Discovery Channel

"Reality TV" is perhaps the biggest misnomer in the entertainment industry today. A better name would probably be "scripted unscripted television." It's not catchy, but at least it's accurate.

Except in reality television, accuracy generally doesn't matter. Telling a good story does. And often that story isn't the most flattering portrayal of the people on camera. Connecticut resident Shane Lewis broke three toes while filming "Naked and Afraid" for the Discovery Channel, but the producers downplayed it to a mild "foot injury" in the final cut of the show. 

Is any of this really surprising? Does anyone actually think "reality TV" is a pure unfiltered look into the lives of duck call magnates or people named Honey Boo Boo? Today we spoke with a refeshingly honest television producer and with Shane Lewis about spending 21 days in a jungle with legions of posionous animals. We also ask freshly-minted NPR television correspondent Eric Deggans just how long this genre is poised to last. 

GUESTS:

  • Rebecca Hertz - television producer/writer based in Los Angles.  
  • Shane Lewis - participant on "Naked and Afraid" on the Discovery Channel. Author, "Growing Up: Institutionalized to Globetrotting"
  • Eric Deggans - NPR television critic/author, Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.
Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Colin McEnroe
Patrick Skahill
Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Patrick Skahill

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.