That's Not RealityLists about the most insulting ways so-called "reality" shows lie right to their fans, from fudging details to outright manufacturing entire lives. Open your eyes, sheeple.
How many times have you watched Deadliest Catch and thought it was definitely faked? It's not surprising, as reality TV shows are faked all the time - like Man vs. Wild. Even nature documentaries are faked. Well, if you believe the Deadliest Catch isn't reality, you're not alone. Apparently most of the Internet feels the same exact way.
Honestly, what these fisherman on Deadliest Catch are doing is genuinely extremely dangerous. In the deep sea fishing industry, there are typically 300 fatalities out of 100,000 people every year. But is the Deadliest Catch real? No - there are plenty examples of how the Deadliest Catch is faked. There's a lot of careful editing choices being made to make the crews lives seem more dangerous, edgy, and dramatic than they really are.
Of course, we're not new to the realities of reality TV, but it doesn't mean we should pretend we are. While the show is beloved by many of its fans, there is plenty of criticism of the Deadliest Catch.
Do you remember the 2008 episode when a raging storm caused gigantic waves to crash into an Alaskan fishing boat and threaten to devour the entire crew? They ran into their stateroom only to discover it flooding with seawater, and flooding fast. They were convinced they would lose their lives.
Yeah, well, it was faked. A report came out stating while their boat did flood, the skies were as blue as the water. The massive storm came barreling in the following month. Then, the editors took some extra footage and edited the two instances together to make them look like they were happening at the same time.
“WIZARD ROGUE WAVE: Combine Wizard leak story on 9/26 with the Wizard being hit by a big wave on 10/1 and 10/2. The fiction we are constructing is that the big wave hit the Wizard on their steam up to Dutch — caused a leak in Lenny’s stateroom. In reality these were two separate events. In addition to the original source material, (a producer’s name omitted by THR) shot re-enactment footage.”
Of course, a Discovery spokesperson claimed the outline came from a rough draft, and assured that all the occurrences were authentic. You're not fooling us Deadliest Catch, we know your secrets.
You know for sure a show is faking it when someone who stars in the show says so. Elliot Neese, a captain on one of the boats, said the show's drama is not all it's chalked up to be, and that most dramatic scenarios are purely for entertainment.
He claims they're all controlled. That though the show makes him out to be a super villain (because every good show needs a villain, right?), he's really not that much of one in his off-screen life. The question is, if they're spending this much time fabricating stories and getting caught, why not just make a fictional show?
They Make Their Jobs Seem Really Action Packed, But There Is A Lot Of Downtime
One 45 minute episode later and you probably think it's over for them too, don't you? That they're back home with their families, or drinking at the local bar? Wrong. You might not know it, but sometimes their shifts can go on for 20 to 30 hours.
Obviously we don't want to watch a bunch of people hanging out with nothing to do, but the fact we only get glimpses of their action-packed lives is a little misleading.
The Footage Is Heavily Edited
If you've watched Deadliest Catch, chances are you were blown away by their near-perfect cinematography. It's impressive that Discovery can make one of the most dangerous jobs in the world look so brilliantly stunning. But what's actually going on?
They're now infamous editing mishap of combining two events, the sinking of a boat with a ravenous storm, has led people to believe there's something's a little fishy. Many accuse the show of heavily editing and shooting what they capture on the film. We all expect reality TV to be a little scripted, but the issue with this show are it's claims it's a documentary, and it holds itself to the utmost standards.
Basically Anyone Can Do It - But The Show Won't Tell You That
Apparently you don't need any experience or skill to become an Alaskan crab fisherman, despite the show making it seem like a difficult industry to break into. According to the experts, as long as you don't look like a murderer, you're in. This job is obviously a very dangerous and laborious one, which means there aren't a whole lot of eager takers gearing up to go. You might not believe this, but all you need to get your foot in the door in this industry is a commercial fishing license, which can be purchased for the low cost of $200.
Props to the people who get themselves into this industry, but don't be fooled into thinking it took them a lot to get there.
Real Commercial Fisherman Hate The Show
Actual Alaskan crab fishermen claim the show does a pretty terrible job of portraying their authentic day-to-day life.
While the show does allude to these people coming into contact with death and hardship, what they leave out is that it can happen in seconds, and the fear of drowning or freezing to death never leaves your mind. According to some fishermen, "basically the ocean wants you dead." They say if you accidentally go overboard, you've got about 20 minutes. That at literally anytime your boat can sink, and in seconds.
There's also a lot more safety gear involved than the show implies. Most fishing boat have "cold water immersion suits" in case your boat begins to capsize. It allows you to not only float, but regulates your body temp in the freezing water temperatures. Did you ever see Sig or Mike trying to squirm their way into one of these?
