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 Jen 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.
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