#realitytv

Keeping up with the Jacksons (reality TV fanfic)

i've been working on something a little different. it's written a little differently than my usual style, but i'm REALLY excited about it 😭

I think you can tell the vibe based on the name

i should be dropping episode/chapter 1 sometime this week 

in between writing the first and second episodes, i'm also finally starting the jafaar mini-series i've been thinking about forever 

it's only gonna be two chapters, so don't worry, we won't be away from this series for long before episode 2 comes out 💜

That's all y'all are getting for now 

OUT NOW

MOODBOARD

Tag list : @cocomilaa @blcknebula @stiflersbabymama @callmeoncette @needjoekeery @nuttyrebelflower @1eliana123-blog @ladyearthsea @rastharex @darkgreengrl @bananajoeclone @violet0182 @minghaossv @melynex @thebabykashmere @ghoulxeg @simply-lovley44

@raefoxiegirl @peacemakersbeloved @devynrulesboisdrool @skiicoreee @boredpretty @michaelssparklysocks @sometranslationnoteru @strawberrkiwis @irissunshines @agustdpeach @fluffypuddingatz

@joeburrowife

@1meshugge1 @whyxo @coornballz @plan3tch1ld @juicybigfart @swavydadon @hyperfixawahhhh @melaninjoys @enzo6ekiiii

CHARACTERS : M!Bailey, M!Leighton, M!Remy, M!Wren, M!Avery, M!Robin, M!Kylar, M!Alex, M!Whitney, M!AnxiousGuard + F!PC

WORD COUNT : 55k+

GENRE : humour / slow-burn chaos / romance / crack

AUTHOR NOTE : An ongoing faux-celebreality dating show nobody asked for, starring Rapechester’s finest disasters. If you enjoy humour, bleak absurdism, and aggressive dairy product placement, please give it a look.

Less horny, more comedy!

SUMMARY : Locally famous but legally illiterate high-fame farmer (F!PC) signs on a reality dating show due to some undue influence from the strange purple flowers and a major misunderstanding.

One reluctant bachelorette, ten contestants, one manor on the moor, a cash prize, a ludicrous contract, and a metric tonne of Remy’s sponsored milk ads.

Trash telly meets black humour. Hilarity ensues. Is it true love or is it just the dosh?

STATUS : Recently Updated on Ao3 - Avery’s here now! | MDNI

So, without further ado, I present the casting tapes from Love on the Moor. 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────BAILEY────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Shot in grainy black-and-white CCTV, like he barely lifted a finger to submit it. The timestamp flickers ominously in the corner. You recognise the angle from the CCTV camera at the orphanage doors. The camera points down at an angle too high, slightly fisheye, catching Bailey from head to waist. His figure warps just enough to look taller, broader, wrong. Despite the distortion, there’s an unmistakable bulge tucked into the waistband of his black trousers. 

Bailey stands at the wrought iron orphanage gates, rolled burgundy sleeves showing off the ink of a snake curling under his forearm. His face was the same as ever, handsome in a rough way. Dark hair, partially slicked back, and day-old stubble dusting his chin. His dark eyes bore into the camera with a menacing intensity. A cigarette glows between his ringed fingers. Orphans shuffle past, eyes downcast, every one of them veering wide to avoid his reach. One glances toward the camera, and Bailey turns his head. The child bolts like a startled hare.

Bailey exhales a long plume of smoke, expression flat.

“I’m Bailey. She was my ward. A royal pain in my arse… but she was my pain.” He pauses, voice dropping a shade lower.

“Somewhere down the line… feelings grew. Not that I asked for them. Not that I wanted them. But there they were. She was trouble, but she was mine.” He admits in a begrudging tone. 

He takes another drag and exhales slowly.

“She paid her debt and came out stronger. She’s proof my system works. She’s proof I work.”

As he speaks, an orphan edges too close, shuffling past to head to school. Bailey slaps a stiff, awkward pat on the kid’s head, like a man acting out a gesture he’s only seen in films. The orphan recoils, wide-eyed, and sprints offscreen. Bailey doesn’t flinch.

“And if you pick me, you’ll be proving it too.” He finishes in a flat tone. Dark eyes boring through the security camera. 

He lights a fresh cigarette off the old one, exhales a fog that bleeds across the lens, head tilted back. The feed cuts to static mid-drag.

Week 5: Digital Community and Fandom: Reality TV Case Study

Reality television has become one of the most influential forms of entertainment in today’s digital world. More than simply being watched on television, reality TV is now experienced across multiple platforms, where audiences actively engage through social media discussions, fan pages, memes, and online commentary. Shows like Love Island and Big Brother create spaces where viewers interact, share opinions, and participate in the cultural conversation surrounding the show. This reflects the idea of digital publics, where online communities are formed through shared interests and interactions in digital spaces (Taylor, 2023).

Another important concept is the public sphere, which explains how media can become a platform for public discussion and opinion-making. Although reality TV is often considered light entertainment, it frequently sparks meaningful conversations about relationships, gender roles, race, beauty standards, and social identity. Audiences do not only react to dramatic moments—they also debate broader social issues that appear within these programs, making reality TV a catalyst for everyday public discourse (Klein & Coleman, 2022).

Reality TV also encourages participatory culture, where audiences become active contributors rather than passive viewers. Fans create content, follow contestants online, comment on episodes in real time, and build fandom communities that continue beyond the television broadcast. This multiplatform engagement shows how reality TV has evolved into a digital social experience, connecting entertainment, identity, and community in new ways (Torrego González et al., 2021; Harbin, 2023).

References

Harbin, M. B. (2023). Don’t make my entertainment political! Social media responses to narratives of racial duty on competitive reality television series. Political Communication, 40(4), 464–483.

Klein, B., & Coleman, S. (2022). Look at me, I’m on TV: The political dimensions of reality television participation. Media, Culture & Society, 44(3), 497–513.

Taylor, Z. A. (2023). Everyone stop what you’re doing and BeReal: Live networked publics and authenticity on BeReal. Social Media + Society.

I have been watching Culinary Class Wars and to be honest, I did not expect to get that invested into it 😅. At first, I thought it was just another cooking competition with those intense challenges along with the dramatic judging and some talented contestants who are trying to prove themselves. Pretty standard huh? But nooooo😭, after a few episodes, it started to feel like something more. It is not simply just about the food but it is about the people involved, their background, their struggles and how they can deal with the pressure.

The show features around 100 chefs with "underdog" chefs against top-tier chefs in a competitive culinary battle. This difference by itself does make it more intense but it's also more personal to watch. More Than Just Food 🍽️ The interesting fact about Culinary Class Wars is the combination of cooking and storytelling. The contestants are not only judged based on technical skills, but also on the basis of creativity and even how they present themselves under pressure.

Somehow there is always that one contestant you naturally end up rooting for - usually the underdog 🥹 Then there's maybe one who somehow frustrates you for no clear reason 😭. Before you even realise it, you begin to form some opinions, picking sides and get emotionally attached to their journey. The funny thing is… this is not random.

Reality TV tends to be organised in a manner that gives emphasis on personal stories to create a stronger emotional attachment with the audience (Murray & Ouellette 2023). As a matter of fact, one of the show's greatest strengths is the juxtaposition of various culinary identities ranging from street food to Michelin-star quality as it makes the competition feel like more than just cooking (Baek Byung-yeul, 2024). And that is what keeps people watching. From Watching to Participating 📱💬 What I find even more interesting is that the experience is not terminated when the episode finishes. After watching it, I can awkwardly find myself scrolling through TikTok to see what other people are thinking and clearly, I am not the only one doing this 😭😭😭😭 .

People would analyse the judge decisions while supporting their favourite contestant and even make some edits, meme or reaction videos 🎬. There are some viewers who also make predictions or even comment on the fairness of the competition. So.... at this point, the audience is no longer simply watching the show but they are actively participating in discussions and popularity around it. This is what Jenkins and Jie (2024) refers to as participatory culture where the audience actively engages with the media rather than passively consuming it. In Culinary Class Wars, the show continues through online discussion where the viewers extending the story beyond the screen 🌐.

Sometimes, the online reactions can be more intense than the actual show 🔥. Social media platforms quickly increase the emotional reactions that can turn entertainment into fandom wars, online conflict or even targeted criticism towards contestants. Why Do We Care So Much? 🤔 One of the things that I continue to observe is that people have become so emotionally attached to contestants so fast. Although we are aware that reality TV is staged, it does not come across as fake. Reality television is meant to push the boundaries between what is considered real and what is created, forming a sense of closeness between the audience and participants 📺 (Eichelberger, 2024). Due to this, viewers also react in an emotional way, either by supporting, criticising and even defending the contestants as if they know them personally.

But at the same time, it is important to recognise that what we observe is well-developed. The editing, storytelling and production options have an impact on the way every contestant is portrayed. A "villain" or "favourite" is not necessarily natural - there are cases when it is created on purpose to entertain. And yet.....we still fall for it every single time.

A Digital Community in Action 🌍 What makes this even more meaningful is that a virtual community forms around the show. To be clear, people online may not know each other personally but they are connected through the same interest. There are people supporting the same contestants, arguing over judging decisions and reacting dramatically to every single moment of the show  🎉. It may be disorganised and sometimes even chaotic, but honestly, that is exactly what makes the community alive and interesting.

At the same time, participatory culture is not always positive. Online discussion could create community and engagement but also lead to toxic actions towards contestants. Since people can easily get emotionally attached to the show, it is possible that the criticism online may be personal instead of constructive. This is related to the concept of networked publics, in which online platforms enable people to interact and create communities based on common interests (Boyd, 2010). These shared viewing experiences can be popular, as Culinary Class Wars did, even reaching the top of the Netflix charts worldwide and attracting millions of views (Baek Byung-yeul, 2024).

Week 5: Digital Community and Fandom: Reality TV Case Study

Reality television is often dismissed as “mindless entertainment,” but in today’s digital environment, it plays a much bigger role—especially in building online communities and fandoms. Shows like Love Island and Keeping Up with the Kardashians have evolved beyond television screens into interactive, participatory digital cultures.

One key concept discussed this week is participatory culture, where audiences actively engage in creating and sharing content rather than passively consuming media. In today’s digital landscape, this concept has expanded to include interactions between users, communities, and even algorithms (Li & Pang, 2024). Reality TV is particularly suited for this because it is ongoing, emotional, and highly shareable. Fans don’t just watch—they post, comment, meme, and even influence outcomes through voting systems, demonstrating active participation in shaping media narratives (Nam & Jung, 2022).

For example, Love Island has a strong presence on platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. Viewers form communities where they discuss contestants, predict outcomes, and create fan edits. These interactions reflect how digital fandoms function as participatory communities, where users collectively produce and circulate content (Crawford et al., 2021). Hashtags like #TeamXYZ allow users to align themselves with certain contestants, forming micro-fandoms within a larger audience.

Another important idea is parasocial interaction, where audiences develop one-sided emotional connections with media personalities. Reality TV intensifies this because contestants are presented as “real people,” making audiences feel more personally invested. These emotional connections often influence how fans engage online, including defending or criticising contestants. In some cases, fandom communities even mobilise collectively, shaping online discourse and behaviour (Luo & Li, 2022).

However, digital fandoms are not always positive. While they encourage creativity and participation, they can also become toxic, leading to cyberbullying or cancel culture. Research shows that fandom spaces can reinforce strong emotional reactions and group behaviour, sometimes resulting in exclusion or hostility (Zheng, 2023). This raises ethical concerns about how audiences interact with “real” individuals in reality TV environments.

In my opinion, reality TV fandom reflects a major shift in media consumption—from passive viewing to active participation. It shows the power of digital communities in shaping media narratives, but also highlights the need for responsible and respectful engagement online.

References

Crawford, G., Fenton, A., Chadwick, S., & Lawrence, S. (2021). ‘All Avatars Aren’t We’: Football and the experience of football-themed digital content during a global pandemic. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 57(4), 515–531. https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902211021529

Nam, J., & Jung, Y. (2022). Exploring fans’ participation in digital media: Transcreation of webtoons. Telecommunications Policy, 46(10), 102407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2022.102407

Li, E. C., & Pang, K. (2024). Fandom meets artificial intelligence: Rethinking participatory culture as human–community–machine interactions. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 27(4), 778–787. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494241236146

Luo, Z., & Li, M. (2022). Participatory censorship: How online fandom community facilitates authoritarian rule. New Media & Society, 26(7), 4236–4254. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221113923