A tragic reality

On May 14, 2016, Taiwan actor River Chen tore ligaments in his right knee after landing from a high jump while filming the reality show Race The World, produced by Jiangsu Satellite TV.

According to reports, Chinese actor-singer William Chan-one of the competitors in Chase Me-said that despite working out every day, he found the show too physically demanding, especially since filming usually began at midnight and didn't finish until 6 or 7 am.

"Reality shows have officially reached the pinnacle of crisis," says Wang Li, who has been involved with several reality TV shows, including I am a Singer by Hunan Satellite TV. "Millions of people sit down after a long day of work and watch their favorite reality shows, but what do they really have to offer?"

She recalls that while filming I am a Singer, she waited for hours before shooting began at around 11:30 pm. After an hour's filming, celebrities came to the media room to conduct interviews, which usually lasted about two hours.

"By the time we returned to the hotel, it was around 5 am and the preparations for the next episode started after lunch," adds the assistant of a Taiwan singer, nicknamed Xiaobai, who featured in the reality TV show earlier this year. "It might be all shiny and happy on the surface, but the truth is that all of us were exhausted." She adds that she felt lucky "because the show was about singing, and didn't involve any extreme sports".

Xiaobai notes that the temptation of reality TV shows is that they offer an easy way for celebrities to gain instant attention. Rising pop stars can expand their fan base, while veterans can get in touch with fans through a new format. For the once-popular idols, these shows can help them reconnect with the world of showbiz.

"Singers, actors and models-everyone tries hard to show off their talent in their own field, but suddenly, reality shows bring all of them together and despite their different specialties, everyone has to compete physically in the show, like athletes. Does the audience really enjoy shows like this? It's ridiculous," commented Chinese singer-songwriter Zhang Wei, whose quotes have been widely circulating online after people started to question the dark side of reality TV shows in the wake of Gao's death.