Makeup and reality shows

[Stephen Tashiro]

I suppose shows like "Pawn Stars" or "American Pickers" qualify as reality shows. Do the characters in such shows wear make-up?

It used to be that people filmed without makeup appeared to have oily faces. Is there a modern video technology that makes them look better?

[David Weaver]

I'd imagine they get makeup. I've never seen anyone go without it.

Reality shows is an interesting term they use for those. The supposed antique business for the pickers was set up to pitch the idea as a show (as in, it never was a legitimate business even though the skinny guy did have individual picking experience by himself).

At least gold and silver pawn was a real business beforehand, even though it's a tshirt sales business now and the bits appear to be very arranged and scripted.

Anyway, I can't see how they'd be able to go without makeup, especially rick.

[Ole Anderson]

The Gold Rush series has a parallel where they are in a studio (The Dirt) talking about the upcoming episode. They show makeup artists touching up the guys before going on camera. But I bet they don't use makeup on the outdoor reality portion of the show.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The Gold Rush series has a parallel where they are in a studio (The Dirt) talking about the upcoming episode. They show makeup artists touching up the guys before going on camera. But I bet they don't use makeup on the outdoor reality portion of the show.

Have to admit I watch that one too. They said that one of the miners refused to wear makeup, Dustin IIRK. A tangent, not sure how reality it is, there is no way the Hoffmans can fail that often and grow their business every season. It's entertaining though.

[Greg Peterson]

There is obvious production value in reality tv. From the lighting, to makeup to scripted scenes. The dialog may not be fully scripted as the principles are not professional actors, and as such would be even stiffer than they already appear. But the scenes are clearly staged (including makeup) just as if they were using professional actors.

[Leigh Betsch]

I've been to the American Pickers store in LeClair IA. It's a real place and a real business. It's a lot smaller than it looks on TV, just a 2 stall old gas station converted to a retail store. Not a lot in it but a few things I recognized from the show. Daniel wasn't working at the time:mad:. I have to admit that I do watch a few of theses shows too. I think Gold Rush is the best but I think it's pretty staged. Gotta root for the Dakota Boys!
I bet the only make up the Phil Robertson wears is camo.

[Brian Elfert]

Have to admit I watch that one too. They said that one of the miners refused to wear makeup, Dustin IIRK. A tangent, not sure how reality it is, there is no way the Hoffmans can fail that often and grow their business every season. It's entertaining though.

The Hoffmans didn't fail in their third season, but they didn't get rich either. I have heard the individual miners say they get paid by the production company. I'm sure the Hoffmans, Parker, and Dakota Fred get pretty large payments from the production company for being on camera. I think Volvo must provide the equipment as I notice that all the claims use mostly Volvo heavy equipment now.

I highly doubt the Hoffmans could afford the size of operation they have in Guyana without financial support from Discovery. Todd says they leased the heavy equipment and didn't tell the leasing company where the equipment was going. I find it hard to believe a lease company would allow equipment to be shipped out of country without notice. Volvo probably provided the equipment at no charge.

Duck Dynasty is a complete joke. The guys have admitted in interviews that there is no reality in that show. The production company basically tells them what they want them to do for each episode.

[David Weaver]

It's a real place and a real business.

Yes, a real place, but only a business due to the TV show. The skinny guy was a self employed picker before there was a "business" and the heavy guy was a buddy of his. He came up with the idea of starting the business to pitch as a TV show, and shutting it down if it didn't work out. They buy higher than anyone I've ever met who is a real picker, with the exception of folks from my area who used to specialize in international goods and were appointment only (for all I know, those folks could've bought low, too. They went to europe once a year, did all of their buying and developed a repeat group of wealthy buyers over here).

G&S pawn, on the other hand, was a brick and mortar business for a long time (and supposedly a struggling one) before the show started.

As far as being scripted, I think most viewers would find the shows pretty boring if they showed actual day to day stuff. Just like we'd find it pretty obnoxious if they showed a real picker ripping people off and dumping their goods in an old dilapidated building.

[David Weaver]

I don't have extended cable, so I don't see most of the shows. The only person I have ever seen in a capacity outside of the show is a guy named joey barnes on ice road truckers. I've never seen what he does on the show, but he has frequented some ag-related boards since at least 2002 as "king of obsolete" running freight across frozen lakes in upper manitoba, and living on not much more than dirt.

He tried for a while to create a tour service (where he'd haul freight and get people to rent a caboose in minus 30 weather) to generate income, and I don't think he got more than a couple of people to book a week riding in a caboose across a frozen lake behind a bulldozer.

But I have no idea how they portray him on the show. If they portray him as a risk taker, opportunistic scrapper with cash flow problems, that's pretty close to what he's been saying he does since long before he found his way on to TV.

[Myk Rian]

Reality shows are NOT reality.
None of them are. Even the stupid Moonshiners.

[Brian Elfert]

Moonshiners has got to be completely fake. Nobody in their right mind would break the law on national TV. After the first season the folks in Virginia who police alcohol made a comment that implied the guys on the show were not making real moonshine.

The only thing real about the is Tim Smith making legal moonshine. It is for sale in some southern states.

[Kev Williams]

The only real reality show is when nobody knows there's a camera around.

[eugene thomas]

the only reality show I can watch anymore without thinking what a bunch of crap is American restoration. pretty cool seeing what he does with old stuff. hard to believe pawn stars is ligit when they only work the counter when filming for show, must be like now rick we think this customer just perfict for your spot.

[John Coloccia]

I suppose shows like "Pawn Stars" or "American Pickers" qualify as reality shows. Do the characters in such shows wear make-up?

It used to be that people filmed without makeup appeared to have oily faces. Is there a modern video technology that makes them look better?

There's nothing reality about them. They're just television programs, and I'd be shocked if they didn't wear makeup.

BTW, it's interesting to note that the son of a friend of mine appeared on one of those restaurant shows. If they have enough of these shows going, almost all of us are liable to end up on one at some point.

[Jeff Erbele]

the only reality show I can watch anymore without thinking what a bunch of crap is American restoration. pretty cool seeing what he does with old stuff. hard to believe pawn stars is ligit when they only work the counter when filming for show, must be like now rick we think this customer just perfict for your spot.

My wife and I were in Las Vegas for a business convention and went to see Gold & Silver Pawn one evening. We ask one of the employees about the filming of the TV series. She said they never know when the filming will take place. At random times a film crew shows up, they clean out the store (meaning customers), lock the door and the shoot one or a few segments.
** My perception is of course someone knows; Rick Harrison, and the three main characters, but the young lady I spoke with and perhaps some or several of the employees have no part in the show and no need to know.
I would venture a guess, most transactions are pre-planned at least to some degree. The experts they call in have other jobs or businesses to run. I'd guess for example, when the Beard of Knowledge (the curator of the Clark County Museum) shows up, they shoot several segments featuring him. Even experts don't know everything all the time; they research as needed. And Rick & company can't possibly know everything they rattle off about all the items featured, even though Rick loves to read and is a history buff, or so he has said more than once on the program. I mean everything from ancient history, to politics, historic sports stats & facts, rare mini-bikes, guns, knives, wars, watches, world coins & currency, dolls, toys etc. etc. Research prior to a shoot, is a given.

I'm sure the experts get paid for their services. Some place I read where Chumlee gets paid $25,000 per episode. What a winfall for him if true. I'd act dorky too, for less. While they play it up, that he knows little to nothing, if it was as bad as they portray him, what good would he be as routine store help.

i wonder and sort of suspect American Restoration and Counting Cars came about because of being featured on Pawn Stars.

Regarding the OP, make-up is standard for filming anybody, although there maybe some exceptions.

Reality TV is a really bad label as often times it has little to do with reality. Just ask Larry the Cable Guy :D

[Jerome Stanek]

The only reality show I ever saw was Candid Camera

[Leigh Betsch]

Yeah I agree that they are all pretty much fake, and scripted. Duck Dynasty has to be the worst though. But even so I do watch and I am entertained at times. I don't watch Pawn Stars much, I don't particularly like the "actors". Who knows if any of them would be making a living if it weren't for the show.

[James Tibbetts]

Oh, so next you guys are gonna tell me 'rasslin ain't real :eek: ???????????????????????????????????????

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The Hoffmans didn't fail in their third season, but they didn't get rich either. I have heard the individual miners say they get paid by the production company. I'm sure the Hoffmans, Parker, and Dakota Fred get pretty large payments from the production company for being on camera. I think Volvo must provide the equipment as I notice that all the claims use mostly Volvo heavy equipment now.

I highly doubt the Hoffmans could afford the size of operation they have in Guyana without financial support from Discovery. Todd says they leased the heavy equipment and didn't tell the leasing company where the equipment was going. I find it hard to believe a lease company would allow equipment to be shipped out of country without notice. Volvo probably provided the equipment at no charge.

Duck Dynasty is a complete joke. The guys have admitted in interviews that there is no reality in that show. The production company basically tells them what they want them to do for each episode.

Brian, I said that because it doesn't look to me like the 1.2 mil gross will support even the equipment costs. Follow the money, and you saying they get $ from the show is the only logical reason that they are still in business. I guess maybe they have easier bankers then the ones I'm familiar with...

[Jim Rimmer]

My wife and I were in Las Vegas for a business convention and went to see Gold & Silver Pawn one evening. We ask one of the employees about the filming of the TV series. She said they never know when the filming will take place. At random times a film crew shows up, they clean out the store (meaning customers), lock the door and the shoot one or a few segments.
** My perception is of course someone knows; Rick Harrison, and the three main characters, but the young lady I spoke with and perhaps some or several of the employees have no part in the show and no need to know.
I would venture a guess, most transactions are pre-planned at least to some degree. The experts they call in have other jobs or businesses to run. I'd guess for example, when the Beard of Knowledge (the curator of the Clark County Museum) shows up, they shoot several segments featuring him. Even experts don't know everything all the time; they research as needed. And Rick & company can't possibly know everything they rattle off about all the items featured, even though Rick loves to read and is a history buff, or so he has said more than once on the program. I mean everything from ancient history, to politics, historic sports stats & facts, rare mini-bikes, guns, knives, wars, watches, world coins & currency, dolls, toys etc. etc. Research prior to a shoot, is a given.

I'm sure the experts get paid for their services. Some place I read where Chumlee gets paid $25,000 per episode. What a winfall for him if true. I'd act dorky too, for less. While they play it up, that he knows little to nothing, if it was as bad as they portray him, what good would he be as routine store help.

i wonder and sort of suspect American Restoration and Counting Cars came about because of being featured on Pawn Stars.

Regarding the OP, make-up is standard for filming anybody, although there maybe some exceptions.

Reality TV is a really bad label as often times it has little to do with reality. Just ask Larry the Cable Guy :D

I made a trip to the pawn shop while on a business trip, too. A couple of things that agree with your assessment: 1. cabbie told us that they get $1M per episode (that was about 2 or 3 years ago). I don't know how they split it up but Chum gets a pretty good chunk. 2.) while we were there they did empty out the store so the filming could starts. There were a few people lined up for evaluations and to determine if they were good enough to use in the show.

[David Weaver]

Oh, so next you guys are gonna tell me 'rasslin ain't real :eek: ???????????????????????????????????????

I love the look on a pro wrassler's face when you say it's fake. They usually say "the outcome is scripted, but it hurts for real!!"

By the way a large % of them get hooked on pain killers so that they can keep going and not lose their contract, they're probably telling the truth.

[Erik Loza]

I actually know someone who was in a reality show. Without going into too much detail, the premise of the show was about a group of stay-at-home fathers here in the Austin area. The show, I believe, ran one season and then was canceled. The person I know played the role of a bachelor single father, always seen hitting on random women. This is funny because this person was, prior to filming, and still is in a committed relationship with a good friend of my wife's. In other words, it was all made up for TV.

Just my guess but I imagine part of the appeal of reality shows from the production side of things is that the studio only has to pay the principles a fraction of what they would have to pay a legitimate SAG-accredited actor. So, the show is cheap to produce but still has the potential of earning them tons of revenue through licensing and so on. And the "real people" are saying, "Wow, they are going to pay me to be on TV!".

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Garrett Ellis]

anybody know if the guys on deadliest catch get makeup?

[David Weaver]

Just my guess but I imagine part of the appeal of reality shows from the production side of things is that the studio only has to pay the principles a fraction of what they would have to pay a legitimate SAG-accredited actor.

I don't watch soap operas, but I remember seeing a clip of a soap actress from a canceled soap saying that an exec told her there was no way they could continue to pay to produce soaps when it cost a third as much to create reality content.

That said, there must be shows that are more scripted than others (like the repo show, I can't imagine some of those folks actually do what they're claiming to for a living). The write-up I saw on joey barnes (ice road truckers) is accurate on the surface. If his role would be much different than how he's been as a real person on the forums, then I'd suspect it was creative writing. Most of the things he's done for years on a daily basis involve long periods of something boring (pulling a load across frozen lakes with a bulldozer at 5 miles an hour), with a possible exciting moment every once in a long while (breaking a trailer on a tractor trailer or sinking a bulldozer on a frozen lake by accident once every couple of years). I'd imagine those intervals won't be acceptable for TV and they'll try to make him out to be weird or something. And instead of just a trailer breaking, it will have to be at a made-up deadline the day after the roads close due to melting ice or something.

I won't be able to tell until those episodes are free on prime.

[Brian Elfert]

A couple of friends of mine were on a low budget reality show where they built something in a week. The show was so low budget they wanted the guys to save parts off the car they were using so they could sell the used parts. The contract they signed said they got $10,000 plus travel and per diem. They never got the $10,000 and the production company claimed they had used a contract from another show and didn't plan to pay them. There were like 50 people who got stiffed and I would have filed a lawsuit.

[Kevin Bourque]

They're all scripted, directed, and most of all, FAKE!!!

Probably the worst and fakest "reality show" is Storage Wars.

A fake show about fake people who buy the contents of fake storage units. It never fails. They buy a fake unit at a fake auction and when they go through the fake boxes of worthless trash planted by the production staff they'll find a box with a diamond tiara in it.

And then of course theres all the fake posturing and fake fighting that goes on between the fake bidders prior to, and after the fake auctions.

[Joe Tilson]

There's nothing on TV anymore that's real. Just watching the evening news is a joke. Hope this isn't to political:D. They might take away my right to free speech!!!!!

[Brian Tymchak]

The only true reality shows I remember were Operation and Trauma: Life in the ER. Those were good shows.

What is called Reality TV today is what I refer to as "Crap TV".

[Jim Matthews]

What is called Reality TV today is what I refer to as "Crap TV".

We call it "Scorn Porn" in my house; shows that are designed to make the viewer feel superior.
The fact that so many of these air on a channel that calls itself "Arts and Entertainment", yet is neither...

[Jim Matthews]

You do know what's really in Storage lockers -
the stuff that should have gone into a roll off dumpster.

The local storage locker is a cheaper place to ditch trash.

[Jerome Stanek]

I see a lot on UNTRUE TV

[Ole Anderson]

Geez, glad we don't have a lot of cynics in this thread. :eek: The reality of the reality shows, IMHO runs the gamete of totally fabricated to "enhanced reality". Two of the most popular cable reality shows, Deadliest Catch and Gold Rush certainly are mostly reality with some director enhanced conflicts between crew members. But for me I am able to sort out the trash from the otherwise good stuff on the shows. As you move to AxMen, there is no doubt a larger amount of conflict scripted into the show, with at least the real loggers putting out hundreds of loads a year, doing their day to day work thing. But as you move to the "loggers" in LA and FL, things go south fast, so to speak. Again the new show Bad Wood on NatGeo, shows day to day realities of tree trimmer crews in the Boston area (I think), but with a lot of obvious intentional "accidents" thrown in to satisfy the production people that are convinced we wouldn't otherwise watch a true reality show. OK, isn't something like This Old House really nothing but a reality show without all of the scripted conflict? Same with all of the bath/kitchen/house crash shows on the DIY channel? And what about the three Mike Holmes shows?

[Garth Sheane]

I thought I was alone in my cynic world ... glad to see I've got company. As far as I know (think??), the only reality show that doesn't have a film crew is Survivorman featuring Les Strauss (sp??). I watch some of the others because they have enough unique stuff that I find them interesting. Gold Rush is a favorite, and I know it is heavily scripted. I wonder if these guys consider themselves to be miners or TV actors (same question for Pawn Stars, American Pickers, etc). I watch these shows for the same reason I watch Antiques Roadshow ... it certainly isn't for the acting. I like Swamp People too.

Up here in Canada, we try to copy the USA and it falls flat. Canadian Pickers ... if those guys showed up at my place I'd sic the dog on them.

Reality TV has had a long run. I wonder what will eventually replace it. It must be a money maker for the producers and networks or they wouldn't do it.

[David Weaver]

I wonder what will eventually replace it.

My guess would be infomercials.

[Mel Fulks]

The film BRUNO is an interesting take on reality shows . It has some uncomfortable hilarious humor . There is one real scene with Ron Paul the only thing real, the rest is all staged...I think. The narration is done in what I think is a mocking of Herzog.

[Brian Elfert]

The difference between Gold Rush and Deadliest Catch is that the crabbing boats would still be a viable business without Discovery. Would the Hoffmans ever have started gold mining if not for the TV show? It would be hard to see how they could possibly pay for the huge operation without Discovery.

[Ole Anderson]

The difference between Gold Rush and Deadliest Catch is that the crabbing boats would still be a viable business without Discovery. Would the Hoffmans ever have started gold mining if not for the TV show? It would be hard to see how they could possibly pay for the huge operation without Discovery.
Agreed. To me, one key is was it a business that was operating basically the same way before the cameras showed up, or was the "business" created or highly modified for the show? If the former, then it is a reality show, if the latter, just another contrived television program. Obviously crabbers and loggers have been risking their lives long before the cameras showed up and will continue to do so long after they are gone. As for the Hoffmans, I believe they were motivated by the prospect of the TV show, whereas Parker and his grandfather were mining before the show started. Not sure about the Dakota boys.