Less sex, more harassment? Reality TV changes, the words we also put on it

Lucie Cosnier / TF1

The House of Secrets has separated from a mythical room. Similarly, (Illustration photo)

Television – Seduction operation. Furthermore, The island of temptation, Secret Story, Nice People and well before that Loft Story… For a whole generation of French viewers, summer has long rhymed with reality TV, important in homes what is needed with confusion and strategies, but also of frivolities and fun, with friends or … Moreover, lovers.

Loana. However, Jean-Édouard, but also Cyril and Alexandra, or Brandon’s infidelities: whether it is a dating or confinement program, the candidates’ sex antics made the programs of the programs, with all that that supposes sexist or controversial.

less sex, more harassment? reality

What about today’s reality TV? Furthermore, The “Love Room” was shaved from the House of Secrets on TF1. For example, And the (short) love of the Star Academy. Consequently, , whose candidates (often very young) are much more interested – probably rightly – by their progress in singing than to coo together. In addition, Are we witnessing a paradigm change? Moreover, To answer it, we asked the question to the media sociologist Nathalie Nadaud-Albertini, specialist in reality TV.

The HuffPost : Has sex disappeared from French reality TV shows?

Nathalie Nadaud-Albertini: It depends. Moreover, If you take it Star Academy Today there is no sex. Therefore, It is focused on training, singing and performance. However, While in the first version, romantic relationships between the candidates were more shown. Consequently, It was part of the identity of the show.

In The Villa of less sex, more harassment? reality Broken Heartswe continue to talk about emotional relationships. Moreover, We can see, for example, candidates say that they are not monogamous, and observe the relationship deploy (or not). Similarly, Sexual intercourse is not really mentioned. Similarly, or only in a very respectful setting, as when we hear the candidates they will do « dodo » ensemble.

It sounds almost childish, contrary to what we can see in Frenchie Shorewhose images are barely blurred?

In the concept itself, there is the idea of experimenting with different sexualities with the ensuing buzz. Moreover, And to do it uninhibited.

The show is broadcast in streaming on Paramount +. In addition, Does that have an influence on what we can see there?

Absolutely. Nevertheless, Because it is a place that has no public access, it allows you to offer another kind of program. Meanwhile, You have to pay, less sex, more harassment? reality after which people are free to look at if they want. In addition, The stumbling block here is that some images of Frenchie Shore have circulated on social networks. This asked the question of their access, especially during debates in the National Assembly.

What place did the sexuality of candidates previously occupy in these programs?

Sexuality was integrated as a step in the romantic. emotional relationship between two candidates, which we followed how it was deployed: seduction, the moment of sexual intercourse, how it went afterwards, disputes, etc. Let us remember, these programs worked on the relationships of friendship, love and enmity.

Also, everything depended on the shows. Let’s take Le bachelor. There was no sexual intercourse because we were simply on the subject of seduction. with all the sexist question that she could induce. In The island of temptationsexuality was much more highlighted, less sex, more harassment? reality but it told something else. The question was to know when we crossed the limit, from when we became unfaithful. Was it a kiss, the fact of wanting it or the relationship as such?

Secret Storywho is currently in full swing. for his part has rid of a legendary room in his house: the « Love Room » …

The house of Secret Story is like a large secret box. We discover throughout the season a bunch of pieces. There « Love Room »it was the cocoon of love for candidates as a couple. It was a big issue for them, a way of having intimacy. It was a reward, an event.

For the others. they had the dormitories, whose viewers did not lift anything day and night, thanks (or because) of infrared cameras. They also disappeared, right?

I have no images that come to me today, less sex, more harassment? reality unlike before. In Secret Storythese sequences (under the duvet) were broadcast in « Mister Secret » (a flagship magneto of absurd. naughty moments of the week, editor’s note). It showed a lot of things. The faults were amplified, a little ridiculed. Now there is more respect.

All things considered, there is a general tendency to more benevolence, which excludes these kinds of mockery. We could no longer show the “unforgettable” of the New star (sequence formerly dedicated to the pans of the program. editor’s note). Today, it’s very nice, as we can see with the “Star Ac Mix”. It’s a nice mockery. We laugh with them, and not of them.

No more voyeurism, then?

Voyeurism was one of the promises of the genre when launching Loft Storywhich thanks to its 26 lit cameras day. night promised to ” Do not lose anything in peace of the less sex, more harassment? reality inhabitants ”. The sexual relationship between Loana. Jean Édouard, with the ambiguity where it took place, quickly anchored the program in success and gave its identity to the gender: showing sexuality without hiding too much.

The idea was to film people as they were in this desire to closely proximity to real life. John de Mol. which is considered to be the inventor of modern reality TV, said that he was notably inspired by what we can see in the red district of Amsterdam. This is what sociologist François Jost called the authenticating genre.

You speak in the past. Have things changed?

The formats today claim more a part of fiction, as evidenced by the titles of certain series-reality or documentary programs. Some candidates do not hide it, and have already said in the past having played or replayed scenes several times. As for less sex, more harassment? reality the cameras, because they less need to represent reality, they are also less numerous.

Does fiction make it possible to shelter criticism?

Some criticisms of yesteryear against these kinds of programs, yes. Namely voyeurism. sadism, especially in setting up completely regressive and dangerous spaces for candidates in the eyes of their loved ones. At the time. reality TV marked a break with public space as defined by universalism (republican philosophical current aimed at attributing common rules and values to all citizens despite their cultural differences, editor’s note). Anything that was intimacy and the feminine, it was not showed (in public opinion). Which insurgated more than one at the beginning.

Today. we protest from another aspect: the harassment of candidates, which it takes place inside between the participants or outside by the public (as in the case of Ebony Star Acor Marianne de Secret Story). less sex, more harassment? reality Is it new?

It already existed, but we did not recognize it as such. As in the context of sexual violence, we were told that this was not the real problem. It existed, but we did not talk about it. Harassment, it was evoked when some candidates committed suicide. But above all. it was considered that these kinds of dramas fell into what was called the “trash” of reality TV, without putting the real words on the phenomenon. It was very difficult to put them.

Now, we denounce harassment as unacceptable. We consider it. It is a fundamental change. We talk about it in the right way, it’s relayed in the press. Viewers are mobilizing to say « non »even if in terms of productions, it is more variable. Sometimes they react, as illustrated by the exclusion of a candidate of season 8 of THE VILLA For sexist less sex, more harassment? reality words. Before, we hid the dust under the carpet.