I don't quite understand the theory behind believing it's a staged show. - Fear Factor (2001) Discussion

[–] Darkeoonz 12 years ago

I don't believe it's actors. Some people just have very cartoonish personalities. It wouldn't make sense having actors do what regular people would do.

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[–] DonNova 12 years ago

Oh no, they do have actors and actresses on the show. It has already been established. There are several threads already on this board about Jillian being an actress. Here is her IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0615050/

My point is that it shouldn't matter if they have actors and actresses on the show. The stunts are still real.

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[–] Darkeoonz 12 years ago

Yeah but is she paid to be on the show? that's what I mean when I'm talking about then being actors. People carrying out a script, or paid to act in a certain way. If their profession is acting and they are just on the show as a contestant, then I don't see what the fuzz is all about.

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[–] DonNova 12 years ago

If their profession is acting and they are just on the show as a contestant, then I don't see what the fuzz is all about.

That is exactly my point .

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[–] Darkeoonz 12 years ago

Well I agree with you then..... So what should we argue about next? :-D

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[–] blakep267 12 years ago

they probably have auditions to be on the show, and choose actors because they need people with personality. So whereas Jillian murray may be an "actress", shes only done really small bit stuff. her agent prob said, wanna be on fear factor?

Also who wants to have Bill the 30 year old accountant from Ohio? So that part may be staged, but the stunts arent. I mean, they dont have american gladiators doing the helicopter flare gun thing. Actor or not, jumping in a tank full of blood is still a stunt and anybody can win. Thats the point of the show. To have people doing crazy stuff

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[–] lexi_jay 12 years ago

I'm an actress as well and just so you guys know reality shows post breakdowns all the time so it may explain why you may see actors on these game shows.

Shoot for the moon, and if you miss you are still amongst the stars

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[–] Blue_Eyes_James 12 years ago

We have to also recognize that they stage things to look super-fantastic on the show. The trucks that went off and exploded after the 'copter picked them up... of course they were at a completely safe distance before those Hollywood explosions went up in the air.

Some explosions may be filmed later and edited in. I don't care, it looks good. It's not so much about danger of getting hurt as it is the fear of the challenge. Except for the Team Twilight that were exhausted from the swimming challenge.

“They’re selling hippy wigs in Woolworth’s, man”

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[–] captainofiron 12 years ago

I dont think its staged either, but I think the producers do push the contestants to be competitive or trash talk, which sometimes just comes off unnatural, case in point, the sister of the brother sister duo that won vs the mom and mommas boy team

Esse Quam Videri

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[–] toldyousew 12 years ago

"but I do think producers push..." --- self-contradictory

That trask talk is staged.

person floating in water close to motionless with an emergency '
vehicle coming, *especially as a cliffhanger before a break* and Joe's
"fearful comment" about it - - -staged drama

deliberately picking couples who look a certain way, etc. -- staged

explosions that happen instantly when something is dropped onto
them - - - staged

It's so highly edited with short shots, instead of continuous shots.
They are covering something up. There can be stunt people at tomes
doing certain stunts instead of the actual contestants.

And, because it is a "reality show," it is inherent that it is staged.

Country + RAP = CRAP

Country + ROCK = CROCK

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[–] DrOcktagon 12 years ago

I think I disagree with your definition of "staged".
IMO, the producers encouraging trash talk is not "staging", neither is picking people who look a certain way. If they were giving them a script to follow with their trash talking, that would be staged.
The only one I do agree with you on is the explosions. Of course they are staged, but they don't try to tell you they're not. The staged explosions are like finish lines, they just represent the end of the stunt.
As for the cliffhanger commercial breaks, the show(as well as most other reality shows) has always done that. But it's not like they were telling that girl to look like she was drowning just so they could have a cliffhanger, IMO they just manipulate what they have in post-production.

Having said all that, I do wish they would just let the show happen more naturally. There is no need to encourage trash talk; some people do it, others don't, but I don't watch the show to hear people trash talk to each other. I would be fine if they were all perfectly polite and wished each other luck or whatever.
And I could definitely do with more continuous shots and less Bay-ish editing.

I am the video word made flesh.

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[–] DrOcktagon 12 years ago

One thing I did notice, however, during the final stunt, with the speeding bus transition to helicopter... there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY the producers would allow the contestants to be responsible for attaching their own carabiner to the safety line. There HAD to be someone making sure they were secured before the helicopter takes off.

I wouldn't say that makes it staged, just edited. I don't understand why they don't just leave stuff like that in. It wouldn't diminish the stunt for me in any way if I saw someone checking their lines before getting picked up.

I am the video word made flesh.

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[–] Blue_Eyes_James 12 years ago

I can see them leaving stuff like a helper attaching a cable in something like "The Amazing Race", but FF aims for a faster-paced feel, like you're watching a movie without seeing the stuntmen set things up!

“They’re selling hippy wigs in Woolworth’s, man”

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[–] captainofiron 12 years ago

I agree "toldyousew" does not know what staged means.

staged basically means contrived. that everything was planned out in advance by the writers/directors.

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[–] SolTNutz 12 years ago

One thing that was staged was the car going into the pool of water on stunt one, Ep 02. They made it like they were driving the car up the ramp and into the pool, and even added the sound of a car starting. In reality, you could see that the car was being pulled by a cable.

I also am skeptical on the first stunt on Ep 01 where the truck went into the barrier and exploded. I think it might have been one truck they blew up and just cut that in each time.

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[–] DonNova 12 years ago

If that's true, I really don't care. I honestly don't even like the "scary" stunt competitions. I only like the ones where they have to eat some sort of disgusting crap.

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[–] toldyousew 12 years ago

THEN, DonNova, your post just prior to SolTNutz (and others of yours?)
DOES NOT COUNT! Here, your thread tries to argue about it not being
staged, and then you dismiss a user(other users?) by referring to
eating parts. That is NOT part of a valid argument. It is deflecting
onto to some other part of the show because you can't defend
your premise.

~Country + RAP = CRAP

Country + ROCK = CROCK

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[–] DonNova 12 years ago

You're retarded, there is no argument. My point was they are real people (not paid actors to be on the show) and are actually doing the stunts. Here's my original post:

So what exactly is staged about it? The people go on the show and actually do the things we are shown. Who cares if they have an actor or actress on the show? I mean, they are still eating nasty stuff and doing crazy things. Seriously, I don't get it. The show just wants people who are energetic and entertaining, but again, they are still doing the competitions, which is the only thing that's important. And truthfully, how these people act while eating nasty stuff and doing crazy stunts, myself and probably most people would act the same way.

The person you are referring to said "The car in episode 2 actually wasn't driven, it was pulled by "cable." MMkay, cool. They still went up the ramp and into the water. They aren't actors using scripts. I don't care whether or not they were actually driving the car. Who the hell cares? They are in the car, they went up the ramp, they went into the water. Truthfully, if you want to consider that staged I really don't care, because that wasn't even the main aspect of it. It was going into the water and getting the flags. If they actually didn't go into the water then I would consider that staged. But they did. Besides, that has nothing to do with your argument. You're babbling about the trash talk being staged. It's not. I'm sure they are encouraged to act like that, but they aren't given a friggin script.

Now please stfu and go annoy somebody else. Actually, I'll shut you up myself and put you on the ignore list . Buh bye .

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[–] Danimal_77 11 years ago

You're DEAD WRONG. I have seen many familiar faces from people on the show, having appeared in other places before they appeared on the show. Almost everyone looked liked GQ models and had 10 on 10 faces and 10 on 10 bodies as the seasons progressed. The first couple of season had REAL looking (some very average) people actually performing the stunts (mainly the 1st season). After that the stunts became more and more extravagant (and they started using stunt doubles) and the participants started looking like runway models. Earlier seasons actually heard the participants BREATHING and even crying when performing their stunts. Later seasons, the camera would zoom in on their face and then back up and do a wide shot of a stunt double doing a stunt that a regular person (especially a damn model) would never in a million years would do, let alone be able to pull off. You'd have to be naive to think otherwise. So you sir are the retarded one. BUH BYE.

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[–] Charlie_Runkle69 10 years ago

Using actors doesn't mean the show is staged! Of course they use models, actors, comedians etc as they make for better tv, but the show is not 'staged' as such. Of course there is editing to not show certain help that they got from producers as it looks less cool on tv, but again as long as all teams got the same help, it's not 'staged' as such.

WWE wrestling is staged. Fear factor isn't. If you can't understand the difference, then you might think so, but it really isn't.

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[–] toldyousew 8 years ago

I was having a pretty bad day until I read your message, because my name is DonNova, and I need somebody to kill me and end my pathetic existence. I'm very pleased to know that even after 5 years, I am still a dumbfvck about what I posted on "Fear Factor." I can imagine a decent IMDb poster tracking me down with his keyboard and shooting me as I exit or enter my home, because I don't deserve to live. Just as soon as I type my home address in that "Fear Factor" forum, somebody will have the chance, and they won't have DonNova to kick around anymore.

P.S. Notice what a coward I am (again) for stating that I would
put you on ignore. Help! I'm running away!

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