Projects: Short Term:
Troping real people as reality show 'characters'
1st Jan '24 2:47:54 AM
Crown Description:
Audience reaction tropes such as The Scrappy and Base Breaking Character can sometimes veer into Real Life Troping due to the nature of Reality Shows. Even if we cut references to events outside the work (e.g. the contestant's social media posts and tabloid headlines) those events may still be an underlying factor in any audience reaction. If so, the reaction is at least partly to the performer, not just the character. With that in mind:Breakout Character should remain valid for Reality Show contestants, but only within the context of the show. Someone who returns with a much larger role later in the same series or elsewhere in the same Series Franchise is potentially a valid example - but a performer who uses the show to boost their wider media career elsewhere isn't.
Due to the difficulty distinguishing between Reality Show contestants as portrayed in the show (i.e. the "character") and the real person/performer behind them, audience reaction character tropes such as Base-Breaking Character and The Scrappy are only valid if this audience response is directly acknowledged within the show. Examples where it's acknowledged in a later season or elsewhere in the same Series Franchise do still count.
