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Series / True Beauty (2009)

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True Beauty is a unique reality show of sorts. The contestants believe they are being judged on their outer beauty and performance, but in reality, their "inner" beauty is being evaluated. The contestants are put through a challenge and then the two worst-performing contestants are up for elimination. Sounds like standard fare, right?

Well, this is where things differ. Throughout the series, hidden-camera challenges are set up to test the contestants to see whether they are true beauties constantly, or are only in it for the money. The results of said challenges determine both who is being eliminated and, eventually, who wins.

Oh, and the contestants are oblivious to the true premise, with their belief that they're competing for a cash prize and a spread in People magazine.

Produced by Tyra Banks and Ashton Kutcher, the show ran for two seasons from 2009-2010.


Tropes:

  • Candid Camera Prank: Not really "pranks" per se, but the contestants are unaware that there are hidden-camera challenges until the final episode. These are usually mundane things such as untangling a woman from her dog's leash, sitting with the "lonely" child during their challenge, and offering a would-be bride some words of encouragement.
  • Cheaters Never Prosper:
    • Both in-game and on a meta level. Acts such as cheating, lying or being an Alpha Bitch/Jerkass in the challenges will come back to bite you. On the meta level, Regina (Season 2) was actually disqualified for "cheating" (she was using a phone to contact people outside production).
    • On a smaller scale, during a challenge in Season 1, the contestants were told they were each allowed to bring one personal item with them. Ray picks up his drawing box, and Billy picks up his "murse" full of beauty products. When Vanessa and Cheryl object (since the murse and the items therein were counted as individual items), Billy quickly calls them out on Ray being allowed to take all of his pencils. Ray is told to ditch the pencils, and Billy takes another item.
  • Humble Pie: Depending on when they're eliminated, the contestants are shown everything that goes against the idea of being an "inner beauty." This doesn't just include the hidden-camera challenges; it also includes things like bullying or ganging up on others and speaking about people behind their backs.
  • Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Julia from season 1 passed all of the Hidden Camera challenge and eventually became the winner of the season. However this was poignantly subverted in the final episode when she revealed that was charged with a DUI as a teenager, something that she acknowledged as reckless to the people around her and deeply regretted doing so, which shocked the judges into silence for the rest of her interview.
  • Naked People Are Funny: Taylor and Craig from Season 2 decide to get naked quite a bit. One glorious montage shows us that the girls will either laugh or squirm at it.
  • Narcissist: Quite a few of the contestants, both male and female, will fall into this from time to time. Played with, in that being self-absorbed does not do anyone any favors.
  • Sore Loser: In Season 2, immediately after being shown the footage of her behavior on camera, Liz leaves in a huff without talking to the judges and calling the decision to send her home unfair.

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