On the occasion of the 20 years of reality TV,
20 Minutes
offers a series of articles on this phenomenon which has shaken the small screen.
Candidate for the fifth season of
Secret Story
, Morgane Enselme pointed out the methods of production in a book.
"There are candidates who come out of the broadcasts in a very complicated state to catch up psychologically," she warns in an interview with
20 Minutes
.
A year ago, Morgane Enselme gave herself a mission. That of describing, in a book, his experience in the fifth season of
Secret Story
. And this, unlike all those given to him in the TF1 game, was not dictated by La Voix. After thirteen weeks spent in the house of secrets, the candidate wanted to deliver her truth and shed light on the actions of the production which wishes to achieve its ends, regardless of the consequences on the participants.
Today, Morgane Enselme lives in Los Angeles where she works in particular as a consultant for YouTube.
His dream ?
“Telling positive, inspiring stories that do people good.
Before that, she looks back on her journey in reality TV for
20 Minutes
.
Right from the start, the casting director tells you that she wants to change the image of reality TV.
Do you think it was possible at the time?
And today ?
In 2011, it was still possible because the candidates were still spontaneous. I think I experienced the pivotal moment because careers in reality TV were starting to develop, with contestants going on to other reality shows afterwards. At the time, it would have been possible to say that we do not want it to become mechanized, that it be repetitive, that we do not only have candidates who correspond to stereotypes. In 2021, I believe that the turn that has been taken is too marked for us to be able to go back. It created codes for these shows where we expect clashes, couples, a certain type of physique, behavior. Now that the audience of these shows is waiting for that and coming to watch for that, it's very complicated to think that we're going to separate on that side.
Is the Voice a heartwarming presence, a semblance of humanity, in
Secret Story
?
I was very attached to La Voix, it's a bit of a fatherly presence in the game. It's a competition that is sometimes merciless and La Voix qui est là, it is a bit the voice of wisdom that , from time to time, intervenes when it goes too far. Unfortunately, I realized that La Voix played a role in controlling us, in maintaining us. He's kind of the nice cop compared to other people in the production who make the bad cops. At the end of the game, I realized that she was not being honest with us because she gives us missions. When I saw the broadcast of the program, I saw that these things were broadcast as our own behavior and not as missions. For me, it was really a betrayal because there are things that I trusted La Voix for, and in fact,she was not on my side.
You also say that the production has control over the votes of the show ...
The voting system is neither transparent nor impartial. As I leave the house of secrets, I go in a car which must take me on the bounty with Benjamin Castaldi. The security guard driving her told me he knew it was I who had been going out since Wednesday. He told me not to say it but from the moment the appointments are made on Tuesday, the next day he has the roadmap with the name of the candidate who is going to leave, his address to bring him home and his tickets by train if he is not from Paris. It didn't even completely surprise me. I laughed and at the same time, I felt the last touch of illusion falling. When I heard that, I said to myself “if the game is played from Tuesday, I don't know what the votes are for. "
You write: “If I write this book, it is also to restore a semblance of justice. So that the security breaches that lead to tragedies are taken seriously and that the degrading treatment that candidates are subjected to be recognized, if not abolished. »Do you think you succeeded?
I think that the more visibility we give to the mistreatment, to the security flaws that there are in these programs, the more it forces production companies to be careful.
Now that this is known, there is still more vigilance.
Do I think my book will revolutionize the world of reality TV?
I don't have this illusion that I can win on my own against this industry.
On the other hand, I think it is a stone in the building, that it is a trace, a testimony.
It is also a piece of information for future candidates who would like to do these shows.
Should we fully blame the production companies when dramas occur with candidates?
When there are dramas with reality TV contestants, you can't say it's only the production companies' fault. On the other hand, what I can say with certainty is that when people are fragile and we throw them in a system like reality TV, there are some that it destroys, it robs them of their last chance to succeed. to overcome their loopholes. It's a world where we put you under pressure, we try to make you lose your means on the screen so that you cry, so that you scream. There's no denying that reality TV will push people to their limits, both physical and psychological, and that in some cases it creates post-traumatic stress disorder. I really experienced that when I left the show.I had a big post-traumatic stress disorder because it's an experience that is very intense, because there is psychological violence, sometimes physical violence, clashes that erupt and are physically violent. It's not easy when you come out of all that to accept that, all the humiliations that we've been through.
Why is it almost only you who dare to speak?
There aren't many candidates who have spoken on the dark side yet because it's not obvious. There are huge confidentiality clauses in place that mean that when we go out, it's all fresh, we can't talk about it. Then time flies. Some people still hope to remake a reality show so they don't necessarily want to get angry with the production boxes. Another part of the candidates has no problem with this system as long as they can participate and then have lots of subscribers on social networks. As we speak, we are put under examination, we are examined under a magnifying glass and at that time, we must be irreproachable, otherwise we will be told that we took advantage of it, that we did partnerships, that we earn money.Candidates come to talk to me in private because they know I'm not going to throw them out. All programs are not the same, all candidates do not participate with the same motives. There are candidates who are manipulated and exploited and who come out of the shows in a very complicated state to catch up psychologically. This is not to say that reality TV is to be thrown in the trash and that everything is bad. But beware, there are human beings who participate in these shows and come out completely broken while it's still on TV.There are candidates who are manipulated and exploited and who come out of the shows in a very complicated state to catch up psychologically. This is not to say that reality TV is to be thrown in the trash and that everything is bad. But beware, there are human beings who participate in these shows and come out completely broken while it's still on TV.There are candidates who are manipulated and exploited and who come out of the shows in a very complicated state to catch up psychologically. This is not to say that reality TV is to be thrown in the trash and that everything is bad. But beware, there are human beings who participate in these shows and come out completely broken while it's still on TV.
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20 seconds of context
There are many forms of reality TV today.
We have chosen here not to include adventure shows (
Koh-Lanta
type
), certain dating shows (like
Love is in the meadow
), contests (cooking shows, shopping shows, etc.) or again the telecrochets (except
Star Academy
because we continuously followed the life of the candidates to the castle).
Television
Interview
20 minutes video
TF1
Reality show
Secret Story