MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show

MTV’s Catfish is a reality show that follows people who have been “catfished” – that is, duped by someone they’ve met online into thinking that person is someone else entirely. The show’s hosts help the catfish to discover their true identity, and then confront the person they’ve been talking to online. In some cases, the catfish is just trying to spice up their love life; in others, they’re using a fake identity to scam someone out of money. Whatever the motivation, the results are always dramatic, and the show has become one of MTV’s most popular programs. 

Reasons To Watch MTV’s Catfish

If you’ve ever been fooled by someone online, you can definitely relate to the participants on Catfish and if you haven’t, you’ll be glad that you don’t have to worry about it happening to you. Watching a show like this helps its viewers stay on high alert when interacting with people over the internet. If you’re ever in doubt of the vast benefits of watching a reality show, keep reading to check out 5 reasons to watch MTV’s Catfish:

1. IT’S A CAUTIONARY TALE 

While Catfish certainly has its share of dramatic moments, at its core it’s a warning about the dangers of getting too invested in an online relationship without ever meeting your partner in person. By following Nev as he tries to unravel these complicated stories, viewers are given a reminder to be careful about who they’re talking to online.

2. IT’LL MAKE YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS

After watching an episode or two of Catfish, you may find yourself thinking twice about your own online relationships. Are you really sure you know who you’re talking to? Are they really who they say they are? These are just some of the questions that Catfish will make you ask yourself.

3. IT’S EYE-OPENING

The show often exposes the ugly side of humanity, but also highlights the kindness and forgiveness that people are capable of.

4. IT’S RELATABLE 

In today’s digital age, many of us have started relationships online, so it’s easy to understand the scenario that the show portrays.

5. THE CAST IS LIKABLE AND RELATABLE

The hosts of Catfish, Nev Schulman and Max Joseph, are two of the most likable people on television. They’re genuine in their reactions to the stories they investigate and their empathy for the victims. It’s impossible not to root for them as they help others find closure and justice.

Is MTV’s Catfish Show Real? 

If you’re a big reality show junkie, you may be familiar with the format and how the shows are put together; the plots are handpicked, the drama is introduced and the only thing genuine about them all is how the characters react to the situations that they are thrown in by the producers. Well, according to MTV themselves, their show is 100% unscripted.

How Does MTV Catfish Work?

Nev Schulman and Max Joseph investigate cases of catfish scams through online dating by contacting the catfishers through skype. They try to find out their true identity before their victims suffer from their scam.

What Motivates A Catfisher

Believe it or not, but in most cases, the catfisher initiates the episode. Due to feelings of guilt, they’re often the ones that reach out to the show to relieve themselves for what they did. 

This shows that catfishers might not always be catfishing someone with intent to hurt someone. The internet is a place where you can show yourself as anything or anybody you want people to see you as in order to get more clout, money, fame, and ultimately attention. This has more to do with the catfisher than the victim of the act. We live in an age where real life interactions are becoming few and far between. Most interactions are now done over the internet. Unfortunately, social media and dating apps has given rise to more catfish victims. One can assume a fake avatar and persona with more ease than ever before. 

While programs like MTV’s Catfish have helped to shed light on the issue of online deception, they have also motivated many people to engage in this type of behavior. Here are five reasons why catfished shows motivate catfishers:

1. Catfishing Shows Glorify Deception

Catfish and other similar shows present catfishing as a harmless prank or a game. However, the truth is that catfishing is a form of deception that can have serious consequences. By glamorizing this behavior, these programs encourage people to engage in it without considering the potential harm that they may be causing.

2. They Make It Seem Easy

Catfish and other catfishing shows make it seem like anyone can successfully deceived someone online. This sets up false expectations and encourages people to try it without fully understanding the risks involved.

3. They Inflate the Ego

Many of the people who are featured on catfishing shows are shown as being successful in deceiving others. This validation can be very intoxicating for some people, leading them to seek out similar experiences in their own lives.

4. They Reinforce Harmful Stereotypes

Catfish and other catfishing shows often reinforces harmful stereotypes about certain groups of people. For example, they often present older men as being more likely to be successful at deceiving younger women. This perpetuates harmful myths and contributes to an overall atmosphere of mistrust.

5. They Create a Demand for More Catfish

The popularity of catfishing shows creates a demand for more stories about people being deceived online. This, in turn, motivates more people to engage in this type of behavior in order to get their 15 minutes of fame.

If you’re unsure that you’d like this show, socialcatfish.com provides a recap of episode 1 from
season 7.

Societal Influence On Catfishers

According to a global survey, 33% of adults experienced loneliness. As technology advances, people become more disconnected to one another. In addition to the rise of loneliness, men have formed communities to cope with the lack of attention from the opposite sex such as the MGTOW, red pill and incel community. 

MGTOW is an acronym for Men Going Their Own Way. MGTOW is an anti-feminist, misogynistic online community that advocates for men to distance themselves from the opposite sex and from society which they believe has been corrupted by feminism. 

The red pilled community is a reference to the popular 1999 hit film, The Matrix. It refers to men that have their perspective dramatically transformed, especially by introducing them to a new and typically disturbing understanding of the true nature of a particular situation. 

The incel community are heterosexual men who blame women and society for their lack of romantic success. Catfishers are bread from these communities because on a subconscious level there is a yearning for female companionship and attention. 

On the other side of it, women may think to catfish men for the same reasons. It’s believed that when it comes to affairs between men and women, 80% of women are having relations with 20% of men. 

If a woman happens to fall in the other 20%, then just like men, she’ll find herself in desperation mode to get attention from men. This may lead to them trying to catfish on dating sites.

Why MTV’s Show Enables Catfishers

As previously mentioned, catfishers crave attention. If you give them a big platform to gain fame, then they’re not going to turn such an opportunity down. This explains why many catfishers reach out to the show to confess what they’ve done. 

The thought of being seen by many people entices them to contact them. It even starts way before that. Delusions of grandeur is what prompts them to plot out their whole catfishing scam from the jump. 

As much as MTV’s show aims to help the victims by exposing the true identity of the catfishers, they also have increased the likelihood of more catfishing scams to happen.