Do you feel responsible for the fate of some of the contestants as a viewer?

I’ve been thinking about this as an avid ANTM and reality tv viewer. I watched every episode as a teenager when they aired, and have rewatched them all many times since then. I saw the bullying of the contestants, and honestly, it was entertaining to me (I know I’m a terrible person 😩). The manufactured drama was a huge part of the reason I watched, but it was obviously at the expense of the contestants.

Hearing some of the contestants come forward with their horror stories, I’ve seen a lot of blame rightfully being handed out to the producers, Tyra, and the on screen talent. But Tyra and Ken Mok said that they were just giving the audience what we wanted. They said that the audience wanted everything to be more extreme, higher stakes. But “the audience” isn’t some vague entity, it’s me! And truthfully, I can’t argue with them. I did want it. I watched every reality show out there. The more outrageous, the better. But does that mean I am responsible for the exploitation of reality tv contestants? Does anyone feel like there is any justification in shifting some of the blame onto the viewers? In some ways I can see their side of the argument, but I couldn’t help but feel defensive when I clocked what they were actually saying.