ITNTW: MARRIED AT FIRST STUNT

Married at First Sight (MAFS) has been a controversial reality TV show in Australia for years, but it’s also one of the most popular. Even if it’s hard to admit sometimes, a lot of us are hooked weekly. As the latest season comes to an end, there has been a lot of discussion around the show’s apparent focus on boosting the careers of its contestants rather than finding true love.

Is Harrison there for love? Fame? Many would say he is just there to gaslight women… but that is all just personal opinions. Let’s talk about the logic behind MAFS and why it can be a dangerous aspiration.

An influencer manager has recently shared with Lifestyle Yahoo her take on this year’s cast, stating that ‘they don’t have what it takes to make it in the industry’. With the influencer market more saturated than ever, gaining at least 300,000 active followers is crucial to quitting a day job. While some contestants have signed with talent managers, their follower counts may not be enough to sustain their careers long-term once the show is over next week.

The bride who has gained the most followers so far is Claire Nomarhas, with a follower count jump from 2.8k to 68k. But this is nothing in comparison with last year’s season, where two brides (Domenica Calarco and Ella Ding) left the show with over 500k followers.

From a PR perspective, it seems the evolution of reality TV shows has turned them into platforms for building personal brands rather than simply showcasing real-life situations, or in this case, finding love. This shift has given rise to a new type of social media star with millions of followers and lucrative endorsement deals.

While this new influencer industry isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it has resulted in a real loss of authenticity in the reality TV shows, making them more staged. As viewers, we should be aware of the personal objectives of the contestants and take their actions with a grain of salt – TV is not always as real as it appears. It can be quite damaging to acknowledge everything broadcasted to us as the truth. But for now, let’s sit back, grab some popcorn, and see which season 10 MAFS couples make it to the end.

By Laura Arias – PR & Influencer Coordinator at InsideOut PR and #AsSeenOn