You know a network is looking for ratings when they begin to host shows such as My Strange Addiction. Despite being cringe-worthy to many, TLC has pushed this show in order to showcase just a few of the strangest addictions known to mankind and has managed to alienate a few viewers in doing so. Where TLC usually seems to show depictions of families and individuals that truly need help or are in some way a great example of what people should aspire to, this show is a miracle in that it has none of that. In reality this show tends to show some of the strangest, most bizarre addictions you could ever imagine, and the worst part is that while some of them might be real, they’re still being shamelessly exploited in a way that could only possibly satisfy the network and the people that are seeking this kind of attention.
Here’s a few things you might not know about the show.
10. Some of the addictions might be faked.
It wouldn’t be above anyone coming on TV to fake a problem, be it physical or mental, to get their 15 minutes of fame. Of course you would hope that TLC would screen the people they decide to film, but ratings are ratings and there could be a reason why some of the people don’t seem quite as kooky as they’re made out to be.
9. Some of the addictions are a serious health hazard.
People that have serious addictions sometimes take things to extremes that their bodies can’t handle. Plastic surgery is a big part of the show and has been seen to be a serious detriment to some peoples’ health.
8. Some of the addictions can lead to severe harassment.
No one is immune to the type of harassment that comes from wanting to modify their bodies or engage in something that others consider weird and unusual. In fact some people that have been on the show have been subjected to bullying and even worse thanks to their addictions.
7. Some of them are quite bizarre.
There’s really no telling what a person is going to be addicted to or what they might find important enough in their life to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on, or just to put above everything and everyone else in their lives. This show is one of those that you can’t help but cringe when watching simply because the people seem to have the oddest addictions.
6. Some of the people are doing this to be famous.
Give people a forum for anything they deem important enough to them and they will likely seek to make the most of it. Unfortunately granting people the thought that what they’re doing could make them famous and a lot of people will line up just because they think their story is something unique and needs to be told. Unfortunately with this show it seems to lead to a lot of ridicule.
5. Some people take it too far.
When an addiction becomes a health hazard or starts turning into something a little more serious than a harmless quirk it becomes a real danger to those that practice it. Filming this is a serious breath of ethics, or should be considered as such.
4. The show is seen as controversial.
It’s one thing if the people that have these addictions are faking it, and another if they’re attempting to get famous, but some of those that have addictions that are actually part of a mental instability are basically being exploited and in some cases praised as innovative individuals when they really have a problem that needs to be tended to. The mere fact that the show is highlighting this in such an irresponsible way should have been pointed out much sooner.
3. It’s been assumed that the host is practicing pseudo-science.
There’s little if any fact placed upon a lot of these addictions as they’re seen as oddities and almost nothing else to the viewers. The very real idea that there are mental problems shared by those that come on the show is what should have been able to shut it down before it ever became a thing.
2. There are claims that the show is scripted.
There are simply too many bizarre addictions and they’re all filmed at precisely the right time to show that the people that either suffer with them or enjoy them are viewed in public as freaks of nature or people to be ridiculed. In many ways this is due to clever editing on the part of the show as depicting the people as they really are in any given moment would probably decrease the ratings.
1. The show tends to misrepresent the addictions of those that are featured.
It’s unethical at the very least and opportunistic at worst to put these people on TV largely because they are being asked to showcase a mental condition that can make them look a lot crazier than what they are.
In essence this is TLC looking to promote a freak show with people that have serious problems and need some help.
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