Former contestants frequently speak of being deprived of food, sleep, and medication to induce emotional breakdowns. Legal battles over unfair editing (the "villain edit") are common. Moreover, in the early 2000s, the "Freakshow" era of reality TV (think The Swan or Extreme Makeover ) pushed toxic beauty standards and psychological cruelty to horrifying extremes.
Former contestants frequently speak of being deprived of food, sleep, and medication to induce emotional breakdowns. Legal battles over unfair editing (the "villain edit") are common. Moreover, in the early 2000s, the "Freakshow" era of reality TV (think The Swan or Extreme Makeover ) pushed toxic beauty standards and psychological cruelty to horrifying extremes.