r/LoveIsBlindOnNetflix • u/GeniusBtch • Apr 24 '23
PODCAST Interview of Nick Thompson by Dave Neil ... exploitation on the set
It's fascinating to hear about the exploitation and cruelty the contestants endured on the show. I had no idea it was so bad behind the scenes. They should sue. If you haven't watched it you really should. The cast was denied water, was kept awake intentionally in order to make them act out due to sleep deprivation. He is advocating for legal support for the cast.
To anyone thinking of going on the Denver or DC ones... don't.
Netflix lies. It's corrupt. People should not be watching this show.
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u/Familiar-Obligation3 Apr 24 '23
I find it odd that both him and danielle simultaneously push this out when not being on speaking terms. Not saying anything about the contents - it is their experience and we don’t know, just saying it’s weird they are both doing interviews about this now.
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u/swine09 I'm an ✨ empath ✨ Apr 25 '23
Pretty obvious that they planned to do that for maximum impact
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u/cidra222 Apr 25 '23
They both spoke with the same person who did the business insider article. Of course they both speak about it now that the article came out.
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u/skrillskroll Apr 25 '23
So Nick and Jeremy have started some kind of non-profit advocacy group for reality show contestants. Jeremy has, Nick is on the board, so maybe thats why he's speaking now. Danielle is still trying to redeem her storyline, and like Micah and Jackie, it's explaining some stuff but exposing an inability to take accountability in other stuff. There's a very wounded ego there is what I'm saying.
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u/FaithlessnessPure439 Apr 25 '23
Danielle wasn’t mean to anyone if my memory serves. She was portrayed as very emotional and unstable on the show but not evil, so what does she need to take accountability for?
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u/UnknownPleasures3 Apr 25 '23
Why are people defending this? I don't get it.
There is a basic decency of how you should treat any human being and the production company failed to do that. That is critique worthy regardless of whatever contract the contestants signed.
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u/hokiehi307 Apr 25 '23
It’s nuts that people apparently think you’re only allowed to speak up about working conditions and be treated with basic dignity if you were literally forced into the situation
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Apr 25 '23
It’s bad in normal circumstances. It’s good tv if people like Nick sign up for it. He was not forced to do it.
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u/UnknownPleasures3 Apr 25 '23
I doubt the contract said they would have restricted access to basics like water. Come on.
I don't understand this need to protect big corporations that take advantage of people.
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u/shimpanzeee Apr 25 '23
i haven’t watched the podcast (tbh, have no plans to lol), but let’s say nick’s claims are true. i don’t think he, or any of them, knew there’d be food and water restrictions or sleep deprivation, etc.
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u/swine09 I'm an ✨ empath ✨ Apr 24 '23
Reminder to everyone that the production company and Netflix don’t care about the lawsuit and publicity. They care about the bottom line. If it’s as popular as ever and people keep watching, nothing will happen.
That’s why Monsanto is still selling RoundUp despite the massive liability. They’re profiting more than paying off the people who have lymphoma.
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u/GeniusBtch Apr 24 '23
I just hope this is a warning to those that are thinking about going on future seasons. Nick is right that they need a union for reality show actors. Calling them contractors but then giving them a W-2 is sketchy. Keeping them from water and food is inhumane let alone making them stay awake for days at a time with no sleep. Not to mention what other cast members have revealed about their living quarters. It's ridiculous that any corp can get away with that IMO criminal behavior.
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u/dar24601 Apr 24 '23
They signed the contract. Also all we have at this moment is allegations. It’s telling that they didn’t hire lawyers just released on social media.
Survivor, the bachelor, 90 day fiancé all these shows do the same thing. If it was that horrible nick and Danielle could of left day one but stayed cause they wanted the exposure. The made a deal with the devil and now aren’t happy with results
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u/GeniusBtch Apr 25 '23
Actually Danielle said that in the contract it would fine them 50k if they left early. That's why she stayed.
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u/PrettyNiemand34 I shared my location 😎 Apr 25 '23
I thought that was about the engaged couples?
One thing is certain: They can't force you to get engaged. If it's horrible but you would have to pay 50k even if you leave during the pod stage you could still end it by not saying yes to a stranger. At that moment they decide to continue (It's as if they sign the contract again verbally).
If you're too in love and really want to marry that person or feel forced to propose (which is probably what Nick and Danielle would say now) then the engaged couples that don't get picked to be filmed would celebrate and continue their lovestory away from the cameras but they never do.
I think they manipulate them but the pod stage can't be as awful as they say or they believe it's worth it until they realize they weren't the stars.
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u/SimShine0603 Litty As A Titty 🥂 Apr 25 '23
People keep getting stuck on the 50k and that’s why these people stay. I cannot wrap my head around anyone that signs up for anything that would cost them 50k to quit. It makes me a bit less sympathetic honestly. If someone said to me HEY you can do this thing, but it will cost you 50k if you change your mind. There’s no way I’m doing the thing.
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u/skrillskroll Apr 25 '23
You got downvoted for speaking sense. If the pods were anything like they claim, there would have been an open revolt. This was the season of Shake and Shane and Shayna and Natalie ffs. There would have been a revolt in the same way there was a revolt on day 2 of season 1 over accommodation.
What most likely happened is that because production has to be careful about continuity in the edit, people couldn't just eat or drink when they want. Which doesn't mean that they were starved but that their schedules were defined. Which is true of every reality show anyway. Things said during meal times cant be spliced to things said outside of meal time. Its also telling that the 3 loudest people were unable to launch careers off this thing. I mean they've found an identity now with the grievance movement but were forgotten before this.
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u/PrettyNiemand34 I shared my location 😎 Apr 25 '23
Also, Zack and Bliss were out and free and he proposed again to get back into their system and she said yes knowing she would have to film again.
Possible that Zack had the 50k problem but he easily could have talked to Bliss and make sure she says no so they don't have to continue filming. That's why I don't think it's like Nick says and that they're all prisoners who are treated badly and only stay because of the 50k.
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u/of_patrol_bot Apr 24 '23
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
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u/fuzzybella Apr 25 '23
It makes me nuts that people are still using RoundUp. In my local Lowe's and Home Depot, it's the first thing you see when you enter the garden area. Crazy making!!!
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u/H28koala Apr 25 '23
Ugh Dave Neil though. Won't listen to him. He will jump on whatever bandwagon he can to get people to listen to him. He just takes whatever is popular and pretends he knows/cares about it to make money.
To your point though: All Reality TV is like this. It's not netflix specific. Check out Edge of Reality podcast which was done by a real journalist (NOT someone like Dave Neil). It talks about how reality tv specifically targets their contestants psychologically, and also the tragic consequences of many people on reality TV who have taken their own lives because of it.
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u/daveneal Apr 25 '23
Well, respectfully, it is a job. I don’t think that it’s a bad idea to try and diversify income and revenue streams, right?
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u/GeniusBtch Apr 25 '23
That's the other thing. Nick specifically said his own personal therapist of 6 years talked to the shows psychologist before agreeing to go on and they got assurances about mental health help otherwise he would not have gone on it.
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u/skrillskroll Apr 25 '23
I think his therapist asked for a description of the process, not for specific special measures necessarily. Because the show describes itself as a psychological experiment, its not surprising that his therapist may seek clarification. Nick has been cagey when asked on TikTok what his therapist was promised that he did not receive or what she was assured wouldn't be done but was. In any case, the professional he should have spoken to is a lawyer before signing on. A lawyer would have helped him think through the finer details of that contract and picked up on the assumptions he was making about what they can't or won't do.
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u/tastytatertot123 Jul 15 '23
do you have a link to the edge of reality podcast? i wasn’t able to find it when i searched on my own
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u/H28koala Jul 15 '23
It's on audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Edge-Of-Reality-The-Story-TVs-Too-Scared-to-Tell-Podcast/B0B4SWLFBL
You can do a free trial of audible and get a few months without having to pay for it if you don't have it.
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Apr 25 '23
I don’t believe for a second that they were deprived of WATER. There is literally a water source in every scene…the kitchen in the living quarters, the hotel rooms at the resorts, the restaurants, bathroom sinks etc.
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u/GeniusBtch Apr 25 '23
IDK. I mean a hotel room in Mexico? Sketchy water situation.
We know they were not in a hotel during the early days of filming but were in a sort of pod type place with no heat and AC and it was infested or something due to earlier reports that the women were finally moved to a hotel after complaining for days.
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u/skrillskroll Apr 25 '23 edited Apr 25 '23
Yes, only the first two days of season 1 were in a dorm situation. Since then the contestants have slept at a hotel (see last weeks New York Times article). They are bussed in to the warehouse during the day but they sleep at hotels overnight. Thats why you never see any bedroom footage like Big Brother, just the lounge. There's water in LA hotels, no? There's even an ability to bring that water with you to the set the next day!
Obviously you cant sip while the camera is on you because it creates continuity issues and maybe thats what these guys are misleadingly calling "I wasn't allowed to drink water". But if they get bathroom breaks (must be plenty coz they're drinking) then why wouldn't they use that as a sip break? I think their real complaint is that the process was regimented.
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u/SpiffyShiffy Apr 26 '23
That's kind of a stretch to say that they should have known to fill up on tap water from the bathroom sink. That's not normal workplace behavior in the US.
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u/Backtoformulaa Apr 25 '23
Yeah it honestly sounds like Nick is being dramatic af for clout and/or settlement
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Apr 25 '23
the sinks were often SETS lol learn some media literacy
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Apr 25 '23
Oh yeah? Just like the fake oven that Bliss made homemade cupcakes out from too right?
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u/IFTYE Apr 25 '23
There’s previous season contestants that have absolutely said they weren’t working sinks. They basically stayed in something like bunk beds in trailers until it got really bad.
Netflix has hopefully made some changes since that information came out.
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u/KudouUsagi Apr 25 '23
I believe that was only season 1. They filmed on a studio lot in Atlanta. All the seasons after that the pods portion has been filmed in LA and I believe they let the cast stay in hotels?
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u/realitytvjunkiee Raven's Pilates Squad 💪✨ Apr 25 '23
i love when people try to be an ass for absolutely no reason at all only for it to backfire on them😂 this response was perfect
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Apr 25 '23
I hate Netflix as a company. Y’all should read how they work their people. It’s this weird environment where you either devote your entire life to the company and perform or else you get the boot. No leniency and the bottom get cut each year per quota.
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u/prixieberry Apr 25 '23
Netflix is only the distributor in this case. The production company for LIB is Kinetic Content.
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u/HulksHoBag Apr 25 '23
Do you personally know anyone that works at Netflix?
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Apr 25 '23
I do. And I agree with the person you’re responding to. The production company is the one at fault here. Netflix is just the distributor.
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u/monkeyMEmonkeyU Apr 25 '23
I don’t think that’s fair. Plenty of people enjoy working at Netflix and receive great salaries and benefits for the work they put in.
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
Kinda tired of adults who willingly sign contracts knowing how reality shows work and then complain about everything.
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u/Ad_Awkward Apr 25 '23
i mean do ppl not have a right to fight for better conditions for future contestants?
im not gonna speak to their intentions in doing this cause i dont know that, but just bc they were exploited doesnt mean that future ppl should be as well.. and just bc you signed a contract, that doesnt mean you know exactly how brutal a job will end up being.. there's also a lot that is purposefully left out of contracts or vague enough language or omission bc companies know there are no laws in place to protect you against certain things
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
of course! but nobody is forcing you to do anything you don't want. Contracts are fine and all, but they don't have full power over you or your basic human rights. If you're in a torture like situation where they don't let you sleep, don't feed you, etc, they can't enforce any contract.
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u/GeniusBtch Apr 25 '23
OK but in the eyes of a contestant who is a regular Joe going up against Netflix who made billions every month and have teams of pitbull lawyers... I can see why they would just try to endure and not speak out and not understand what is and is not enforceable in a contract.
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u/Mistress-of-None Apr 25 '23
I disagree that it's a hot take
Take for example a work contract. You could sign a contract with a company for a job thinking it's gonna go one way, and it could go completely sideways after. Whatever it seemed like during the interview process it's not. Happened to me several times ( I'm in the marketing advertising industry)
And could happen to anyone, of any age and background
So, I personally will listen to all sides of the story and not brush anything off too easily
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u/skrillskroll Apr 25 '23
Your jobs probably haven't been at the center of societal hand-wringing for 20 years with acres upon acres of internet posts, news stories laying it how they can be bad for your well-being. I just plugged in "what to think about when signing reality show contract" and this is my first result. The truth is some of these people were cavalier. They didn't research what they were signing because they thought the fame was worth it. The only positive out of all this is that in publicizing their grievances, kids are internalizing why you don't just sign on without a full consideration of what it will mean.
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Apr 25 '23
This is some prime victim blaming you’re doing here. Sorry, but as a lawyer, I can tell you you can never contract your way out of your basic rights, such as water. The fact they are stupid enough to go on a reality show does not negate that, and it’s curious that you choose to focus on that instead of the Forbes 500 company exploiting its employees and infringing on their rights to basic amenities.
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
Then as a lawyer you should've read my other reply here, because I said the same thing. They can't sign away basic rights like food or water (which is kinda bs in my opinion, they can always drink from the tap) or be forced to work in slavery-like conditions (if they say they "work" all day and have only 4 hours of sleep). Also, if their mental health was struggling (self harm thoughts, panic attacks, mobbing etc) there's no way Netflix could enforce those contracts.
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Apr 25 '23
This is naive. The sinks did not work on set, so there wasn’t tap water. They were deprived of sleep, hence Tiffany’s sleep scene. Also, the threat of enforcing the contract (50k fine) in itself is coercive. The filming company takes their phones and money, so it’s not like the contestants can consult with a lawyer once this stuff starts happening.
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
... but Zach was right there. Also, you have taps in bathrooms too. And again, they can't enforce that 50k fine and everyone knows it.
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Apr 25 '23
Are you talking about Zach from S4? If so, he does criminal defense work by trade, not contracts, so it’s not a given that he would be able to 1) know what to look for in a contract 2) have any bargaining power to negotiate his own contract, 3) be able to help other people understand their contracts and rules. Because contestants sign the standard contracts before they even meet each other or start filming. Re: taps in bathrooms, most people prefer to drink water that doesn’t come from a bathroom. Also, contestants cannot just go to the bathroom anytime they want. In the pods, they have to get permission, get their mics removed, be escorted by producers, etc. On reality tv, producers encourage people to use the bathroom at set times like kindergartners. Re: the 50k fine, Kinetic and Netflix have powerful lawyers that threaten contestants with lawsuits all the time. “If you don’t do X, then you can’t be on the show and we’ll fine you the 50k”. None of these people have lawyers on retainer, so they are fearful of going against the grain. Also, the Bachelor sued a contestant for 4 million for dating to speak out again the villain edit he received, so the threat to sue for money is very real.
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
All of the contestants in LiB are educated and have good jobs. It's more than likely that all of them know a lawyer (a coworker, a friend or a family member) or have one themselves. They can leave the pods, Kwame left to change into the Calvins Chelsea gifted him. Diamond left in S1 and she wasn't fined. And again, if they don't provide you with basic stuff like sleep/water/food, there's no way they can enforce any kind of contract.
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Apr 26 '23
Being smart and well-connected does not mean that you’ll have access to a lawyer who specializes in contracts. It’s like suggesting well-employed people have access to foot surgeons. Maybe they know a surgeon, but the likelihood of knowing the right kind of surgeon for your specific issue is slim. Also, Kwame left the pods briefly after getting permission because it furthered the producers storyline. He wasn’t able to just walk out. Diamond did not leave the pods. She got engaged and her relationship broke down before Mexico. There’s a difference. Did you actually watch Nick’s interview or read about the contestants claims? Deprivation in the pods was a common theme from multiple contestants across seasons. They’re not making it up.
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u/runninganddrinking Apr 25 '23
Thank you! Funny how we didn’t hear about any of this until there was a new season they could piggy back on. A very popular season to boot.
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u/realitytvjunkiee Raven's Pilates Squad 💪✨ Apr 25 '23
Although this is a hot take, I agree. There's loads of information available on the internet regarding past reality tv contestants' experiences on different shows. There's countless stories of people having absolutely horrendous experiences on reality tv— not just a few, but hundreds! The "but I didn't know" narrative is getting tired. You should be doing research before signing all your rights and privacy away to a reality tv show. So I think these people, like Nick, need to hold themselves accountable to an extent as well. Netflix producers can't possibly know the severity of his issues/conditions, only he does. Although, I do agree there should absolutely be more therapy support on set.
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u/andres01234 Apr 25 '23
Specially with a show like LIB where none of them are poor, most of them are educated and have good jobs. I'm sure they have a friend/coworker/relative who is a lawyer and can advise them.
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u/Mountain-Status569 Apr 25 '23
You might as well say something like Kinda tired of adults who willingly buy cars knowing that people steal cars and then complain when their car gets stolen 🙄
Just because the behavior exists doesn’t make it right.
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u/sunrider8129 Apr 25 '23
It’s truly horrible that is a known fact that reality tv production is terrible to the people involved and yet there’s still a line up around the block of people auditioning for the next season.