Shows like America's Next Top Model and Dance Moms were revolutionary in the early days of reality television. They inarguably paved the way for notable success stories within the genre by piquing interest in reality television's atypical format. However, many of these shows fail to hold up and have aged extremely poorly for their questionable central messages and cruel treatment of contestants.
These shows generally highlight contestants' insecurities or feature judges who ruthlessly demean contestants for the supposed sake of entertainment. Because of this, it is abundantly clear that these shows would never fly today – and shouldn't have when they initially aired.
10 Born In The Wild Brought Every Expecting Mother's Worst Nightmare To Life
As its name may questionably imply, Born in the Wild follows couples who are expecting as they decide to welcome their child into the world in the wilderness. While giving birth without the aid of doctors and modern medicine is sure to be any expecting mother's worst nightmare, Born in the Wild is set around this very premise.
Needless to say, the show received immense backlash from audiences and critics alike since it unhesitatingly put expectant mothers through unnecessary discomfort and potential health complications. Born in the Wild was canceled after a mere six episodes.
9 Kid Nation Put Children In Danger For The Sake Of Entertainment
Best described as a combination of William Golding's Lord of the Flies and the hit reality competition series Survivor, Kid Nation challenged 40 children to build a flourishing society in an abandoned ghost town. The show's main goal was to teach contestants how difficult it would be to create this society without the help of adults or modern technology.
However, the main message that came across to viewers was much different; rather than appear as an invaluable learning experience for these children, audiences could tell that it was made to sensationalize contestants' suffering for the sake of entertainment. Because of this, Kid Nation was canceled after a single season.
8 The Swan Reinforced Toxic Beauty Standards
The early 2000s marked an experimental phase in the reality television genre. Among the countless fads featured in reality shows from this period, one that questionably stuck were shows centered around the beratement of contestants' appearances. Despite this, it is hard to believe that a show like The Swan was not immediately canceled upon airing.
The show highlighted female contestants' insecurities by selecting them as "ugly ducklings" who would transform into "beautiful swans" through plastic surgery and dieting. To make The Swan even worse, each episode pitted two contestants against one another, with the "prettier" contestant continuing on to a beauty pageant that was held at the end of the season.
7 Long Island Medium Lacked Believability And Exploited Subjects' Bereavement For Views
On the surface, Long Island Medium appears to be an impactful show that follows self-proclaimed medium Theresa Caputo as she conducts readings on believers and skeptics alike. Even though many viewers are drawn to the show by Caputo's undeniable effervescence and charm, countless skeptics have deemed the show to be anything but authentic.
Above all else, these skeptics claim that Caputo's "gift" is derived from exploitative techniques, her subjects' willingness to believe, and the show's favorable editing committed to convincing audiences of Caputo's remarkable ability. While Long Island Medium has always been polarizing, its implicitly exploitative premise shouldn't have aired for 14 seasons.
6 Dance Moms Has Aged Poorly As Abby Lee Miller's Racist Microaggressions Come To Light
Dance Moms has introduced the world to countless talents within the world of dance who have gone on to make big names for themselves, like Maddie Ziegler and Jojo Siwa. However, countless problematic aspects of Dance Moms have come to light in recent years.
One of the show's most notable controversies centers around Abby Lee Miller, the cutthroat dance instructor who made audiences believe that she only had the best of intentions in mind. After Lee posted a black square in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, countless moms came forward and shared how Miller often treated their daughters differently because of their race.
5 Toddlers & Tiaras Teaches Unhealthy Beauty Standards To Young Girls
As a network, TLC has become notorious for its array of questionable reality TV shows that made light of serious issues by grossly sensationalizing them. A prime example of this comes in the form of Toddlers & Tiaras, which exposed viewers to the shockingly competitive world of child beauty pageants.
The most problematic aspect of the show was how it encouraged young viewers to adopt toxic beauty standards by watching young girls wear copious amounts of makeup and extravagant gowns. While such unachievable beauty standards can be immensely harmful to audiences' and pageant participants' self-esteem, Toddlers & Tiaras aired for an unnerving seven seasons.
4 The Moment Of Truth Ruined Countless Contestants' Lives For The Sake Of Entertainment
The Moment of Truth endeavored to showcase how far contestants were willing to go to win large amounts of money – from putting their relationships in jeopardy to answering questions that indicate their lacking morals. Each episode centered on a contestant being challenged to answer questions truthfully – even if it hurts their loved ones.
While many critics have speculated that aspects of the show were staged, one episode, in particular, has received notable controversy. In the episode, a married woman competes for the $500,000 cash prize and ends up admitting that she is still in love with an ex-boyfriend and would be willing to leave her husband for that same ex.
3 19 Kids And Counting's Duggar Family Has Fallen From Grace
Another reality TV show that aired on TLC that has become immensely controversial is 19 Kids and Counting. The show starred the religious Duggar family, who abstained from using birth control since they decided to let God determine the number of children they should have.
In recent years, however, the family's abounding problematic views and past behaviors have come to light. These problematic aspects include the family's vehement stance against gay marriage, refusal to acknowledge the validity of the transgender experience, and the family's eldest son being convicted of sexual assault.
2 Are You Hot? Berated Contestants Who Slightly Deviated From The Judges' Disgusting Beauty Standards
Are You Hot? centers around a panel of "experts" who judge conventionally attractive contestants and find their tiniest flaws just to make fun of them. While beauty is undoubtedly in the eye of the beholder, this show endeavored to make any individual who slightly deviated from the judges' warped beauty standards feel terrible about themselves.
While some viewers may have been willing to let this disgusting instance of reality television fly under the radar, the show's problematic undertones were always readily apparent. From live studio audiences booing the judges for their derogatory comments to some contestants' incredulity at the comments they received, Are You Hot? aged just as well as moldy cheese.
1 America's Next Top Model Essentially Tormented Aspiring Models And Repeatedly Featured Blackface
America's Next Top Model was started by well-known model and television personality Tyra Banks as a modeling competition that shaped aspiring models from small towns into "real" models. While the show has cemented itself as a big name within the world of reality television, countless aspects of the show have aged extremely poorly.
For instance, several photoshoots forced aspiring models to treat various cultures as mere costumes. These episodes particularly showcase an unsettling slew of racist comments and a disturbing normalization of blackface. Other controversies revisited in recent years include Tyra berating a contestant for the gap in her teeth and having countless contestants undergo harmful dental surgeries and makeovers that left their hair fried and badly damaged.