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People think ABC’s Whodunnit actually killed contestants

People think ABC’s Whodunnit actually killed contestants

Update: The show’s executive producer Anthony Zuiker discusses this and gives behind-the-scenes details.

The new ABC reality competition Whodunnit debuted last night and included the pretend murder of two contestants, one of whom wasn’t really a contestant at all. Some viewers were, at best, confused about whether or not the show was really killing people, while others bought into the premise completely.

A note: I have mixed feeling about the trend of publicly shaming people who respond to events stupidly on social media, mostly because it’s too easy: There are a lot of well-meaning but stupid people in the world. That said, I do think it’s important to illustrate and condemn things such as horrific racism aimed at a 10-year-old, especially when it’s not an isolated response.

I gathered these responses as a public service, because at the very least, they illustrate how some people watch reality TV shows without employing any kind of critical thinking or analysis. Like, zero. And that genuinely scares me. Not that some people prefer to disengage and just watch and be entertained, but that they are so unwilling to think about what’s on the screen that they publicly embarrass themselves.

Even if you give the production credit for its special effects–and honestly, the corpse makeup was the least convincing part of the production design–how on earth can someone watch a television program and think that contestants are actually being shot in the head and set on fire?

Most of the people here do frame their responses as a question, so at least there’s a hint of skepticism, and their Twitter friends often replied to point out that, no, a major network production does not actually murder people. But seriously, was it ever really a question to begin with?

 

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  • Andy Dehnart is the creator of reality blurred and a writer and teacher who obsessively and critically covers reality TV and unscripted entertainment, focusing on how it’s made and what it means. Learn more about Andy.

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Andy Dehnart

about reality blurred

I’m Andy Dehnart, a writer who obsessively and critically covers reality TV, focusing on how it’s made and what it means.

I created reality blurred 20 years ago as a place to collect interesting links I found. Today, I review and recommend reality shows, documentaries, and nonfiction entertainment; analyze news and report from behind the scenes; and interview people who create and star in reality TV shows. You'll also find other people's insightful takes on reality TV in these pages, too.

I believe pop culture can both entertain and affect us, and so reality blurred's goal is to amplify the best and hold the worst accountable. In other words, I’m here to call it out when it sucks and celebrate it when it’s amazing. Let’s talk about it together!