SWK: Hey BB! Do you find it weird that there are so many narrators for these shows now? Rather than the hosted format like Survivor and Big Brother, or judging panel shows like the (now suss) America's Next Top Model, we have all these narrators guiding us through each episode of The Circle and Too Hot to Handle, some of the most popular reality TV shows.
BB: Hiii! Yeah, that’s true. The narrator seems to be a new addition to the reality TV format. They aren’t really a host, they exist outside the format looking in, along with us. I’m sure these narrators existed pre-pandemic but they gained popularity at a good time. It sort of feels like you’re watching the show with a friend, which is nice when you literally can’t watch shows with friends.
SWK: Yes! I spent a lot of nights watching these shows on my laptop in bed, under the covers, my secret not-so-secret shame. The narrators made the experience feel less lonely, and they added context to the whole thing, guiding us through the highs and lows of the show. Like a Twitter feed in real time, offering commentary or foreshadowing what's to come. They also act as a form of comedic relief, like we know these people are ridiculous and the premise is dumb… and now let's check in on how Francesca and Harry are doing! Michelle Buteau from The Circle comes to mind.
"It’s easier to hate-watch when the narrator is roasting the participants for you."
BB: Right, the narrators aren’t recapping what's happening, they are offering their commentary, like a sports announcer. Now I’m imagining Michelle Buteau narrating a hockey game, lol. “He shoots, he misses. Nice try, bruh.” The difference, I guess, is that Michelle Buteau is culturally sensitive and aware of the silliness of it all. She’s in on the joke, laughing along with us. She's also creating distance between us and the show. It’s easier to hate-watch when the narrator is roasting the participants for you.
SWK: I do love how narrators add to the fake-ness of it all, reminding us that it's just a show. It creates a more self-aware viewing experience, like let's not pretend any of this isn't scripted or plotted out in advance. I don't really care that there is less "reality" in reality TV, as long as it's entertaining. I'm less worried about having empathy for the characters, and the narrators help me remember it's all not real. But I do find some of the narrators annoying, less like an all-knowing friend spilling the tea than a snide bro who is purely making fun of it all, AKA the narrator from Love Island, Iain Stirling.
BB: Agreed! Maybe the narrator of Love Island is too similar to the Jeff Probst style hosts (the white paternalistic voice). Buteau or Desiree Burch from Too Hot to Handle are more appealing because they reflect our changing cultural views and call out cringey behaviour. For example, in The Circle, where the goal isn’t to hook up but rather build social clout, Buteau calls out contestants looking to be “aroused” by other participants.
BB: I wonder if Buteau and Burch function to widen the scope of the audience for the show? Some people may watch and be annoyed with a critical narrator but for me it works, allowing me to watch the shows from a critical distance. I noticed that Michelle Buteau is also the narrator for The Principles of Pleasure. I love how she effortlessly moves from narrating The Circle to The Principles of Pleasure, a very different kind of show that celebrates queer, intersectional feminist, sex-positive research; she can do it all.
SWK: Given how poorly reality TV does on representation of any kind besides white and cis, and how powerful the narrator can be in the format, it's wild that two of the narrators for these shows, Michelle Buteau and Desiree Burch, are Black women. It brings to mind the sassy Black friend trope, where they offer snappy, shady commentary to guide us through the dramas of these often good-looking majority-white contestants.
BB: Absolutely. Do you find it off-putting when the snarky narrator of Love Island makes fun of women on the show? That’s when the narrator becomes too much, no longer feeling like a friend but a man you’re trapped speaking to at a party.
SWK: The fun fantasy of reality TV is over at that point!
BB: Maybe social media has changed what an audience needs in a narrator. We don’t really want to hear a recap of the show—we want the hot take. On Twitter and TikTok, users want to know what we’ve collectively decided to think about a cultural event or influencer. Influencers live and die by the last tweet or TikTok made about them and we’re all just trying to keep up.
"We don’t really want to hear a recap of the show—we want the hot take."
SWK: Also, a lot of the people who go on reality TV shows now are influencers or wannabe influencers. Maybe this is why it's easier to make fun of them, make them into memes, and pull them apart on social media because it's clear they're there for fame and attention, rather than true love. It just adds another layer of distance between us and them, in addition to the presence of a narrator.
BB: Yeah, we stay safely on the side of anonymity while we watch influencers or reality TV stars get cancelled or ripped to shreds on the internet. I think we’re growing more comfortable with the parasocial relationships in our lives. Influencers, podcasters, reality TV stars, and by extension, the narrators of these shows all feel like people we know, when in fact these are one-sided relationships that require no actual intimacy on our part. It’s interesting that the “host” of Too Hot to Handle is an AI device (Lana) programmed by producers. In The Circle, too, the “host” is a social media platform delivering the rules of the game and instructing the players. It all feels a bit end times having AI devices calling the shots.
SWK: It's an entertaining, and slightly creepy, setup. I also think there is a need for narrators (AI and human) for shows with influencers or younger contestants to create a narrative we can follow and enjoy. Comparing these shows to the Real Housewives franchise, there isn't as much of a need for a narrator. The housewives are seasoned reality TV pros and have lived full, complicated lives. They can hold their own on screen and feed into the story or script without the need for a guide or an outside AI voice.
BB: The housewives are the stalwarts of reality TV, the matriarchs we didn’t know we needed.
"After all, our brains are rotting and we can barely finish an episode of anything."
SWK: The OGs. No narrator required. Ultimately, these narrators have been created for us as viewers, to respond to our need for guidance and clarity. It helps us stay focused on the drama at hand, directing our attention and helping us feel less overwhelmed. After all, our brains are rotting and we can barely finish an episode of anything.
BB: Thank god for the narrators of reality TV.
The viewers at home are dying to know…
Which narrator would you choose to narrate your reality TV show?
BB: I would love to hear Iain Stirling narrate my daily mental health walk.
SWK: Definitely Michelle Buteau. She'd keep it light and fresh, and only slightly cutting.
Favourite narrator quote?
BB: “I’m not here to explain rules” (Michelle, Buteau, The Circle, Season 1)
SWK: "Look alive, bro" (Michelle Buteau, The Circle, Season 2)
SWK: Hey BB! Do you find it weird that there are so many narrators for these shows now? Rather than the hosted format like Survivor and Big Brother, or judging panel shows like the (now suss) America's Next Top Model, we have all these narrators guiding us through each episode of The Circle and Too Hot to Handle, some of the most popular reality TV shows.
BB: Hiii! Yeah, that’s true. The narrator seems to be a new addition to the reality TV format. They aren’t really a host, they exist outside the format looking in, along with us. I’m sure these narrators existed pre-pandemic but they gained popularity at a good time. It sort of feels like you’re watching the show with a friend, which is nice when you literally can’t watch shows with friends.
SWK: Yes! I spent a lot of nights watching these shows on my laptop in bed, under the covers, my secret not-so-secret shame. The narrators made the experience feel less lonely, and they added context to the whole thing, guiding us through the highs and lows of the show. Like a Twitter feed in real time, offering commentary or foreshadowing what's to come. They also act as a form of comedic relief, like we know these people are ridiculous and the premise is dumb… and now let's check in on how Francesca and Harry are doing! Michelle Buteau from The Circle comes to mind.
"It’s easier to hate-watch when the narrator is roasting the participants for you."
BB: Right, the narrators aren’t recapping what's happening, they are offering their commentary, like a sports announcer. Now I’m imagining Michelle Buteau narrating a hockey game, lol. “He shoots, he misses. Nice try, bruh.” The difference, I guess, is that Michelle Buteau is culturally sensitive and aware of the silliness of it all. She’s in on the joke, laughing along with us. She's also creating distance between us and the show. It’s easier to hate-watch when the narrator is roasting the participants for you.
SWK: I do love how narrators add to the fake-ness of it all, reminding us that it's just a show. It creates a more self-aware viewing experience, like let's not pretend any of this isn't scripted or plotted out in advance. I don't really care that there is less "reality" in reality TV, as long as it's entertaining. I'm less worried about having empathy for the characters, and the narrators help me remember it's all not real. But I do find some of the narrators annoying, less like an all-knowing friend spilling the tea than a snide bro who is purely making fun of it all, AKA the narrator from Love Island, Iain Stirling.
BB: Agreed! Maybe the narrator of Love Island is too similar to the Jeff Probst style hosts (the white paternalistic voice). Buteau or Desiree Burch from Too Hot to Handle are more appealing because they reflect our changing cultural views and call out cringey behaviour. For example, in The Circle, where the goal isn’t to hook up but rather build social clout, Buteau calls out contestants looking to be “aroused” by other participants.
BB: I wonder if Buteau and Burch function to widen the scope of the audience for the show? Some people may watch and be annoyed with a critical narrator but for me it works, allowing me to watch the shows from a critical distance. I noticed that Michelle Buteau is also the narrator for The Principles of Pleasure. I love how she effortlessly moves from narrating The Circle to The Principles of Pleasure, a very different kind of show that celebrates queer, intersectional feminist, sex-positive research; she can do it all.
SWK: Given how poorly reality TV does on representation of any kind besides white and cis, and how powerful the narrator can be in the format, it's wild that two of the narrators for these shows, Michelle Buteau and Desiree Burch, are Black women. It brings to mind the sassy Black friend trope, where they offer snappy, shady commentary to guide us through the dramas of these often good-looking majority-white contestants.
BB: Absolutely. Do you find it off-putting when the snarky narrator of Love Island makes fun of women on the show? That’s when the narrator becomes too much, no longer feeling like a friend but a man you’re trapped speaking to at a party.
SWK: The fun fantasy of reality TV is over at that point!
BB: Maybe social media has changed what an audience needs in a narrator. We don’t really want to hear a recap of the show—we want the hot take. On Twitter and TikTok, users want to know what we’ve collectively decided to think about a cultural event or influencer. Influencers live and die by the last tweet or TikTok made about them and we’re all just trying to keep up.
"We don’t really want to hear a recap of the show—we want the hot take."
SWK: Also, a lot of the people who go on reality TV shows now are influencers or wannabe influencers. Maybe this is why it's easier to make fun of them, make them into memes, and pull them apart on social media because it's clear they're there for fame and attention, rather than true love. It just adds another layer of distance between us and them, in addition to the presence of a narrator.
BB: Yeah, we stay safely on the side of anonymity while we watch influencers or reality TV stars get cancelled or ripped to shreds on the internet. I think we’re growing more comfortable with the parasocial relationships in our lives. Influencers, podcasters, reality TV stars, and by extension, the narrators of these shows all feel like people we know, when in fact these are one-sided relationships that require no actual intimacy on our part. It’s interesting that the “host” of Too Hot to Handle is an AI device (Lana) programmed by producers. In The Circle, too, the “host” is a social media platform delivering the rules of the game and instructing the players. It all feels a bit end times having AI devices calling the shots.
SWK: It's an entertaining, and slightly creepy, setup. I also think there is a need for narrators (AI and human) for shows with influencers or younger contestants to create a narrative we can follow and enjoy. Comparing these shows to the Real Housewives franchise, there isn't as much of a need for a narrator. The housewives are seasoned reality TV pros and have lived full, complicated lives. They can hold their own on screen and feed into the story or script without the need for a guide or an outside AI voice.
BB: The housewives are the stalwarts of reality TV, the matriarchs we didn’t know we needed.
"After all, our brains are rotting and we can barely finish an episode of anything."
SWK: The OGs. No narrator required. Ultimately, these narrators have been created for us as viewers, to respond to our need for guidance and clarity. It helps us stay focused on the drama at hand, directing our attention and helping us feel less overwhelmed. After all, our brains are rotting and we can barely finish an episode of anything.
BB: Thank god for the narrators of reality TV.
The viewers at home are dying to know…
Which narrator would you choose to narrate your reality TV show?
BB: I would love to hear Iain Stirling narrate my daily mental health walk.
SWK: Definitely Michelle Buteau. She'd keep it light and fresh, and only slightly cutting.
Favourite narrator quote?
BB: “I’m not here to explain rules” (Michelle, Buteau, The Circle, Season 1)
SWK: "Look alive, bro" (Michelle Buteau, The Circle, Season 2)