Why Do They Call It “Reality” On MTV?

It looks like MTV has sold the last of its soul on behalf of The Hills. How can this network keep promoting this show as Reality TV when everything is fictional? (No wonder insiders now call it “soft-scripted”.) The AP reports today that the fourth season finale that airs next Monday is a fraud in that Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag appear to have moved on from their fake Mexican wedding ceremony into a legitimate U.S. marriage. The pair are shown walking into a wood-paneled courtroom while a judge with the California state seal hanging on the wall behind him officiates their wedding as the couple-everyone-loves-to-hate exchange vows. But a Los Angeles Superior Court official told The AP today that MTV was recently granted permission to shoot in a Beverly Hills courtroom after hours. And that’s not one of the court’s judges in The Hills footage. So one faked “elopement” as a publicity stunt for an Us Weekly cover and Hills episode wasn’t enough for MTV.

I’ve already reported what a cesspool of self-promotion and cross-promotion has been going on behind the scenes among the con artists on the series. Let’s see… Heidi Montag used the show to score herself a record deal and clothing line, neither of which was ever shown on camera. Pratt in real life is her manager. Meanwhile, Lauren Conrad has scored spokesperson deals, commercial gigs, and her own clothing line which she wears on the series and sells with MTV, none of which are mentioned on the show — which continues to portray her as just a fashion student. So the audience believes these numbskulls are normal folk when they’re actually paid up to $75,000 per episode.

Especially now that MTV barely bothers itself with music on its main channel, the once rebel network that created generations of devoted fans and used to stand for the anti-status quo has lost all credibility and trust which it will never be able to earn back. If only advertisers would take notice. C’mon, who doesn’t hate their MTV now?