Aussie Shore is putting the “reality” back in reality TV.
Reality television comes as catharsis for many—junk food for the brain and a trashy magazine for the soul. Streaming platforms have been inundated with reality TV of late, and with Love Island, The Perfect Match, Love is Blind, and more, it can be hard to keep up with who’s who. Nonetheless, it’s starting to feel as though some of these contestants are playing the numbers game, already calculating their follower boost after leaving their respective shows. Aussie Shore is a refreshing exception to this rule.
Following the format of MTV’s 2000’s powerhouse Jersey Shore, the show follows a group of outrageous singles who live in a house together. With the cast drinking, partying and hooking up in the extreme—creating interpersonal drama along the way, Aussie Shore is a down-under reboot of the original formula.
In the current TV landscape, some reality stars are seemingly hyperaware of their position in front of the camera, knowing their appearance and perception on the show could make or break their budding social media careers. Subsequently, many cast gain a large platform during their time on television, whether they win the prize, fall in love, or become a fan-favourite or not.
These stars are given a platform, and they certainly know how to use it. Whether it’s tailoring their on-screen wardrobe picks to snag a future brand deal, attempting to coin a signature catchphrase, or adopting a sickeningly sweet on-screen persona, it seems that many reality shows these days are nothing more than an influencer factory. Watching contestants try to trademark the next “that’s hot,” in confessionals gets cold pretty quickly.
People no longer go on shows like these for the experience, entertainment, and the small chance of becoming a breakout star, rather they attempt to maximize the follower boost their appearance will inevitably bring.
Breakout reality stars like sca Farago, Molly-Mae Hague and Harry Jowsey are all examples of the influencer lifestyle one can adopt if they play their cards right. Going from rural farming to driving Lamborghinis, Jowsey has become one of television’s flashiest—and most notorious—players, all sparked from his time on screen.
But, shining through the fakery in all its crass, rowdy, real, glory is Aussie Shore.
Produced by MTV and streamed on Amazon Prime, this show was the breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed.
The hit show began streaming Oct. 3, offering an unfiltered, barely censored, peek into the antics of a house full of Australians, living a crazy party life in Cairns, Queensland.
A spinoff of MTV’s wildly popular 2010’s show Jersey Shore, and its UK iteration Geordie Shore, Aussie Shore is just as outrageous, but distinctly different from its predecessors.
What stands out most amongst its hyper-aware comrades in the reality TV world, is Aussie Shore’s cast seem to forget the camera is there entirely. They act with reckless abandon, unafraid to drink in excess, party hard, and have sex—their wild exploits making the most extreme of Queen’s nights-out look tame.
Although intense, it’s refreshing. The contestants’ carefree attitudes instill a laid-back feeling in the viewer as well. I was able to fully immerse myself in the cast’s antics and relax, because the people I was watching were so self-assured.
Amidst their partying, the contestants are also made to fulfill relatable tasks. Given instructions by boss figure Charlotte Crosby of Geordie Shore fame, the housemates are required to tidy the house they share, head off to the day’s work, and occasionally embark on group activities—no matter how hungover they may be.
This depiction sits in stark comparison to other reality TV shows like Love Island and The Bachelor, where contestants are hardly ever seen eating, cleaning or doing anything else that would paint them as remotely human. Despite their moments of vulgarity, the Aussie Shore cast have genuinely touching scenes the audience sees clearly, unclouded by the pursuit of influencer status or fame at the heart of their choice to appear on the show.
From their for one another after one member’s unexpected departure, to teaching the elderly to dance, Aussie Shore’s cast are delightfully human in all aspects. They may be messy, but they’re truthful to themselves—a quality that helps the viewer to connect.
Aussie Shore restores the humanity into television that I feel is sorely lacking. Though its contestants push partying to the extreme, and often appear larger than life, you get the sense that you’re seeing the real them.
It allows for true relaxation and brain-rot, because what you’re seeing is real, warts and all.
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