So far on Only If You Get Caught, the stakes of the competition in most of the situations we have talked about have been limited to winning and losing games. This episode, something much more significant is on the line: true love.
At first blush, a form like reality TV and a show like The Bachelor might seem like an odd subject for a show about breaking the rules. How is it even possible to cheat on a show where the mechanics of competition are simply trying to get the lead to like you? The more cynical-minded might ask, Isn't this all scripted by producers anyway? This episode takes a larger structural look at the show by considering the central concept of the Right Reasons, a mildly coded way to profess that a contestant is on the show out of a genuine quest to find love rather than a cynical attempt to juice their personal brand.
I did not begin this process as an expert in the space, so I was happy to be joined by Emma Gray and Claire Fallon of Love To See It. They are very thoughtful, smart people in general and they had a lot of interesting points to make about the legal fiction of the Right Reasons, which are more flexible than one might initially think. Listeners may also be familiar with their work on one of my favorite-ever episodes of Normal Gossip.
Listen to Only If You Get Caught wherever you enjoy podcasts. The show is produced by Alex Sujong Laughlin and hosted by me. You can find the show's transcript here.
