Keeping Up With the Reality TV Producers

The colors are bright pastels and, like in many reality TV shows, the setting is a Malibu beach home. But the extroverted cast members in The Crush House are as goofy and floppy-limbed as the inflatable figures outside gas stations.

In this video game’s luxurious mansion, complete with a conversation pit and a wet bar, players are dropped into the role of a producer whose job is to race around capturing hookups and squabbles while keeping the audience satisfied and the show from being canceled.

It begins as a time-management challenge. After choosing four cast members from a selection of mismatched individuals, can you get into position to film the fireworks and still maximize revenue by switching to commercials during any downtime?

Soon you are thinking about budgets, too. With the money you make from commercials, can you buy the right furnishings for the house that will in turn lead to memorable moments on camera?

Things quickly become murky, however.

Some parts of the show’s vocal audience will respond only to the most extreme content. Although you are not supposed to talk to the cast members under any circumstances, they will initiate contact. And what happens at night when the cameras stop running?

The increasingly sinister tone makes sense for a genre that has not been free of controversy since “The Real World” first captivated MTV viewers in 1992. Observers have questioned how certain shows construct their reality, and if the people whose relationships are dissected are adequately protected.