So…I might have developed a slight fascination with the MTV show Catfish…
Why? Because there’s nothing better to do during your birthday weekend than watch trashy reality tv…
Oh, and I might have definitely downloaded the original Catfish documentary and watched it too…DON’T JUDGE.
So. What exactly is a “catfish”?
Well, according to the original documentary, catfish used to be packed into shipping containers with other live fish to help keep the live fish alive during shipping. As one man in the Catfish movie said, he’s grateful for the catfish in life because it would be dull and boring without a fish nipping at your toes.
So a “catfish” is a person who keeps you on your toes.
OR NOT.
A catfish is a person who pretends to be someone else online, usually for the purpose of entering into an online romantic relationship. Like, say, what happened to Manti Te’O.
(And seriously, MTV could not have planned the premiere of Catfish and the leaking of the Te’O story any better unless they had actually planned it themselves.)
So what fascinates me about Catfish?
- Some of these people are in year-long relationships with people they have never ever laid eyes on in real life before…like, ever. I mean, I suppose its the modern day equivalent of being pen pals with someone…but lets be real. “I don’t have Skype” just doesn’t cut it anymore.
- It’s not like this is the age of AOL. Do a Google search image search people! Or just a basic Google search. Ask my mother—she’ll tell you it’s the first thing you do when you (or in her case her daughter) starts dating someone. Are the people getting scammed really this naive and they don’t google? Or, am I just always thinking the worst?
- That there are actually people who are crazy enough to catfish someone. Every time I watch the show, and the person on it has something insane like 32 fake online profiles, all I think is, “do people like this really exist?” Catfishing someone is just so…wrong.
The people who get scammed on the show are so…likeable and endearing and I always really want it to work out for them…but then I think to bullets 1&2 above and I’m like “get smart people!”…and you know the bad ending is always coming but you can’t stop watching.
Guilty pleasure? Yes.
Fascinating? Completely.
The first season of Catfish has ended, but you can watch all the episodes online…perfect for a Catfish marathon.
cakerypapery 
this show is a guilty pleasure of mine as well! I don’t get how naive people can be when ‘dating’ someone for years and never meeting up. I think this show illuminates a deeper issue of self-confidence. the people who lie are usually unhappy with who they are. people will never have a happy relationship if they, themselves, aren’t happy with who they are.
can’t wait for the next season! (ans thanks for the link to the orig doc!)
I like to think there is someone for everyone…still hoping for happy endings on this show!
Can’t wait til next season too!
The basic google search is like asking your friends friends about a guy you like. Who’s not doing it in an online dating environment? Baffling.
I am still a hopeless romantic and waiting for a happy ending too.
PS – thank you for showing me this show.
“a google search is like asking your friends’ friends about a guy you like.” love it!