Catfish - Verliebte im Netz

Although 'Catfish' was novel and fresh when it first hit the MTV airwaves, it is now old and tired and needs to be put on a shelf somewhere.

Why am I saying those harsh words? 'Catfish' has nothing new to offer. It's the same archaic formula used by the show's two 'trackers', Nev and Max, every single time ~ i.e., someone thinks their Internet love who looks like a) a supermodel or b) a male hunk, might be fake, as they haven't met after just chatting for over eight years (you think)? Enter the guys from 'Catfish' who do a reverse google search on the photos, and run the phone number to see if it's legit. Do you mean to tell me these potentially duped individuals couldn't come up with that on their own by now, after seeing 'Catfish' for FIVE years???

Having milked this 'Catfish' for all that's its worth, its time for it to go the way of another MTV show, 'Jersey Shore' ~ also kept WAY beyond its time! Must be something in the water at this network!

I see reviews on this site where posters say the show is "fake" without providing any proof. I see reviews where posters say you must be stupid if you are the victim of one of these scams.

The fact remains that people do sometimes invest their emotions in exclusively online relationships.

Online technology is so new and it brings new dimensions in relating to others. One of the most important aspects of online communication is the factor of anonymity. We have all seen the trolls that visit this site and others. We have witnessed the anti-social behavior of some gamers who use their anonymity to escape responsibility for their actions. It should be no surprise that bad behavior can manifest whenever anonymity is part of the formula.

"Catfish" has shown--unsurprisingly--that the victims are usually people who are emotionally needy, sometimes desperate. The world (real and virtual) is full of people who have trouble fitting in, who are dealing with emotional issues, who have a personal history that makes them vulnerable. They reach out. And sometimes they find an unscrupulous person.

"Catfish" has also shown that the perpetrators are also damaged people. The first episode of the second season was a prime example. The catfish was someone who had been bullied. She was striking out as a way to make herself feel better.

The human psychology is interesting. These cases serve as warnings for those who might become victims. And the show reminds us that behind all of those anonymous names and avatars exist real people. Every one of them has his own problems. Nev and Max, who are the on-camera hosts, do their best to inject humanity into the proceedings. Their objective is not to ridicule or belittle, unlike some other shows. They attempt to connect with and understand every victim and every catfish.

Surprisingly, the cases they get involved with are very diverse. The catfish might be a lonely person or a scammer. It might be an older lady or a person of an unexpected gender. I don't know how long they can mine this phenomenon, but so far it is entertaining and useful.

I used to like this show until the hosts started using it to push their democratic agenda down viewers throats, with the T-shirts they wear.

I seriously doubt that Nev ever wears any/most of these shirts outside of the house/studio, it's clearly just for SHOW.

SO FAKE

These two California cuckoo birds are catfishing everyone who takes this show seriously. I suppose it can be entertaining if you accept the fact that this is likely staged television. I read that Schulman was expelled from Sarah Lawrence College. That story is probably more interesting than this dreadful show is.

It's all scripted Nev Schulman is a liar look it up and do the research you'll find out that past employees have been threatened by the management that if they don't lie then they are terminated.