Catfish - Verliebte im Netz

Catfishing is one of those concepts that one can only truly understand if one has experienced it. And personally, I think that only people that have been catfished can truly understand this show and the people in it.

People here say that it seems fake, because there is no way that the people being catfished would be so stupid. But no, let me tell you that that point is completely realistic. No one seems to understand that when you feel so captivated by someone, you accept everything that they tell you and even become delusional. You start to believe all their excuses and even feel guilty about questioning their identity.

I am glad that they always try to get the other side of the story as well. We like to satanize catfishes and believe that they are just pure evil. But it really isn't always like that. No one understand how sad it is to be rejected by your appearance, how hard it is to have so much to say but no one to listen. People also seem to think that they go out of their way just to make their "evil catfishing plan" to work. But really, making a fake profile only takes minutes. Covering the holes with excuses is really easy as well, specially (as I said before) when the other person is so captivated that they begin to lose common sense. Most catfishes don't even have mean intentions, they just want someone to talk, but eventually things get out of hand. No one seems to remember how hard it is to come clean after lying for so long.

Some things (scenes) might be a little fabricated, but everything on TV is, and not only realities, also documentaries and news. And you know what? Even if the stories are indeed fake, I don't really care, because I know they can be real and I know much worse stories than the ones depicted here.

I really like this show, I am glad that MTV take this kind of risks to at least try to bring something different on air. I never thought that feeling awkward and cringing at the TV would be entertaining.

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.

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 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

This show should be called: 99% of people online have no idea how to check a facebook profile.

Reverse image search tools and actually reading linked facebook profiles is about the extent of "Investigative research" that Max and Nev actually are capable of doing. This show proves 2 things, most people have no clue about the power of the internet, both to lure gullible people into fake relationships and it can be used to actually validate if a person is real or not.

The one thing great about the show and why it deserves 5 stars is the guys always seek a positive outcome and try to sort it all out to the best of their abilities.

The one thing annoying and downright artificial are the Social Justice Warrior T-shirts they wear. In particular is a pink one with the words "feminist." on it. I mean come on.... really? It is interesting on one level of social communication in the digital age and exemplifies how messed up it can get.

Conversely it is troubling that the TV show has a social agenda as MTV always has had and is duplicitous in the subtleness in which the show uses their stories as a vehicle to creating 'Societal norms" at a level that would make Edward Bernays proud.

Pros: Catfish shows clearly: How oblivious some people can be about their own actions and consequences. How unaware some people are about their "information" whether real or false shown publicly, and how vulnerable it makes them. How easy it is to convince some people of anything. Every Song used in the show titles the song name and song title. If anything this show provides a great case why Facebook should be banned as being destructive to people, community and society.

Cons: Max finally learns how to use the focus on his personal camera after 6 years making the series. Nev and Max show even they are gullible enough to be catfished themselves. Sometimes their T-shirts on the show oozes a stench of Social Justice Warrior, overly Pc Correct subtexts. The frequent use of MTV music to transition storyline through the filler footage and montages is used too much in some episodes. The entire idea of Catfish is one that is based on a foundational premise of people lying cheating and deceiving other people, by revealing how easy it is could give others ideas and make Catfish episodes an endless Tv show.

Goofy over-acted repetitious format overall yet stylized well, some episodes are worth a look, even though I suspect it's all scripted.