Jury Duty Tries to Fool Viewers, Not Ronald

I started watching Jury Duty on Prime but had to turn off after about 10 minutes because it's clearly 100% scripted (including Ronald). For those that don't know anything about the TV show, everyone in the courtroom, including the jurors, are paid actors, except (supposedly) for one person, Ronald. The show claims that he is unaware that the trial is staged, and markets the show to viewers on the premise that his reactions are genuine, as if he were a real juror in a real court case. Cameras are everywhere to record his reactions to outlandish and humorous proceedings during the trial.

But the acting is so bad, and the interactions so forced, that I find all of it completely fake. I couldn't believe for a second that Ronald is not another paid actor. While he might not be aware of what might happen next (in order to help with the element of surprise), he seems fully aware that everyone there is a paid actor, so he just plays along and reacts as if the situation were real. In that regard, he would also have been hand-picked by the producers to ensure his reactions to the unfolding script would be convincing. Not to mention the show is heavily edited, meaning that any mishaps that didn't make the final cut would have needed to be reshot (all while Ronald is present during multiple takes).

Are viewers really that gullible?

Poll Options expired

  • 14
    Ronald is aware the court proceedings are staged
  • 31
    Ronald is not aware the court proceedings are staged
  • 6
    I'm so gullible, I thought the court proceedings were real

Comments

  • +14

    This is every single American garbage "reality" show.

    • +1

      Unfortunately so true. "Caught red handed" is another example. It's where loss prevention staff intercept and arrest shoplifters. But gullible viewers aren't aware it's all staged, with the shoplifters and staff all being paid actors.

      • +7

        I would rather gas myself than watch any of that garbage. I've accidentally seen some in passing, they are all so "American". Fake, over the top, annoying, just gross.

        • -1

          Extreme cheapstakes

          And 90 day is great not stayed

    • +6

      LMFTFY

      every single American "reality" show is garbage.

  • +2

    You would have to be pretty simple to not realize that there's something going on. So he is either very simple and gullible (as his recent media appearances would lead you to believe) or he is a master of acting and disguise.

  • +8

    Please add another option:

    • I assume all 'reality TV' is fake and do not watch it
  • +5

    An american reality tv show is terrible, scripted, and poorly acted???
    Well I never……

    • -1

      That's not my main point. The show has established a huge following, and my point being that most viewers appear convinced his reactions are genuine.

      • +4

        You're saying most reality tv viewers are idiots?

        Well I never….

        • -2

          LOL.

          If you look at some other examples though, MasterChef for instance, it's not trying to lie to its audience. Whether you like the format or not, every participant knows it's a cooking competition, and so does the audience.

          • +6

            @wizzlesticks: Except everyone is forced to emote on air, talk about their passion for cooking, clap for the judges on cue, be all nice to each other and cry a few times on camera. Yeah, nothing fake about it.

          • +4

            @wizzlesticks: "Waaaahhh look at my sad back story". "Oh no, I have made a mistake and must now cook for my life". Oh look, the final 10 is made up of a perfect mix of a few white men and women, one or two Asians, a Muslim, and at least one person who identifies as lgbt.

          • +2

            @wizzlesticks: I'm probably dating myself for this, but you saying that reminded me of that time on one of the earlier seasons where everyone noticed that the contestant's dessert plates—which were shown to viewers to be rushed, weirdly-coloured and shabby because the contestant was basically rescuing what he could after a series of disasters during the cook-off—had magically fixed themselves into a flawless arrangement before being presented to the cravat-clad professional eater.

            Not even MasterChef is free from chicanery.

            • +1

              @whatwasherproblem:

              cravat-clad professional eater

              Will soon be on 'Dancing with the Stars'. Looking forward to seeing his twinkletoes footwork & jazz hands

      • but that's how they do it - they go through HUGE audition processes to find someone who is massively gullible. You should check out the Derren Brown doco on Netflix called "The Push" where they convince someone to kill another person, all through the power of suggestion; half the show is about the process of them finding the right person and putting them in the right situations. Or if you want a real-life version, watch "Don't Pick Up The Phone" which is absolutely terrifying - multiple fast-food restaurants received a call from a person claiming to be a police officer or other authority figure claiming a manager needed to strip search an employee who was being accused of a crime.

  • +8

    There is only one judge & jury …..Judge Judy ;)

  • +8

    Whether fake or not, was a pretty funny show imo. Worth watching.

    • +2

      Yeah I agree. Like that British show where they fooled people into thinking they were training to go into space, most of them suspected it was fake by the time the launch came up. But as long as they have some reasonable doubt that it could be real then it's worth watching. Today blasting regular people into space is definitely in the realm of possibility for a reality TV show, but at the time they specifically chose the most gullible people they could find to pull it off.

      • That was brilliant! And another example of those shows where you think "naaah, there's no way I'd buy into that" but people do.

        If you want to see one on the more bizarre side, there's a few youtube docos about a japanese show called "Susunu! Denpa Shonen" where they got this guy, stripped him naked and put him into a 1-bedroom apartment and wasn't allowed to leave until he'd won 100k on magazine sweepstake contests

        • +1

          Have you seen "Nathan for You" or "Rehearsal"? Similar ridiculousness

  • +4

    Wait till you watch "Operation Repo" or "Dog the Bounty Hunter…"

    • +1

      Extreme cheapskates is another one to avoid.

  • +1

    Thanks OP, almost clicked on this one today.

  • -1

    QLD resident here: I did every trick in my life to get out of jury service. (Real Magistrate court)
    Eventually I had to do it.
    Now for the rest of my life there will NEVER be a compelling reason to visit a zoo anymore !

  • +1

    is this ronald mcdonald?

    • Where has Ronald gone? You just don't see him anymore.

  • PM me if you want a trick that always gets you out of jury duty.

    This one simple trick, Court's hate it!

    • The trick is to say you’re prejudiced against all races.

    • Hit them with uncomfortable facts. Or play the conspiracy/sovcit game.

  • +3

    I found this show last night. Watched the first 4 episodes last night and just finished the remaining. I found the show enjoyable

  • +1

    I enjoyed it

  • +1

    Thanks for the recommendation, I enjoyed the show. Watched all the episodes tonight. I went into it thinking that it's all fake but still found it entertaining, then watched the last episode (which is a BTS) which then made me think it actually was real.

  • The original season of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (UK restaurants) seemed legit and were quite enjoyable, but the US-based ones are way over the top and overacted.

  • Why watch this when you can re-watch TIGER KING (this show was so good who cares if it had any scripting or editing)
    and another good one "Making a Murderer" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5189670/

  • +2

    Never heard of it.

    It's not Judge Judy and if it's not Judge Judy, I don't give a rat's arse.

  • I've been on a real jury. The case, the prosecutor, the prosecutor's witnesses, and the jury were so ridiculous I was almost convinced it was staged. Very scary.

  • If you want a "real" show, just watch Jackass

    Everything else is gonna be scripted

  • -1

    99% of reality shows are fake or heavily influenced and the remaining 10% are often edited with more concern aboutvratings than the whole truth.

    Reality TV is basically fiction with unpaid wannabe celebrities.

    • +2

      wow 109% lol

      • +1

        Reality TV maths…

  • Jury Duty’s accidental hero opens up on TV experiment

    https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/ethically-it-s-q…

  • Really clever, heavy, influential ads are interrupted far too often with reality shi..stu.. cra…scripted.., badly edited fill-in programs.

  • Watch the final episode and see how wrong you are

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