The remote clicks, the screen flickers to life, and suddenly, we’re plunged into a world of heightened emotions, dramatic lighting, and sound effects that defy reality. A contestant slices a vegetable with the intensity of defusing a bomb. A judge delivers a critique with the gravity of a presidential address. A triumphant chef raises their hands as if they’ve just conquered Everest, when really, they just baked a slightly better cupcake. Today, my internal compass points to this fascinating, often overlooked, aspect of reality television: Why Competition Shows Are the Last Great Bastion of Camp.
For me, a lifelong admirer of performance, theatricality, and the sheer audacity of unadulterated entertainment (qualities I cherish in everything from RuPaul’s Drag Race to True Blood‘s glorious absurdity), the “camp” inherent in mainstream reality competition shows is not a flaw; it’s a deliberate, delicious choice. It’s the unique atmospheric element that transforms mere contests into compelling, often hilarious, and undeniably addictive spectacles.
The Definition of Camp: A Deliberate Exaggeration
To understand why competition shows embody camp, we need a brief detour into its essence. Camp, as a sensibility, is often defined by its love of exaggeration, artifice, theatricality, and ironic appreciation for the extravagant. It’s about “failed seriousness”—things that are so over-the-top, so earnest in their excess, that they become beautiful, or funny, or both. It embraces theatricality, drama, and a certain self-awareness of its own absurdity. Think Susan Sontag’s “Notes on ‘Camp’” if you’re feeling academic, or just think of a drag queen’s meticulously oversized wig.
And when you apply this lens to the realm of reality competition, the parallels become undeniably clear.
The Stages of Camp: Unscripted Drama Meets Theatrical Production
Competition shows, whether they involve cooking, singing, dancing, or surviving in the wilderness, are inherently dramatic. But it’s the way they present that drama—through the lens of production choices—that elevates them to a level of unwitting (or sometimes, very knowing) camp.
- Over-the-Top Editing: This is the primary culprit, and the absolute genius, behind the camp.
- Dramatic Zoom-ins: Every bead of sweat, every furrowed brow, every subtle eye-roll is captured with an intense close-up, stretching a fleeting moment into an eternity of exaggerated emotion.
- Slow Motion: A dropped plate, a collapsing cake, a contestant’s gasp—all become balletic sequences of agonizing tension in slow motion, often replayed from multiple angles.
- The “Confessional”: Contestants are taken aside to deliver highly polished, often rehearsed, soundbites, expressing their deepest fears or most scathing opinions directly to the camera, creating a direct conduit for their exaggerated inner turmoil.
- The Power of Sound Effects: The unsung heroes of camp. Every minor action is amplified. A knife hitting a cutting board sounds like a sword clash. A pan clanging is a thunderclap. A subtle disagreement is punctuated by a dramatic whoosh or a tension-building thump-thump-thump. These auditory embellishments transform mundane acts into moments of epic drama, cueing the audience precisely how to feel.
- Melodramatic Musical Scores: The background music is rarely subtle. Moments of triumph are accompanied by soaring orchestral crescendos. Moments of despair are underlined by melancholic violins. Moments of strategic plotting are highlighted by ominous, low-frequency hums. The score tells you precisely when to feel inspired, terrified, or heartbroken, often regardless of the actual severity of the event. It’s an emotional guide, a clear signal in the atmosphere, leaving nothing to chance.
- Exaggerated Stakes and Reactions: Every challenge is framed as life-altering. The “biggest challenge of their career!” The “dish that will send them home!” Contestants, often exhausted and under immense pressure, deliver reactions that are genuine in their emotion but amplified by the context—bursts of tears, dramatic sighs, triumphant shouts that feel perfectly designed for reality television. The hosts and judges often play along, delivering their lines with theatrical flair.
- The “Drag” of Mainstream TV: In many ways, the production of these shows mirrors aspects of drag. Just as drag takes gender, performance, and glamour to an exaggerated, artful extreme, these competition shows take human emotion, struggle, and achievement to a heightened, theatrical level. They are performances of reality, filtered through a lens that loves the dramatic, the beautiful, the ugly, and the wildly entertaining. The editing and sound design are the equivalent of a queen’s meticulously padded silhouette and perfectly sculpted wig—designed for maximum impact and visual storytelling.
From Survivor Blindsides to Culinary Collapses: My Personal Obsession
My addiction to reality competition shows (as I’ve detailed before with Survivor, The Voice, and the culinary showdowns of Chopped and Tournament of Champions) is inextricably linked to this inherent camp. I don’t just watch; I experience the heightened reality.
- Survivor: The Social Chess with Extreme Reactions: I thrive on the strategic brilliance of a Survivor blindside, but I also revel in the slow-motion reaction shots of the betrayed contestant, the dramatic jury reveals, and the almost Shakespearean monologues delivered in confessionals. The raw emotion is real, but the way it’s presented is pure camp.
- Chopped: Culinary Catastrophe as Performance Art: Watching a chef’s beautifully plated dish collapse just before judging, or witnessing a contestant struggle with an impossible mystery basket, is inherently stressful. But Chopped‘s use of dramatic music, extreme close-ups on every dropped ingredient, and the judges’ perfectly timed, often cutting, remarks elevates it to a level of delicious, high-stakes culinary theater. The silent judge staring intently at a raw component, the dramatic pause before a critique—it’s all part of the camp.
- The Traitors: Paranoia as High Art: This show, with its hidden roles and constant accusations, is a masterclass in psychological tension. But the “murder” ceremonies, the hushed “round table” discussions where everyone is performing innocence, and the dramatic reveals are utterly theatrical. It’s a game of social chess played by earnest, often overly dramatic, amateurs, making it incredibly compelling.
The Last Bastion: Why Camp Endures
In an increasingly cynical and self-aware world, these competition shows remain a vital bastion of camp precisely because they allow us to engage with raw emotion and high stakes without necessarily having to take it too seriously. We can appreciate the skill, feel the tension, and root for our favorites, while simultaneously reveling in the glorious absurdity of it all. It’s entertainment that engages both the mind and the heart, offering a unique blend of intellectual stimulation and pure, unadulterated spectacle.
They remind us that sometimes, the most profound impact comes not from quiet realism, but from bold, unapologetic exaggeration. They are the drag of mainstream television, painted with broad strokes, draped in sequins, and ready to lip-sync for their lives, delivering entertainment that is both ridiculous and utterly riveting. And for that, I will always tune in.
What competition shows do you think embody the spirit of camp? What dramatic moments do you secretly (or openly!) love? Share your thoughts below – let’s celebrate the glorious artistry of heightened reality!