agro_sydney I had seen the original Catfish movie several years ago which I found mildly entertaining but for some reason I love this show. Nev and Max travel all over mainland USA tracking down and uniting internet friends,lovers and scammers. It is hard to believe there are so many naive and gullible people out there. Some episodes appear to be advertisements for MTV artists, budding rappers and sometimes even the occasional beautiful person to get on TV or have their 15 minutes of fame. Some of the episodes build tension as we wait to find out if the Catfish is "fair dinkum" (which means real in Australian slang).I have since learned that the producers are in touch with the Catfish who agrees beforehand to appear on the show. Also casting calls are sent out to recruit Catfish and victims. Apparently Nev and Max are not told the identity of the Catfish and genuinely track them down.Some scenes are obviously scripted and edited. Being Australian I like how we see lots of different places in America and different lifestyles, from red necks to the rich.

LiquidPoetry1921 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!

atlasmb 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.

FrederickWit 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.