"Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay pour one out for MTV's Catfish, which was recently cancelled by MTV after 9 seasons and 12 years. Back in 2010, Nev Schulman was the subject of the Catfish documentary, which revealed the heartbreaking truth about a woman he fell in love with online. The documentary helped coin the internet phenomenon of people creating fake personas to manipulate, extort, or trick others online."
"The documentary helped coin the internet phenomenon of people creating fake personas to manipulate, extort, or trick others online. However, instead of scamming for money, the protagonists of MTV's Catfish were coerced into emotional relationships that turned their rom-coms into horror films. With Catfish leaving the airwaves, what has changed about the show (and the internet) since its inception? And why couldn't the show keep up with a scam culture that is more advanced than ever before?"
MTV's Catfish ran for nine seasons and 12 years before cancellation, tracing origins to Nev Schulman's 2010 documentary about an online romance that hid a false identity. The show chronicled people who created fabricated personas to manipulate, extort, or deceive others, often for emotional control rather than financial gain. Many cases turned hopeful romantic narratives into frightening experiences as participants discovered deception. The series struggled to adapt as online scam techniques evolved and became more sophisticated. The phenomenon highlights how internet fantasy worldbuilding and the human desire for connection make people vulnerable to elaborate, emotionally driven deceptions.
Read at Slate Magazine
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