It is said that reality TV stars are like no other.
For starters, they have to like attention, be brave enough to speak their mind and also have no qualms about airing their dirty laundry on national TV.
But according to leading psychologist Mark Mathieson, they also require another trait — hedonism.
“There typically is a fairly strong element of hedonism,” Mathieson explained on the Back From Reality podcast. If you’re not quite sure what being this term means, “hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence”. Checks out.
According to the psychologist, who has consulted on a slew of reality shows including The Bachelor franchise and Survivor, reality stars also suffer from “grandiosity”.
“Defined, [it] basically means the capacity to think that you’re slightly better at everything than everybody else,” he said.
“So arrogance, if you want to call it that. Egotistical. You’ve got to want to see yourself on TV. If you desperately didn’t want to see yourself on TV, you probably wouldn’t go on a reality TV show.”
It makes sense though since reality stars are plastered all over our Instagram feeds, attending events, going to parties (when they could) and spruiking a ton of products.
And if you love all that drama and friction, there’s a reason. It turns out the best types of casts are those that are “diverse” in personality.
“We’re not really looking for one type of personality. Quite often they want a range of personalities because people are interested in the interactions to see how that loud, aggressive, bubbly person gets on with the quiet, withdrawn shy person,” he said.
While many people claim to “not watch that trash”, reality TV stars have become more famous than anyone in the entire country — and truly pave the way as a hot commodity. So, it’s no wonder that those with a hedonistic streak may look to apply.