How 'real' are reality shows?

How 'real' are reality shows?

A very common question is, "How real are reality television shows?" By definition, reality shows are some kind of true story; and they are, in general, made up of real people behaving the way they normally act, maybe in a slightly amped up condition because there's a camera and lights and a microphone and it gets them excited, and they might laugh louder or crack more jokes than they do normally. But in general, it's still them. If they're a moody weirdo, they're gonna come off as a moody weirdo; if they're a friendly, funny, happy person, they're gonna come off like a friendly, funny, happy person. In general you're seeing them, who they really are. Usually, the story of the reality show is what really happens to them: the friends they made, the enemies they made, the contest they won, the contest they lost, the love they found, the love they lost. It's all the true story of what happened, but it's told in a more entertaining way. Music is added, and cutaway shots of startled reactions are added, that may not have happened at that exact time, but it's all generally the true story of what happened.