In 2001, reality shows accounted for roughly 20 percent of prime-time television programming, whereas in 2013, the figure has doubled to reach 40 percent of prime-time television programming, according to a 2013 report by Writers Guild of America East. Let’s face it, reality shows are everywhere, and they cover the most distinctive topics and situations. But, with so many reality shows, it’s getting increasingly difficult to understand what is scripted, real, and super fake.
Fans of car restoration shows have been decrying the lack of transparency in these productions for years. And some shows were so scripted and fake that they only angered the professionals in this field. For instance, Road and Truck had an issue with the “fake drama and loud noises,” which they considered a travesty. Meanwhile, the Washington Post declared that “reality TV shows about restoring old cars stink.” John Kelly, the Washington Post columnist rightfully highlights that there’s too much focus on “people” and “bad, hokey stories” instead of “cars” and “information”.
After two decades of scripted drama and dreadful stories, it’s understandable that viewers are fed up with controversial car TV shows; hence, they question even their favorite car restoration programs, wondering if anything is real in them. Take for example, “Car Masters: Rust to Riches”, viewers were quick to note that there are many discrepancies in the storyline and several situations seem scripted, so here's what’s totally fake on Netflix’s popular show.
The Haggling Process On Car Masters: Rust To Riches Is Fake
If there's one thing that it is truly irritating about this reality TV show, that's the negotiation part. It seems so fake that we don't know if we should turn the TV off, fast-forward over the scene or just abandon the show altogether. The Cinemaholic even points out that given Shawn Pilot’s acting career, “it is hard not to wonder whether his ‘negotiations’ are merely scripted dialog.”
While the show puts extensive focus on the haggling process, viewers don’t get too much information about the buyer or the post-buying process, so the crew could very well pay professional actors to play the part of the clients and negotiators. Also, the process is always the same; the team needs to sell the car to save the garage; they find a customer at the last moment, and they sell the car at a good price. As viewers know, most of the time, you sell your car at a loss, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
On Car Masters: Rust To Riches, The Craftsmanship Is Bad And Some Of The Team’s Skills Are Questionable
On various forums, gearheads and car fanatics vent about the disastrous craftsmanship. Moreover, the show is more drama than work, and we barely see the cast members really put in the effort and commit to the project.
“It's fake as hell, you barely see them do any of the work. The team don't gel, they clearly don't work together, no personality comes out,” said a Reddit user. Another Reddit contributor chipped in and said “The amount of orange peel in the paint, gapped body panels, would never pass an inspection.” But, they are hardly the only Gearsheads disappointed with the work of the Gotham Garage crew in the show. In fact, various viewers have vented about the poor craftsmanship, the horrible quality of the finishing touches, “the bad seams and orange peel” and the whole “patina phase.”
Some Team Members Have A Background As Stand-In Actors And Models
Shawn Pilot is the team member known more for his negotiation skills, but before kick-starting his career in reality TV, he was an actor. Back in 1999, Pilot even appeared in a super production alongside George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube. The movie was called “Three Kings” and Pilot had a minor role in it, but still that’s a nice career start. In 2011, Pilot reappeared in an episode of Inside West Coast Customs. While these are minor roles and probably Pilot required a side hustle to maintain himself, viewers have accused the show of bringing in professional actors instead of real mechanics. The critic is even more valid, considering that cast member Constance Nunes also has a background in modeling and seems to be in the show more as eye candy, not as a professional car mechanic.
The Prices They Quote On Car Masters: Rust To Riches Seem Inflated
Viewers were quick to point out that the prices the team quotes are super inflated with huge price jumps being the norm in the show for subpar work. A year ago, an internet user even posted the question online “who in their right mind would pay $250k for a 1993 Corvette with a backup camera from Best Buy?”
Evidently, other netizens participated in the conversation, and they all agreed that the prices could not be real because they are “too exaggerated.” “$50k + an Impala trade for a flex seal tub that sloshed water everywhere! I cannot believe how bad some of the cars this season were. I got Pimp My Ride vibes but way worse quality,” answered another netizen.