Fear Factor . One of the most entertaining shows on television actually had a lot of rules for their contestants. And we’re going to discuss them right here, right now.
They had to sign No Disclosure Agreements
Which means, even after they had been on a reality TV show, eating bees and stuff, they couldn’t tell people about it until after their episode aired.
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Which, presumably, where your friends would see you eating bees and stuff.
They weren’t allowed to puke
Or else they’d be booted off the show. Seems like an impossible task on a show as gross as Fear Factor , but it was definitely part of the rules, folks.
They Couldn’t Discuss An Episode Even After It Came On TV
Some segments don’t get aired on Fear Factor , and if they don’t you’re not allowed to talk about them at all. One set of twins took issue to this, but the network quickly silenced them.
They Had To Go Through Testing
Medical testing, of course, to make sure that contestants were ready for the kinds of weird stuff they were bound to face on this very, very weird show. Believe it or not, they didn’t want people getting seriously injured.
They Had To Free The Network From Liability
Some people might get hurt when they do these insane stunts to win $50,000. So, the network wanted to remove any chance that any contestant could sue them by throwing in this clause.
They Had To Let Joe Rogan Tease Them
Being a comedian, obviously, Joe Rogan is going to roast you a little bit. Hey, it’s for ratings!
One mother and son couple hugged for a little too long and Diamond Joe ripped on them hard.
They Had To Be Okay With The Producers Editing The Show
This is usual for any and all reality TV shows.
I mean, they’ve got so much footage of you and they need to kind of piece together some sort of story, so bits and pieces might be mixed around to make you look bad.
They Sometimes Had To Leave Empty Handed
That’s right, sometimes contestants would leave with nothing at all. Nothing at all! Nothing at… sorry, Simpsons reference.
Anyways, if that was you, then you couldn’t complain. At least publically, you couldn’t.
They Had To Get Gassed Sometimes
To the one or two weirdly dirty minded people reading this: not gassed as in fart.
No, gassed as in tear gassed, which I think we can all agree is probably much worse. Depending on the person.
They Had To Be Okay With Pain
You don’t just eat icky stuff like bees on Fear Factor , sometimes pain is a… well, factor. So, if you wanted to be a contestant, you would have to be okay with that.
They Couldn’t Engage in “Inappropriate Behaviour”
If you thought I was talking about sex, then you were wrong, you dirty minded reader. No, they weren’t allowed to fight each other. One guy tried to mess with the Jiu-Jitsu trained Joe Rogan. Big mistake.
They Had To Be Good Looking
Kind of an unspoken rule, more of a guideline actually. But you can’t help but notice all the Fear Factor contestants are, to some degree, kind of hot.
Probably because they don’t want to show ugly people on TV.
They Sometimes Had To Get Naked
There were a couple of stunts that seemed pretty exploitative. Mostly excuses to get women’s tops to come off. But hey, that’s how you get ratings, and you had to be alright with that.
They Had to Get To Los Angeles On Their Own
Yes sir (or madam) there was no private jet for anyone on Fear Factor . You had to lug your butt all the L.A. if you wanted the privilege of being on the show.
They Couldn’t Run For Public Office
For a year after the show aired. Uh… yeah, believe it or not, this was a rule set in place by the producers. And for the record, the clock starts after the contestant’s episode airs.
Weird.
