Nathan Clutter, a contestant on "Paradise Hotel 2," jumped to his death from a cell phone tower after filming the new reality series.
My Network TV's "Paradise Hotel 2" (9 tonight WPMY, 1 a.m. Fox Reality Channel) may seem on the surface like just another guilty pleasure reality show about young, attractive singles who "hook up," as the kids say, in a ritzy hotel. But scratch the surface and it's revealed to be perhaps the first reality show to feature a now-deceased contestant.
Nathan Clutter, depicted on the show and described on the show's Web site as "the gentleman" of the group, killed himself by jumping from a cell phone tower just a few weeks after filming of "Paradise Hotel 2" wrapped in the fall.
This all brings up the concerns that have long existed about reality shows: Are the people who appear on them mentally stable enough? A publicist for "Paradise Hotel 2" said that before joining the cast of a production, each prospective candidate participates in an extensive and thorough physical and psychological screening process administered by licensed professionals. She said contestants also go through an exit interview and evaluation with a licensed psychologist after leaving the show and are provided with contact details for resources should they need to speak with someone once they are home.
But you have to wonder about just how good those services are if no professional picked up on Clutter's depression even though his family thought he suffered from undiagnosed bi-polar/manic depressive behavior. Maybe he was just that good at hiding it or maybe warning signs were missed or ignored. It's entirely possible that his appearance on the reality show had nothing to do with his suicide, but it does show the dangers -- to the production, to perceptions of a program and to cast members -- of using real people for TV entertainment.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08042/854029-237.stm#
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