Joe Millionaire has sent four girls home since the show's premiere on January 6th and eliminated Olympian fencer Monica Aksamit has spoken out on her not-so-accurate portrayal on the show. While branded "reality television," it's no secret that everything isn't always as it seems on reality tv. Editors and producers will do what they have to to keep audiences entertained and tuning it every week, even if that means manipulating the truth. Sometimes the show's stars will even play into the fakeness to get more air time and keep fans interested. This theme seems fitting for the show, especially its original run, which featured Evan Marriott, a construction worker who posed as a millionaire until the show's finale.
While the new Joe Millionaire doesn't lie to its contestants, it doesn't necessarily tell the truth either. The girls still don't know whether Kurt or Stephen is the millionaire – spoiler alert, it's Stephen, and both men have done their best to keep their net worth hidden. Whether it's Kurt wearing gold watches and taking the girls to a cotillion on their group date or Steven emphasizing his love for working on a farm and living in the south, the men are determined to hide their truth from contestants. Not to mention, contestants are doing their best to show their interest in the men, even if their true intentions are sharing in some of the wealth.
Joe Millionaire has kicked off the season with contestants arguing, crying, and fighting for Kurt and Steven's attention, but in regards to the girl we saw on the show, Monica says, "that's not who I am." The contestant, sent home during a two contestant elimination during the show's premiere, told Asbury Park Press NJ that the girl portrayed in the show was much more aggressive than she is in real life. The Olympian explains that people who know her in real life who watched the show told her it didn't seem like the Monica they knew. The contestant admitted, "To be fair, the edit I got isn't exactly really me."
During the season premiere, fellow contestant Carolyn was having a vulnerable conversation with Steven. She explained that she is a single mother who had gotten divorced about a year earlier but was still on good terms with her ex as he continues to be an excellent father to her son. While they were talking, Monica interrupted, telling Steven that she wanted to talk to him next. The show portrayed the moment as incredibly inappropriate and disrespectful to Carolyn. It also seemed like this moment was what led to her elimination later in the episode. Monica defended her actions, saying, "We all kind of approached the guys because we all wanted time with them. It kind of came off a little aggressive."
Joe Millionaire is not the first reality tv show to bend the truth, and it certainly won't be the last. While Monica's admitted she's received some backlash, fans should know everything isn't always as it seems on tv and should cut the contestant some slack. Especially being that we only briefly got to know her on the show. While she may no longer be competing for a relationship, she's still actively competing for Olympic medals, a field she's surely more cut out for than reality television.
Source: Asbury Park Press NJ