# The Carbonaro Effect, staged? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177 "2016-11-16T16:53:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/1 "2016-11-16T16:53:14Z")
So I caught a few episodes of this on tv the other day. I’m generally skeptical about most ‘reality’ shows, so I already came into it with a hefty grain of salt. Watching it, it’s supposed to be like a hidden camera sort of thing involving this guy doing magic tricks on unsuspecting people. but…I don’t know. Firstly, a lot of those tricks he does just don’t seem possible at all. Now in the way he presents them. And secondly. For a hidden camera sort of show, they sure do have some high def video and multiple angles where there shouldn’t be a possibility of hiding a camera. On top of high quality audio of both people. Has anyone else seen this and thought the same or am I just overly jaded with tv shows in general? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/2 "2016-11-16T18:09:42Z")
Everything you see on TV is staged. Especially everything with a regular time slot. The news might occasionally show some non-staged footage, but I’d be skeptical of that, too. In other words, “Reality TV” isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/3 "2016-11-16T18:36:55Z")
The Carbonaro Effect? Is that how when you put bacon and cheese together, it intensifies the deliciousness? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/4 "2016-11-16T18:58:22Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > The Carbonaro Effect? Is that how when you put bacon and cheese together, it intensifies the deliciousness? That’s the NoCarbonaro Effect. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/5 "2016-11-16T19:10:04Z")
I think the Candid Camera effect is happening on the show if it’s not staged. The early Candid Camera shows were great fun because nobody knew about hidden camera shows. As time went on more and more people would start asking “Am I on Candid Camera?” Revivals and copycat versions of the show had the same problem, and it’s obvious that some people realize they’re being recorded and start acting. I’ve seen a couple of Carbonaro episodes and a couple of the scenes could be totally unstaged but the reactions don’t look genuine in most of what I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/6 "2016-11-16T19:11:29Z")
I don’t know. I suppose it could be, but it seems the various degrees of incredulity demonstrated by most ‘victims’ on that show are more or less consistent with the types of reactions found on Alan Funt’s show ‘Candid Camera’ and I’ve never heard or read anything about those pranks being staged. And that show ran for many years - you’d think at least a few stories would get out about ‘yeah, Mr. Funt approached me and explained the stunt beforehand…’ if it were all staged. I bet what you don’t see on shows of this sort are all the dozens of non-humorous reactions that end up in the trash for every one ‘good’ reaction victim. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-carbonaro-effect-staged/772177/7 "2016-11-16T19:23:05Z")
He claims it’s not fake, and they have to edit some shots because using multiple camera angles actually show how the trick is pulled. > **[The Carbonaro Effect: Magician Michael Carbonaro Tells Us How He Does It](https://theinterrobang.com/the-carbonaro-effect-magician-michael-carbonaro-tells-us-how-he-does-it/)** > > If one day you find yourself experiencing double vision, or seeing creatures from outer space, or watching a man squeeze a carton of juice out of a single orange, you may be having a breakdown. Or you may be experiencing The Carbonaro Effect. > **[Is ‘The Carbonaro Effect’ Staged?](https://www.ibtimes.com/carbonaro-effect-fake-michael-carbonaro-responds-proof-video-2359717)** > > Michael Carbonaro defends the authenticity of “The Carbonaro Effect.” I agree that some of his tricks seem just a little too amazing to be real, but then again there are a lot of people involved with producing a show, they’d all need to be lying and able to keep the lies a secret.