# Which reality show confers the greatest benefit to participants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215 "2009-03-12T16:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/21 "2009-03-14T13:27:12Z")
No love for **The Amazing Race**? A million dollars for the win and a chance to see places that you never would have seen before all over the world? I’ll take it! And I love the mention of **Solitary**. I thought I was the only one who watched this show! It’s fabulous and now over again for another season…so bummed. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/22 "2009-03-14T13:43:18Z")
I think Beauty and the Geek is up there, at least some of the earlier seasons. I’ve seen some very shy guys become a lot more comfortable in their own skin. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/23 "2009-03-14T16:11:38Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Nothing beats American Idol. > > The winners actually become famous pop stars. I’d agree with this. Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood alone clinch it for _AI_. Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, and Davids Cook and Archuletta are all doing well, too. In regard to Top Chef, season 1 winner Harold has a great restaurant (Perilla) in the West Village. Pretty much every contestant on that show already has some sort of career that I imagine must get a boost because of the show (Brian Malarky was featured on a recent episode of Real Housewives of Orange Country, for instance). Likewise, Project Runway contestants have said that they’ve benefited tremendously from the publicity of the show. On the flipside you have something like America’s Next Top Model, which isn’t particularly beneficial to anybody except the winner (and even they tend to fade into obscurity pretty quickly). Only Adrian Curry and Yoanna have really gotten big careers out of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/24 "2009-03-15T09:34:40Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > I think The Bachelor has the worst prize of the whole set of reality shows. You win the chance to be proposed to, maybe, if he feels like it, or maybe but he might change his mind later. oh boy. how lucky can a girl be? Yeah, and all that after making yourself look like a desperate, slutty idiot on national TV. Sign me up! > [@PeacePlease](#): > > No love for **The Amazing Race**? A million dollars for the win and a chance to see places that you never would have seen before all over the world? I was thinking this, too. It’s the only reality show I’ve seen that I’d consider participating in. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/25 "2009-03-15T10:03:30Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I can’t claim to know what the subsequent fallout is re: property taxes and the like, but you have to admit that all the recipients of the _Extreme Home Makeover_ show do get an incredible upgrade in their living conditions, especially since most of them start off far more destitute and financially challenged than your average _American Idol_ contestant. I know that the one family featured that was from New Jersey ran into some problems. They lived in Irvington. When the house was renovated the town reassessed the property at $1mil and wanted them to pay property taxes on that. The State had to make a [law](http://stanleyforassembly.com/blog) inorder for the woman to keep her home. > [@phreesh](#): > > To suggest another big winner, how about Extreme Home Makeover? Big, beautiful house and I believe mortgage free? I am currently at the mercy of AFN for my TV watching. It means I get to see shows wouldn’t normally see. Recently they had an episode where they made a big out of the fact that they took up a collection and paid off the mortgage. It seemed like it was an unusual event, not something they do every week. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/26 "2009-03-15T12:58:50Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I’d agree with this. Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood alone clinch it for _AI_. Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, and Davids Cook and Archuletta are all doing well, too. As is Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215/27 "2009-03-15T16:34:23Z")
What Not To Wear. It’s a lot ‘smaller’ show–one participant per episode, not a group and spread out over months. But the contributers get new clothes, usually a boost in self-esteem, more flattering hair and makeup, and the majority of the them say that it had a very positive impact on their lives, both in appearance and internally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-reality-show-confers-the-greatest-benefit-to-participants/489215.md?page=1)