Part 5/9:
Moments of emotional turmoil—contestants crying at their failures—should, by rights, elicit empathy. Instead, they often feel like brief reactions waiting to be cut for the sake of pacing. The design of the show creates a dichotomy where each individual's plight is almost sidelined in favor of on-the-spot decisions driven by monetary gain. While some might find this dynamic exhilarating, the tension crosses into discomfort as the show exploits emotional reactions while lacking a comprehensive understanding of what those emotions mean.
Comparative Structures