Peacock’s The Traitors is a show inherently built on high emotions, offering as it does a carefully curated blend of Celebrity Big Brother, a high-stakes game of Mafia, and the daily anxiety of wondering how Alan Cumming is going to top his latest bizarre-but-cool outfit. (Has he considered wearing something that people wouldn’t traditionally think of as a hat?!) But there are, apparently, limits to how worked up the series wants its viewers to get, having had to break out the black background and the serious font to remind its Instagram followers to not actually harass or cyberbully any of its contestants, who are, after all, “real people.”
“We are committed to making our cast feel safe, respected, and supported—on screen and off,” the note begins. “The cast of The Traitors are real people, and what happens in the game should never lead to cyberbullying or harassment. There’s a difference between discussing a show and targeting individuals. Let’s not ruin the passion for this show with unwarranted negativity and personal attacks. We appreciate your support.”
Given the nature of modern reality television, it’s not entirely clear which set of audience reactions have provoked this very sober request to simmer down; a lot of people are apparently unhappy, for instance, about the casting of former Bachelor Colton Underwood on the show’s fourth and latest season, given allegations of stalking lodged against him a few years ago by former romantic partner Cassie Randolph, who he dated for two years after they met on The Bachelor. But, hey, maybe it’s the people upset at Michael Rappaport for telling Underwood that “nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you,” interpreted by many as a reference to the fact that Underwood was in the closet for many years of his public career. That’s the joy of reality TV: It’s a buffet of situations designed to provoke strong reactions both on-camera and from fans, at which point some PR person has to resort to an all-text “Please don’t actually commit harassment” reminder to try to quell the flames.
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