Miriam: Death of a Reality Star review – as grubby as the cruel show that ruined her life

To put it simply, the TV show There's Something About Miriam caused a lot of controversy. It aired in 2004 and featured six men competing for the affection of 21-year-old Mexican model Miriam Rivera. The twist was that they didn't know she was transgender. Even before the show aired, it was making headlines and creating drama. Some of the contestants even attempted to stop the show from airing, claiming that they didn't give informed consent and that it was like committing sexual assault. It was a moral mess.

The blog talks about a documentary called "Miriam: Death of a Reality Star," which recounts the unpleasant moment in pop culture when Rivera, a reality star, was revealed as a trans woman. The documentary gives an insight into Rivera's difficult early life and her questionable death. However, the blog argues that the documentary tries to condemn the original show's crassness while also milking the same titillating material. The documentary also heavily features the horrifying moment from the original show where one of the men violently reacts to the news of Rivera's gender. This revelation is teased throughout the documentary, making it seem like a clip show of the original series. The documentary then touches briefly upon Rivera's mysterious death. The blog comments on how reality TV is exploitative and always has been.

The Miriam: Death of a Reality Star documentary faces difficulties in conveying a multifaceted narrative. Alongside the tumultuous behind-the-scenes happenings of the show, the film reveals insights into Rivera's upbringing. Those closest to her reveal that she faced an overwhelming amount of discrimination due to her transgender identity within her own family (including an exorcism arranged by her father), which led to her dropping out of school when her boyfriend found out. Despite these challenges, Rivera found joy in New York's ballroom scene and was recruited to join the trans pop group, Speed Angels, based in the United Kingdom.

The show Speed Angels didn't become successful, but it did make Rivera get a role in There's Something About Miriam. When the show aired, people had a wrong and ridicule view of trans individuals. The creators of the show claimed they tried to fix this issue. However, the show was based solely on the men's eventual shock and disgust, making their argument questionable.

The main goal of this documentary isn't to portray the male participants, Toby and Aron, as the antagonists. They are also shown to be victims in the situation. However, there is a character in the documentary named Jo Juson who is presented as a stereotypical villain. Jo Juson is a production executive who doesn't show remorse for her actions and even admits to crossing moral boundaries. It is concerning that the documentary chose to showcase her lack of empathy.

Generally, we tend to feel proud of our progress and how much we have improved. We can now witness shows such as Harry Hill’s TV Burp and Have I Got News for You which tell humorous jokes about Rivera, knowing that those kinds of jokes would never be allowed today. Nevertheless, we must not forget that there are still problems in the reality genre of television. The use of hoaxes is still present in many formats such as on Hot Mess Summer and The Underdog: Josh Must Win. This exploitation remains a major issue. Recently, the former Channel 4 boss, Michael Grade, referred to contemporary TV as "cruel". Additionally, the discrimination and exclusion of transgender people from society is still an ongoing issue.

The last episode of the show highlights the dangerous exclusion that occurred in Rivera's life. It was revealed that she tried to use her fame to earn money as an escort. However, the details of what took place after that are unclear. What is known is that her final years were filled with terrible experiences, including addiction, kidnapping, sex trafficking, and, ultimately, murder. Although authorities declared that Rivera's death was a suicide, her mother and those who knew her well suspect that she was murdered.

This film explores many different theories, but doesn't provide any fresh proof about how Rivera died. However, it does feature her brother acting out the moment he discovered her body. The documentary ends with a heartbreaking shot of Rivera's father, who sobs as he takes responsibility for what happened to his child.

In the midst of irresponsible conjecture, this program extracts material from a family's distressing experience. Has the television industry acquired any comprehension about fundamental morality in the last two decades? Based on this sordid set of documentaries, the reply would have to be a resolute negative.