Popular Reality TV

Hoarders »     by Andy Dehnart / November 10, 2011, 8:25 PM Hoarders Matt Paxton was one of the subjects of my Playboy piece about the effects of reality TV , so when he came to Central Florida to clean a house for the show and asked to interview me for his new podcast, I agreed. The resulting episode is now live on his 5 Decisions Away podcast , which you should subscribe to. (Here’s the direct iTunes link ; it’s free. You can also listen online .) It’s basically us talking for just over an hour about reality TV and, in heavier moments, things like life. Since we recorded it in the early evening, it’s not quite as crazy of a conversation as his previous episode with the show’s animal hoarding experts , which was recorded late at night and includes lots of hilariously childish genitalia jokes amid the interesting analysis of animal hoarders’ behavior. And his first episode features a conversation with his Clutter Cleaner colleague Cabell Hatchett about the work they do. But especial...

Hoarders »     by Andy Dehnart / July 19, 2011, 10:02 AM Half of last night’s episode of Hoarders profiled Randy Senna, the proprietor of Randyland in Wildwood, New Jersey. (The other half profiled Vicki, a hoarder who essentially rejected the help that she desperately needs; her conflict with the crew and her family made Randy and Matt Paxton’s conflict seem inconsequential.) The episode filmed over the weekend of March 25, and I was there for two full days and part of the final day to write about the show for Playboy . The article covers a lot of the behind-the-scenes interaction, and some of what happened on camera, including Randy and Matt’s fight, which lasted more than 25 minutes in real life—longer than Randy’s story took to play out during the episode. (You can watch it online or download an HD version .) I actually have a cameo in the episode, despite my best efforts to remain behind the cameras at all times: Right after the 40-minute mark, before Randy and Matt fight about...