I used to enjoy this show, even with the 10 minute commercial breaks. It was fun to see how stupid people can be. But about 2 years ago the show became 100% fake. I don't even care that they started have some "celebrity" guests that no one has ever heard of or the fact that it's always impossible to tell the sex of the guest. Or that the names are always something like Mecca and Tanner or Shakokwa and Shanaynay. I don't even care that they stole the name of the show from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. This show has done the classic MTV move of proving that you are stupid and will watch anything.

Although 'Catfish' was novel and fresh when it first hit the MTV airwaves, it is now old and tired and needs to be put on a shelf somewhere.Why am I saying those harsh words? 'Catfish' has nothing new to offer. It's the same archaic formula used by the show's two 'trackers', Nev and Max, every single time ~ i.e., someone thinks their Internet love who looks like a) a supermodel or b) a male hunk, might be fake, as they haven't met after just chatting for over eight years (you think)? Enter the guys from 'Catfish' who do a reverse google search on the photos, and run the phone number to see if it's legit. Do you mean to tell me these potentially duped individuals couldn't come up with that on their own by now, after seeing 'Catfish' for FIVE years???Having milked this 'Catfish' for all that's its worth, its time for it to go the way of another MTV show, 'Jersey Shore' ~ also kept WAY beyond its time! Must be something in the water at this network!

I had heard of catfishing and what it meant but never really knew the story of how it all began.This was a show I stumbled upon just flicking channels and decided to watch. After watching about three episodes on TV, I decided to watch the movie and then after watching the movie of Nev's story, I marathoned all three seasons.Wow.I'm just blown away by some of these stories. I've never been catfished and I can't understand why anyone waste all this time and energy into being this different person?So after Catfish: The Movie explored Nev's story, he joins his brothers buddy Max, who was not in the film, to travel across America to help people in the same predicament as he was.Nev and Max make a good team; they would have to with all the together time these two would have filming this and Nev seems to be the hopeless romantic of the pair while Max is the realist.One thing that kind of annoyed me, they're always try to find some deeper meaning to the catfish. After dealing with the person who emailed them, they head off to talk to the catfisher and get their side. Most times there is a story but sometimes they try to dig to get one when sometimes, people are just assholes!As the show started airing and word starting getting around, I started to wonder about the truthfulness of the stories in the later season; how much of it was really people in need or people just looking for their 15 minutes of fame.I don't think you can have a 'relationship' with someone without having seen them, let alone one episode where a couple were 'engaged' without even meeting each other.And that takes me to my next point: Webcam not working? Bullshit! Most modern computers with webcams, most modern phones come with cameras and even if they don't, webcams are dirt cheap to buy.On the rare occasion, some of these people even brought gifts or sent money to the catfish! They were the moment where I just wanted to reach into the screen and shake these people.I did like how, even being a MTV show, they still accepted gay and lesbian catfishes.The soundtrack is pretty cool too with a mix of pop and alternative music, with the artist and track listed, in case you want to buy it.It is a good show, eye opening, but good. Not something I would watch again though but I will watch more if and when it airs.

I see reviews on this site where posters say the show is "fake" without providing any proof. I see reviews where posters say you must be stupid if you are the victim of one of these scams.The fact remains that people do sometimes invest their emotions in exclusively online relationships.Online technology is so new and it brings new dimensions in relating to others. One of the most important aspects of online communication is the factor of anonymity. We have all seen the trolls that visit this site and others. We have witnessed the anti-social behavior of some gamers who use their anonymity to escape responsibility for their actions. It should be no surprise that bad behavior can manifest whenever anonymity is part of the formula. "Catfish" has shown--unsurprisingly--that the victims are usually people who are emotionally needy, sometimes desperate. The world (real and virtual) is full of people who have trouble fitting in, who are dealing with emotional issues, who have a personal history that makes them vulnerable. They reach out. And sometimes they find an unscrupulous person."Catfish" has also shown that the perpetrators are also damaged people. The first episode of the second season was a prime example. The catfish was someone who had been bullied. She was striking out as a way to make herself feel better.The human psychology is interesting. These cases serve as warnings for those who might become victims. And the show reminds us that behind all of those anonymous names and avatars exist real people. Every one of them has his own problems. Nev and Max, who are the on-camera hosts, do their best to inject humanity into the proceedings. Their objective is not to ridicule or belittle, unlike some other shows. They attempt to connect with and understand every victim and every catfish. Surprisingly, the cases they get involved with are very diverse. The catfish might be a lonely person or a scammer. It might be an older lady or a person of an unexpected gender. I don't know how long they can mine this phenomenon, but so far it is entertaining and useful.