ENOUGH 15 yrs ago
it needs to go the way of WWF and Nascar - other "entertainment" propped up by product placement and deed-seated viewer feelings of inferiority
They are not real. Other than the fact that the partcipants are not trained actors, they are still selected through an audition process and the cast is assembled to maximize drama and conflict.
It's still loosely scripted, so reality is quite accurate.
The formula has run its course bit as long as people keep watching it's a boon to studios because they don't have to pay a lot to the cast or to script writers.