On the surface, Trash TV is a source of mindless enjoyment, quality background noise, and fun conversation pieces. But we all need our guilty pleasures, and these shows offer a more honest look at our society than what you find on some glossier reality shows.
- Maxwell Ogden
FanSided Operations Assistant
How this fandom made the world a better place
The deeper you dig into these programs the more you realize how sheltered our general society is from people whose stories are not considered “normal” and how common their stories actually are. International love stories on 90 Day Fiancé, battles with depression and eating disorders on My 600-lb Life, and those ostracized because of skin deformities on Dr. Pimple Popper are all given a platform that society otherwise does not provide through what we so easily deem Trash TV.
What was the icon or totem for this fandom this year?
2021 was the year of 90 Day Fiancé. In addition to the original series, which completed its eighth season in 2021, there have been a number of wildly popular spinoff shows. That includes 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?, which follows the couples after their initial 90 Day debuts to see where they are today. It also includes 90 Day Fiancé spinoffs titled Before the 90 Days, What Now?, Pillow Talk, The Other Way, and The Family Chantel. That doesn’t even include 90 Day: The Single Life or the number of other discovery+ series that pertain to the 90 Day series. Pillow Talk even gave us the outlet of watching our favorite 90 Day couples review the episodes of 90 Day Fiancé that had just aired. I repeat: 2021 was the year of 90 Day Fiancé.