The reality of Reality TV
At the conclusion of Martin Scorsese’s immortal gangster epic, “Goodfellas,” the viewer finds Ray Liotta’s character, Henry Hill, lamenting on his life in the mob after going into witness protection.
“And that’s the hardest part. Today everything is different. There’s no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. I can’t even get decent food. Right after I got here, I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I’m an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.”
This is one of Conway resident Marvin Latimer’s favorite movies, and he felt his life mirrored that of “Goodfellas”’ antagonist when his stint on the fifth season of CBS’ reality juggernaut “Big Brother” ended in 2004.
A whirlwind life of seemingly neverending filming days, national exposure and a modicum of fame was suddenly replaced by days working at his family’s funeral home in a small South Carolina town.
“It’s like being in the Super Bowl, but the next year you’re out of the league,” Latimer said.
Welcome to the reality of being a reality star living along the Grand Strand and beyond.
Many average Joes find themselves looking through starry eyes at one time or another. But for those who actually get to live it, the thrill of the spotlight also brings with it the bullish nature of some in the local community, the unwelcome taunts on social media and the inevitable descent from the celebrity mountain.
Latimer said there was a “lack of excitement” and a “lack of relevance” when he came back to his normal life post-“Big Brother.”
He went from being on a show that averaged more than eight million viewers per episode to sitting in an office at Latimer Funeral Home, where the walls are adorned with framed certificates and the desk is covered with papers and a can of Canada Dry ginger ale.
“Real life just really, really sucks,” said Latimer.
The reception locals gave to TLC’s “Welcome to Myrtle Manor,” which depicted life in an area trailer park, was not a welcome one for cast member Taylor J. Burt.
Burt admitted that many area residents were not keen with how their community was portrayed on a national stage, a scenario he said is the same for the casts of shows like “Jersey Shore.” As retribution, he added, angry local viewers would throw drinks and food at him when they saw him driving with a top down.
One of the weirder aspects of the showbiz life, Burt said, is traveling outside of the Grand Strand and meeting individuals who are fans of “Welcome to Myrtle Manor.”
“Then you come back to the place you film and people treat you like shit,” Burt said.
Elkin, N.C. resident Anthony Parigi found himself being picked apart by the “keyboard warriors” during his season four appearance on CMT’s “Redneck Island.”
A self-described “heavier-set guy,” Parigi said he was ready for the unflattering comments he received on social media. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a challenge.
“If you have a flaw, they’ll pick you apart,” he said. “I guess I knew that was coming.”
What no one who suddenly finds themselves with a level of name recognition can know is how those closest to them will accept their new lot in life.
Latimer said people in Conway were surprised to find he is a very vocal and entertaining person, traits they didn’t expect to see in someone who works at a funeral home.
“When they saw that, it kind of threw them for a loop,” he said.
Those closest to Burt knew he was portraying a character on “Myrtle Manor” and that it wasn’t a depiction of who he really is.
He feels the biggest misconception people have about reality TV is that what they are seeing is real.
“It’s all production,” he said.
Parigi said he received lots of kudos from those in his community when he was cast. But for the 95 percent of those who supported him, there was 5 percent who felt the then 31-year-old with no wife or children needed to grow up.
“I was just living out whatever came my way,” Parigi said.
A contracted employee working in pipeline construction as an inspector and office manager, Parigi was on a job in Pennsylvania when he got the call he was cast in “Redneck Island.”
His then employer was not keen on him taking a role on the show, but Parigi wanted to capitalize on the opportunity.
It appeared to pay off, from a professional standpoint. When filming ended and Parigi returned to North Carolina, CMT made the official announcement he was on the show.
That’s when the “cool factor” kicked in. Suddenly, Parigi said he was swimming in opportunities to come and do construction work. New contractors still sometimes refer to him as “Mr. Celebrity.”
“I could see how (being a reality star) would hurt some careers, but my career, it definitely boosted it,” Parigi said.
Burt, who hosts parties both in Myrtle Beach and across the country, said his real job is his normal life, as opposed to what viewers saw on “Myrtle Manor.”
Despite owning a home in the Myrtle Beach area for the last 10 years, Burt said his travels keep him out of the state for at least a third of each year.
“My normal life never stopped,” he said. “My normal life was never normal. I’m not your 9 to 5 kind of guy.”
Latimer endured an unwanted dose of reality upon returning from filming “Big Brother.”
A week before he returned, Latimer said the dog he had owned for seven years suddenly died and no one had told him.
“I had to kind of find that out the night I came home, three in the morning,” he said.
After dealing with that blow, the job of ceasing to be an energetic television personality and fitting back into society began.
“It’s kind of like you’re in purgatory almost,” Latimer said. “Are you going to work in the corporate world and work in your job, or are you going to work entertainment? It’s kind of hard to do both.”
Actually, Latimer has found himself able to do both. When not working his regular 9 to 5 job, he “moonlights” as the star of his own cooking and comedy program, “The Marvin Show.”
Writing scripts and filming the show allow Latimer to keep his creative juices flowing, he said.
Burt would have been happy if he had never been on TV.
He said working in the spotlight of television entertainment led to people coming after him and attempting to sue him for wrongful death suits and the like.
His own run-ins with the law also became big local news. In 2015, Burt pleaded guilty to a lesser felony charge of assault and battery following his arrest in 2014 on charges of sexual misconduct with a minor.
He cautions anyone who might consider applying for a reality show to understand that by putting yourself in the spotlight, you open yourself up to a lot of hate.
“You’re no longer a person anymore,” Burt said. “You’re a product.”
Parigi’s celebrity meant scoring some bonus points with the ladies, he said, and also enduring the mob of people who wanted to hang out.
“To go to Walmart and get a toothbrush might take an hour or so,” he said.
Still, Parigi doesn’t complain about his experiencing fame on a small scale. He even got to interact with other local reality stars when he would visit The Boathouse in Myrtle Beach for “Redneck Island” viewing parties.
Adjusting to life after reality may have had its hardships, but Latimer is grateful for the opportunity afforded to him by reality TV.
And if he had it to do all over again, would he still have sent in his audition video?
“Oh, hell yeah! Most definitely,” Latimer said.
This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 9:55 AM with the headline "The reality of Reality TV."