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The Biggest Opportunity of My Life by August Lamm

clunyjournal.com · 2,178 words · saved by 1 readers

An essay by August Lamm about choosing reality TV over reality.

This spring, I applied to compete on a British TV show. Having read accounts of reality TV casting, I was prepared for multiple grueling rounds of taped interviews. The first interview was a phone call, which lasted five minutes, and centered on my visa status. At the end of the call, I was told that I’d been cast. I had envisioned the casting process as an opportunity to determine, once and for all, whether or not I was objectively interesting. Now I might never know. The show, now in its twelfth season, is essentially a speed-painting challenge. Participants are given four hours to paint…

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