'Catfish: The TV Show' Really Shouldn't Be a Thing Anymore, and Here's Why

From Cosmopolitan

Quick question for the universe: how the hell is Catfish: The TV Show still a thing? By some wild act of nature, MTV’s reality series about people who get scammed on the internet by romantic partners they’ve never met IRL is returning on November 28. FYI, the series isn't technically starting a new season. It's actually just picking back up in the middle of season seven after being suspended in May following sexual misconduct accusations against the show's host, Nev Schulman. MTV gave the green light to continue after an investigation concluded that claims made by former Catfish participant, Ayissha Morgan, were "not credible and without merit."

The show, about strangers who catch feels online only to find out they've been "catfished" (the name comes from the 2010 documentary, Catfish, where Nev himself gets-you guessed it-catfished!), has been on MTV since 2012. Sure, in the beginning, it was easy to believe that these poor, innocent people were legitimately hoodwinked, but we don't have time for this anymore. First of all, it's 2018. Even your grandmother knows what catfishing is by now. Secondly, it's pretty easy to find out whether you're being catfished without Nev, Max and a camera crew.

Allegedly debunked controversy aside... is Catfish even worth keeping? Probably not. Best (read: rarest) case scenario, both parties actually turn out to be who they say they are, like Brandon and Kelsie from season six. The couple had been in contact without meeting for three years. Although their story is obv super sweet, it could totally be argued that Catfish was really just a means of transportation for two online lovers who had previously experienced some travel issues.

While it's an easy show to binge when you're too lazy to pick something new to watch, Catfish really has no business dragging us through ANOTHER season (er... half season?) of its BS. An eighth season has not yet been announced, but TBH, that's fine by me. Here's why:

Every episode is exactly the same.

Although the catfisher and catfishee change each episode, every 45 minute spectacle plays out the exact same way. Nearly all Catfish mysteries are solved with a simple phone number lookup and a Google Image reverse search that should take no longer than five minutes, even with a rocky WiFi connection.

Sprinkle in a few lame excuses to avoid Skyping or meeting in person, end with a *surprise* reveal that shows the catfisher isn’t who they said they were, and voila! You’ve got yourself another episode of Catfish.

Catfish made it to the big screen.

It's safe to say that Catfish has peaked, now that Nev and Max have been immortalized in history in the Tyler Perry movie, Nobody's Fool. Tiffany Haddish, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tika Sumpter star in the film about catfishing, and Nev and Max make an appearance. Now that they're officially *movie stars*, they can finally say goodbye to the world of reality TV.

They’re losing the best most decent part of the show.

Even the show’s co-host, Max Joseph, knew when to call it a day. “With Catfish still going strong after 7 seasons, 115 episodes, 31 specials and showing no sign of slowing down, I feel it is finally the time for me to make my exit,” Max wrote in an Instagram post announcing his departure in August.

Although Max usually served as a much-needed voice of reason, it's not like they actually needed him, right? I mean, sure the guy is actually a filmmaker, but on Catfish, he's an on-screen cameraman. When have we ever seen the footage that Max takes with his tiny little digital camera? Occasionally, we see it as a quick transition between scenes, but I'm not even convinced that thing was turned on all of the time. Go ahead, @ me.

So, if they're losing Max, they most be doing something really nuts to keep the show interesting, right? Some kind of surprise twist? Maybe a fresh format? Eh... kind of.

This season, they're attempting the "impossible."

"This time around, we're attempting the impossible," Nev says in a preview of the first episode. "Trying to find someone to take the place of the legendary silver fox, Max."

The first new co-host is Jim Carrey's daughter, Jane. Singer Tallulah Willis, model Kamie Crawford, and NBA star Nick Young will also take a stab at holding a digital camera and asking questions, only to have Nev then ask the same exact question in a slightly different way.

Maybe, just maybe the new angle would work if MTV went all out with mega-celebs, and the format of the show didn't already feel stale. Even Mike, the 19-year-old looking for a sugar daddy in the new episode straight up says, "I mean, I used to laugh at [the show] back in the day. Not to be mean, but I laugh at these people."

You know what I would watch? Catfish: What I Ordered Online VS What I Actually Got in the Mail. Hit me up, MTV.

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