Is Nathan For You Real Or Just A Reality TV Trick?

There's a cynicism surrounding reality shows due to the small fact many of them are fake or overly scripted. Oftentimes, they blur the line between real-life and fiction to produce a cohesive and entertaining structure that's appealing to viewers who seek drama, laughs, and over-the-top scenarios. Comedy Central's "Nathan for You" is one of the more ridiculous and outlandish series of this ilk out there, but is it real or scripted?

"Nathan for You" is designed to see how far people are willing to go to succeed in a capitalist society, resulting in some cringeworthy, uncomfortable, and entertaining television. The show's fans argue that it's a laugh-out-loud satire of the business world, but many of them doubt that the events that take place on the series are rooted in reality. Instead of wondering what's fact and fiction, however, let's look at the facts and find out what the creators of "Nathan for You" have said about their methods.

"Nathan for You" is a docuseries about the trials and tribulations of corporate America. It follows Nathan Fielder, a consultant who graduated from a Canadian business school with "really good grades," as he travels around the United States trying to help struggling businesses get off the ground. However, let's just say some of his methods are unorthodox.

Fielder's marketing stunts are, quite frankly, absurd. From convincing frozen yogurt parlors to introduce a poop-flavored option to making people climb literal mountains for gas rebates, it demonstrates the wild lengths businesses are willing to go to just to make and save bucks. One episode even sees Fielder encourage a realtor to focus on selling ghost-free homes and involves an exorcism. Check out this ranking of the best "Nathan for You" business plans for more examples of the show's bonkers ideas.

The series is played for laughs, and its over-the-top premise has convinced some viewers that it's staged — real people aren't going to fall for these wacky schemes, right? With that in mind, let's examine why some fans have doubts over the creators' claims that "Nathan for You" isn't among the class of reality shows that are actually real.

There's a "Nathan for You" episode where the titular subject performs a stunt that will see him expose himself to children if it goes wrong. There are even cops on standby to take Nathan Fielder to jail if he fails. Scenarios like this have raised doubts about the show's authenticity, but the ridiculous moments aren't the only aspects of "Nathan for You" that make fans assume it's staged.

Some viewers argue that the way Nathan Fielder interacts with people suggests that the Comedy Central series is fake. From everyone involved having impeccable comedic timing to conversations revolving around off-kilter subjects, it seems too funny to be real. As Redditor u/martinsq29 wrote, "[My] skepticism came less from the non-existence of bizarre types, and more from the perfect comedic timing of many moments, and the general passivity of participants." Another fan expressed that they "believed it to be 90% staged and scripted, with a few moments, like maybe Grandson's Pee, that bleed through into the edit."

On the other hand, fans such as u/westwood5 believe that "Nathan for You" is probably a combination of real and staged. "I'm sure it's not all real, but there are a lot of crazy and bizarre people in this country, and I believe Nathan's true gift is knowing how to seek them out." These are interesting points, but what has Fielder said about what's real and fake about his Comedy Central series?

Nathan Fielder plays an over-the-top version of himself, so don't assume the way he acts on the docuseries is a reflection of his genuine personality. However, he did actually graduate from the University of Victoria with a business degree, and his grades were pretty decent. And while some elements of "Nathan for You" are scripted, as Fielder went into the episodes with an outline of what he was going to pitch to the business owners, his interactions with his clients are real and often take unpredictable turns.

The creators vet the business owners beforehand and choose to work with the people who ask the least-amount of questions. Of course, some of the participants have realized that something was off during filming and scuppered plans for the episode, resulting in Fielder and his team having to start again from scratch.

"Nathan for You" has also attracted controversy for its real-life stunts. For example," the "Dumb Starbucks" episode — whose marketing campaign went viral — caused the real Starbucks to raise qualms about possible trademark infringement. However, the show's legal team did their homework beforehand and discovered that the stunt was protected under freedom of expression laws. Still, the fact that a major corporation's lawyers were involved proves that "Nathan for You" pushes boundaries, and that's what makes it entertaining.

If you're a budding entrepreneur, check out these "Nathan for You" details to add to your next business plan.