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MTV’s Catfish wants to introduce people to their internet trolls in real life

MTV’s Catfish wants to introduce people to their internet trolls in real life

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Photo: MTV

MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show, a morally questionable documentary series based on the infamous, morally questionable documentary film of the same name, usually seeks out romantic relationships between internet strangers from which to draw poignant and/or horrifying human drama.

But for the remainder of the show’s sixth season, it is trying something new: it’s uniting in the real world internet acquaintances who do not love each other!

According to a series of casting calls posted on the show’s official Facebook page, MTV is looking for people who can respond in the affirmative to any of these questions about online rivalries:

  • “Do you have an online rival?”
  • “Do you find yourself getting mad at [your online rival] all the time?”
  • “Does [your online rival] drive you up the wall?”
  • “Do you [and your online rival] comment on almost all of each other’s posts?”
  • “Think it’s time to finally meet [your online rival] in person?”
  • “Are you a highly opinionated, polarizing character?”
  • “Have you been drawn into online debates over topics like Veganism, Feminism, LGBTQ rights, Body Shaming, Politics, Race, Religion, and other hot button social issues?”
  • “Is this a long time running feud? Would you like to meet your rival in person?”

Catfish: The TV Show is also interested in casting people who can respond in the affirmative to any of these questions about internet trolls:

  • “Do you have an online troll that’s making your life miserable?”
  • “[Is your online troll] going out of their way to comment on all your posts?”
  • “Have you ever wanted to find out who’s really behind the profile [of your online troll]?”

Personally, these questions would be hard to answer because I have dozens of trolls, rivals, and internet crushes whom I would love to meet in person and I wouldn’t even know how to begin choosing just one.

But if you have a very special online rival (one who has never threatened you with violence!), maybe you could consider just sending them a Twitter DM or an email and asking if they’d like to meet for coffee to discuss your mutual interests? It’s a good way to make a new friend.

Or worst-case scenario: they’re terrible in real life, and you block them on every social media platform. Then you move on, and nobody filmed it. The other option is applying to be on the show, like MTV is requesting. That could also lead to a new friend, but the worst-case scenario is slightly different: they’re terrible, and now a stilted interaction between you and a bad person was on TV for everyone to see and cringe at.

Either way, what a great opportunity to watch Jake Gyllenhaal’s Inside Amy Schumer sketch about this very topic. It’s funny, no matter what one of my more vicious online rivals might tell you.