This show should be called: 99% of people online have no idea how to check a facebook profile.
Reverse image search tools and actually reading linked facebook profiles is about the extent of "Investigative research" that Max and Nev actually are capable of doing. This show proves 2 things, most people have no clue about the power of the internet, both to lure gullible people into fake relationships and it can be used to actually validate if a person is real or not.
The one thing great about the show and why it deserves 5 stars is the guys always seek a positive outcome and try to sort it all out to the best of their abilities.
The one thing annoying and downright artificial are the Social Justice Warrior T-shirts they wear. In particular is a pink one with the words "feminist." on it. I mean come on.... really?
It is interesting on one level of social communication in the digital age and exemplifies how messed up it can get.
Conversely it is troubling that the TV show has a social agenda as MTV always has had and is duplicitous in the subtleness in which the show uses their stories as a vehicle to creating 'Societal norms" at a level that would make Edward Bernays proud.
Pros: Catfish shows clearly:
How oblivious some people can be about their own actions and consequences.
How unaware some people are about their "information" whether real or false shown publicly, and how vulnerable it makes them.
How easy it is to convince some people of anything.
Every Song used in the show titles the song name and song title.
If anything this show provides a great case why Facebook should be banned as being destructive to people, community and society.
Cons:
Max finally learns how to use the focus on his personal camera after 6 years making the series.
Nev and Max show even they are gullible enough to be catfished themselves.
Sometimes their T-shirts on the show oozes a stench of Social Justice Warrior, overly Pc Correct subtexts.
The frequent use of MTV music to transition storyline through the filler footage and montages is used too much in some episodes.
The entire idea of Catfish is one that is based on a foundational premise of people lying cheating and deceiving other people, by revealing how easy it is could give others ideas and make Catfish episodes an endless Tv show.
Goofy over-acted repetitious format overall yet stylized well, some episodes are worth a look, even though I suspect it's all scripted.
