Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Is Bar Rescue Fake? - Lawsuit Says So

While Jon Taffer always claims that Bar Rescue is real and nothing is ever scripted, most people who watch the show feel otherwise.  Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed by Dr. Paul T Wilkes against Bongo LLC (a Bar Rescue production company), Jon Taffer, and his wife Nicole Taffer.  Paul was an owner of the Sand Dollar in Las Vegas, which was on season 3 of the show and renamed to Bar 702.  You may remember the episode titled as "Don't Mess With Taffer's Wife" where Jon gets mad that Paul was hitting on his wife.  The full lawsuit is here from Deadline, but here are some of the highlights that give a lot of insight into the Bar Rescue process:
     
  • The casting company told Dr. Wilkes that the show was looking at forty bars in the Las Vegas area that were under consideration for the show.  They said those who displayed the most outlandish behavior would be considered the most television worthy, and would be chosen for the next phase of the selection process.  The next phase would be a few people from the company coming to film audition tapes to get a feel of how they would be on camera.
  • During the filming of the audition tape, Dr. Wilkes was instructed to talk to his friends in a natural way as if no cameras were present.  He remembered the "outlandish" behavior being part of the selection process, so he talked about some Vegas strip clubs with his friends.
  • After the audition tape was filmed, the casting company approached the production company about making an episode that focused on a "dirty doctor" who "picks up on strippers."
  • The production company then sent a single cameraman for another audition tape, where they interviewed bar employees including Dr. Wilkes, and asked questions like what he thought of Jon Taffer, the way he dressed, and how he gets in people's faces.
  • Closer to the filming date, producers told Dr. Wilkes that he was 1 of 3 bars under consideration for being selected, and that they would be filmed, with the videos sent to Jon Taffer, who would select the bar chosen to be rescued.
  • When filming Dr. Wilkes at the bar, Dr. Wilkes was doing pushups against the bar and dancing around.  Producers were unsatisfied with the level of extremity, so told him to make disreputable comments to women in the bar.
  • In a later interview before the show, the producer said that in order to "get the show," Dr. Wilkes had to make offensive comments about women.  He was assured that the comments wouldn't be seen by the public and Jon Taffer would be the only one seeing them.  The producer asked graphic questions about women's parts, and when Dr. Wilkes' responses weren't graphic enough, the producer coached him to make his responses more graphic, and to "say it like this."
  • Producers told Dr. Wilkes that Nicole Taffer would be coming into the bar to help with the casting tapes, and when she arrived with a friend, the producers texted Dr. Wilkes to stay away until they give him a cue to approach them.
  • When he got the cue, he approached them and talked to them, while the producers watched from a control room.  The producers weren't satisfied so texted Dr. Wilkes to "Hit on [Mrs. Taffer] hardcore!!"
  • While watching the scene from an SUV, Jon Taffer allegedly called the control room to tell them to have a drink near the spot where he intended to confront Dr. Wilkes, so he could throw it in his face.  He allegedly said to a colleague, "Now I'm going to show you why my show is Number One."
  • Dr. Wilkes then claimed that Jon Taffer came in to confront him, showed him footage of his audition tapes where he insulted the way Jon dressed.  Jon then grabbed the drink in his hand, threw it in his face and smashed the cup in his face.  Jon then spit in his face and tore off his shirt so violently that buttons ripped off his shirt.  Jon then picked up the second drink that was planted and threw it in Dr. Wilkes face.  After that, Jon swung at Dr. Wilkes' head with his electronic tablet, and turned to go towards his coat.  Dr. Wilkes thought he was going for a weapon so tried to restrain him, and was punched in his left jaw by Jon Taffer.  Jon Taffer began hyperventilating and collapsed on the floor, and the entire attack was caught on camera.
  • As a result of this attack, Dr. Wilkes suffers from emotional distress and things such as migraines, nausea, vomiting, night terrors, crying spells, severe depression, and anxiety attacks.


If you are interested, the full episode is available on the Spike TV site, and the video clip is below where the confrontation occurs.


The confrontation in the episode is nothing like the confrontation that Dr. Wilkes describes, so obviously there are some holes in the lawsuit.  If his initial story was true, I am not sure why they would refilm a different confrontation between him and Jon.  If the drink throwing and punching occurred, why would Dr. Wilkes agree to a new confrontation and agree to film for an additional 4 days with Jon?

I think the more interesting part of the lawsuit is how much auditioning and filming they actually do before selecting a bar to be on the show.   Jon Taffer repeatedly claims nothing is scripted, but the bars are definitely coached to be obnoxious so they get selected, and the producers usually have a storyline in mind before they start filming.  Sounds like I may have been right on target with the O'Face video story.

What do you make of this lawsuit?


UPDATE - Here is Dr. Wilkes shirt when he is hitting on Nicole Taffer.  Notice no shirt pocket on the right side of his shirt, and a double pocket on the left side of his shirt.

Supposedly moments later when Jon Taffer comes in to confront him for hitting on his wife, this is the shirt Dr. Wilkes has on.  It has a pocket on the right side now, and only one pocket on the left side:

I would say they are definitely different shirts and once again some clever editing done by Bar Rescue.  Who knows if the first confrontation was exactly as described in the lawsuit or if any copies of the video still exist, but I guess time will tell.

142 comments:

  1. Im a big fan of the show, and this is absolutely disgraceful! Its about HELPING bar owners, not about making your show #1.... the WHOLE POINT of the show is to help people out. Wont be watching it anymore....

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  2. None of this surprises me. Its reality TV and reality TV always goes for the most drama possible.


    The thing that does bother me though is that the show is turning towards more and more focus on the drama. The first couple of seasons had drama, but they also had bars that really needed help and Jon did a lot of work to help them and they seem to be getting away from that.


    I understand that the bars need to be coerced to make it more appealing for television. After all, it wouldnt be that interesting if he walked into a dive bar where everyone was nice, but just didnt know what they were doing, Jon says, OK do this, lets remodel, and we're done.

    But, the show got popular because of those earlier episodes that weren't oozing with personal drama, so why change it? People liked it how it was, and now they're just dumbing it down.

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  3. This show is so obviously and hilariously scripted... But that's what makes it the BEST guilty pleasure on TV. This is the only "reality" show I watch.

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  4. Who knows what's real and what's scripted anymore? With anything in life. Honestly. And if this show is scripted as much as people claim, how in the world is Jon so successful? And how do these bars turn around and make so much money? Sure, some of them have closed. But that's because of stubbornness and ignorance on the part of the owners.

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  5. Exactly even though its scripted ive done research on most of the bars and have gone to the "spirits on bourbon" and I loved it the drinks and food was great as long as they make the bar better and successful who cares if its scripted

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  6. It doesn't make sense how they know what taffer said to the producer even though the show is scripted its bull shit that this is a serous suit plus when u punch someone it leaves a mark on ur hand and the face so they would have to put pounds if make up in him

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  7. That's American Society pretty much these days. The more Simple & Stupid. The more popular. Just watch a WWE Raw show, and see 15000 idiots pointing their fingers up in the air yelling Yes.

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  8. Check closely--Wilkes is wearing different shirt when Jon walks in. They obviously edited out the attack on the doctor, then re-filmed a tamed version.

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  9. You're right. When Wilkes talks to Jon's wife, the shirt has no right side breast pocket (and two breast pockets on the left), but the shirt seen when Jon confronts him "within seconds" has one breast pocket located at the same height on each side. Good catch.

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  10. Updated the post with screenshots

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  11. Thanks! Very telling. Although I'm still very interested in the information provided on your website, I stopped watching it about two or three episodes ago. It used to be fun and informative to watch. Anyway, keep up the good work.

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  12. I really don't see what's so dumb about them chanting for someone they like... especially considering traditionally people who became stars were large muscular people. The audience is tired of being pushed the same people so they support someone who doesn't fit the traditional mold. I don't see what's idiotic about that.


    As for pandering to idiots I do agree that some reality shows do that. The fact is people like to feel they are smart, and they like to look at other people and say to themselves 'yeah I'm better than them'. I don't see that so much in wrestling as much as I do in shows like Honey Boo Boo or any other reality show like that.

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  13. even if scripted the show is entertaining and can be very informative.

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  14. I saw the lawsuit pdf and it sounds way off. True, Taffer can be tough and rough but the accusations in general sound too unrealistic. No doubt that every reality tv show will have at least some staging going on but plenty of the accusations in that pdf doc sound more like the owner did his own staging attempts. But who cares? At least Taffer does a great job of rescuing bars even if he has to show "tough love". He might make a great president who might succeed in turning this country around btw.

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  15. You actually believe this nonsense? Wow you are truly naive.

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  16. I'm sorry, but I think this guy is completely full of shit, I don't believe one word he says. It strikes me as very suspicious that he waited this long to file a lawsuit, why wouldn't he do it right after the episode aired? That tells me that he's just trying to scam people for a quick buck, it reminds me of that one time a manager on Kitchen Nightmares tried to sue Ramsay over his portrayal(the guy was totally incompetent at his job and was quickly fired), of course nobody in their right mind believed him. Anyone who actually believes this guy is totally ignorant

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  17. No it's not "american society" I hate it when assclowns like you resort to stupid sterotyping, Bar Rescue is a good show, and this guy is obviously lying through this teeth, anyone with a half a brain can see that.

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  18. No, that's a load of BS, that dosen't mean anything. You have ZERO proof that this guy isn't lying through his teeth, Taffer has infinitely more crediblity then that asshat does, he'll be laughed out of the courtroom just like that dumbass manager on Kitchen Nightmares who made the oh-so-brillitant decision to try and sue Ramsay for how he was portrayed(nevermind that the show was telling the truth about how incompetent he was)

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  19. It's still fun to watch, and no it isn't "telling" at all, the guy has no marks or anything on his face, a change of shirt does NOT prove anything, you're both idiots and clearly friends with that moronic owner.

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  20. Agreed, I can't believe people on here are actually dumb enough to believe this nonsense, they're probably the same people who believe all the stories from the National Enquirer.

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  21. I compared this to other episodes that I have seen so far and don't believe that Taffer could be as bad as the scathing accusations paint him as. The way the doc is trying to sue Taffer is similar to how Amy of ABC is
    now trying to whip up a lawsuit suddenly claiming that Ramsay "sexually
    harassed her" during the show. The chances of this lawsuit getting dismissed so far from the information given sounds like 70-75%. There's plenty to learn from this show and similar shows such as Restaurant Impossible, Hotel Impossible, and Kitchen Nightmares. While I don't think that any of these shows can solve long term problems plaguing the owners, what I like is the way the Taffer, Irvine, Ramsay, and Melchiorri follow the KISS Principle ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle ) in trying to bring the otherwise failing business back to life, something our politicians in DC could try doing for a change instead of passing bloated scams into law all the time.

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  22. As you like to say to others 'go f*uck yourself'. Stay a simpleton.

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  23. If you have even the most rudimentary knowledge of how television works, nothing in this should be a surprise. Maybe it's not "scripted," but producers definitely coach people how to act, they manipulate situations, etc. The "point" of the show isn't to help people out - it's to get ratings. That's television. There's no such thing as true "reality" TV.


    Now, whether or not the assault happened as described, that's another story. To me, it doesn't seem plausible, but I guess it'll be up for the jury to decide.

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  24. I absolutely love this show, and it doesn't surprise me a bit that certain parts may be scripted or embellished. It's a reality show! If there weren't some really crazy characters, it wouldn't be entertaining enough to watch!! Plus, if this guy's so offended that he is suing, why did he agree to continue with the show to begin with?

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  25. It really does help out struggling bars and their owners. I used to live in Vegas, and have been to a couple of the dives that they renovated (before they did the renovations). Believe me, the show does amazing work. It's just that there's the extra crap that makes it a top rated show.

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  26. While I have no doubt that like most, if not all, reality shows there are elements that are misleading and coached. And possibly flat out staged. A lot of what the show shows doesn't make complete sense if taken at face value.

    That being said, I don't believe the highly entertaining but clearly bullshit description of the violent confrontation between him and John. No way they had him flat out physically assault someone in a room full of people. Especially as pre-meditated as that implies for the exact reason it would be inciting a lawsuit, not to mention could get Taffer thrown in jail. And his face healed up nicely from having a glass "smashed in his face" no scars whatsoever apparently.

    And as the article said, why would he agree to re-film a second confrontation AND continue to do the show.

    As for the other parts. Again, I don't trust the show is giving us the full truth. But if the guy was full of shit on the confrontation, which he seems to clearly be, why would I believe ANYTHING the lawsuit is saying. He clearly lies so I have no reason to believe any of it.

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  27. You are very naive. The point of the show - the point of any show, is to get ratings. Drama gets you ratings. If you are going to be on a reality TV show, you should know damn well that will be used for ratings. Its part of the deal.

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  28. How likely is it that Wilkes' reputation as a chiropractor took a hit as a result of his disgusting comments - scripted or not? Either way, would you want chiropractic treatment by a guy who would make those remarks under ANY circumstances? He likely lost patients and the law suit is an attempt to salvage his reputation and recoup monetary losses from his clinics.

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  29. Dr. Wilkes was on TMZ last week. He said there is film of the whole thing. It'll be shown in court. We'll see if it's true, unless they settle out of court.

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  30. It's all about "entertainment". "Americans" are easily entertained once there's a particular niche met. In order to get certain programs on the air, on any network or channel, it has to get ratings. How they go about filming, editing and "coaching" goes to that end. Some people are easily entertained by slamming a show and its viewers, on someones blog, via the internet.

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  31. It is hard to believe any man who claims he suffers from migraines, nausea, vomiting, night terrors, crying spells, severe depression, and anxiety attacks from a little altercation. REALLY? That is classic lawsuit BS..

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  32. Oh, please. I do not trust a doctor from Vegas with heavily waxed brows. The guy got sucked into helping this girl own a bar because he wanted to get into her pants. Now he's trying to get paid out of Spike TV's deep pockets.

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  33. Yup. That completes the puzzle!

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  34. Rambling PsychopathApril 15, 2014 at 7:02 PM

    I like the show, am a Taffer fan. I like loud mouthed confrontational characters in my quasireality shows as long as they have a fair concept of what they are talking about. The man has started, flipped, or owned over 800 establishments in a career that spans over three decades. You learn a thing or two more than the average bar owner with a career like that. His science is just the things he has seen that work in the greater number of cases when he does them.

    That reality shows are not entirely showing reality is a given. We won't know what it is really like to be in front of a camera on a reality show until we are. Looking at the merits of the suit, the man is not stating anything we do not already know. Though the bars are really in trouble, if they are not wild enough on their own merits, the show will script wildness for them.

    The question raised is how much of that rescripting are you told about before you sign the contract? If it is less than full disclosure, is there an escape clause that does not force you to incur financial or legal penalties for backing out of the contract?

    Dr. Wilkes as an OB/GYN would suffer a loss of business if he has patients who watch the show and believe this man acts like this in the bar. If the man really is that much of a pig he might not want it shown on TV and blasted about in the media unless he was ready to retire as an OB/GYN.

    But whether he was a pig or not, whether he was compensated or not, this is about whether his act of media prostitution was entirely voluntary. The question is not really about the (staged) physical assault; an assault on the senses can be just as damaging.

    On paper Dr. Wilkes gave consent by signing the contract. The issue is how much of what followed did he consent to when he signed it. Was it made clear to him just how much of a pig he would be made to look like before he signed that contract?

    The studio has the unedited tapes, and it is on those tapes and the strength of the legal arguments that this will be decided. It is clear that he did not think over all the ramifications of consenting to be on a "reality" show before he signed the contact.

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  35. The lawsuit is not the best example of legal drafting I've ever seen. What I found most interesting were the plaintiff's lawyers. I would have expected an OB/GYN, out to save his reputation, to hire an experienced defamation lawyer, particularly given that the lawsuit is filed against deep pocketed defendants who not only are likely to benefit from broad, written releases he signed when agreeing to appear on the show, but are likely to be represented by teams of skilled defense lawyers. I note also that, for all of the claims about being misled by producers, there's no claim of fraud or defamation, and there is nothing in the complaint that petitions the court to set aside any release that might limit or waive defamation claims based on the content of the final broadcast.

    Instead, I find that the plaintiff is represented by two, apparently relatively new lawyers, Justin Nash (Southwestern Law class of 2013) and Deanna Diamond (Licensed in Illinois for two years). These appear to be the lawyers:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pub/justin-nash/31/57a/54
    http://www.lawyer.com/deanna-diamond.html

    Based on the information in on those linked sites and on the complaint, Justin Nash uses a Los Angeles residence as his address of record. A nice house, but not a law office. Deanna Nash uses Chicago's Wyndham Apartments as her address of record. Certainly, some apartment buildings have units that are used as or have been converted to offices, but that's not how Wyndham markets itself.

    Frankly, I want to see a "reality show" about this lawsuit. I want to know how Dr. Wilkes teamed up with these lawyers, and I want to see them prep to take on top tier defense firms. I want to see if the doctor's lawyers are up-and-coming hotshots, or if they're the law firm equivalent of Piratz Tavern.


    If you look at the complaint, most of the allegations about the show are not relevant to the actual causes of action described in the complaint. It seems possible that the primary purpose of the complaint and lawsuit is much less to recover damages for an alleged assault, and much more about trying to push into the public sphere the doctor's argument that he's not the creepy guy depicted on television and, as a consequence, don't necessarily want to see (or have your loved one see) as an OB/GYN.

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  36. Nobody made Dr. Wilkes act like, in your words, "a pig". He claims that was his way of hamming it up (pun intended) at the urging of the producers, in order to secure a spot for the bar on the show. He could have ignored the producers and hoped to get on the show without embarrassing himself, or could have decided it wasn't worth the price.

    I am not sure that Wilkes' version of events is well-supported by the video record, for reasons others have noted. It's not that there may not be an original confrontation scene, not aired, in which Wilkes has his shirt torn, is doused with drinks, dodges a tablet, and is hit by a cup and/or fist. It's that in his version of events he found a similar shirt, changed into it, and participated in a re-shoot of the confrontation scene, and in that scene made no claim that he was misled into believing that his behavior would not be aired, made no apologies, and manifested the same behavior he now claims was entirely an act.



    Whatever you make of the allegations about the original encounter versus the clip that was aired, the lawsuit is not centered on the release agreement, nor does it allege fraud or defamation. It is focused on an alleged assault and battery, and the alleged conspiracy that led up to it.

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  37. Thanks for further info on this. From the info you gave, all I can say is wow, just wow ! Newbie lawyers against professionals tells me that the doc must have done all this while completely drunk. I'm starting to figure out some more on why the doc lost his wife to divorce if the episode wasn't enough info.

    I feel sorry for Lisa, the co-owner, who had to put up with the consequences of the doc's craziness and now lame-arse attacking of Taffer. She's the only one who actually cared to get anything done right. Her weakness of micromanagement is what the doc wrongfully exploited as he dragged the bar down. Seeing that episode again, I'm betting that when Taffer walked out and threatened to leave, Lisa must have had tons of pleading to do just to get Taffer back. I'm guessing that Taffer rescued the bar for her more than the drunken doc.

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  38. "But, the show got popular because of those earlier episodes that weren't oozing with personal drama, so why change it?"

    That's the same question that can be asked of other shows similar to this one. I can't say for sure but I'm guessing that they do want to spice it all up with variety and then the fact that personal drama on the owner and/or management level more than anything else can be the main cause of a business downfall. I dunno for sure.

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  39. All reality shows are scripted to a point if you think there's any 100% real reality show you must not understand the role of a tv program is to make money reality doesn't sell drama does.

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  40. to the person keeping up this website, I commend you. You are doing great work. I especially like the way you go behind the scenes and expose incongruous elements of this show but do it in a way in which you let the audience draw their own conclusions. Both Fox News and MSNBC should take a cue from you with regard to reporting a story.

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  41. Wilkes was full of shit on the show, and he's full of shit in his lawsuit. There is no proof of what he claims. I hope Taffer countersues and owns his ass.

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  42. Hilarious that you're calling someone "ignorant" when you're actually dumb enough to believe this lying POS.

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  43. If anyone's a "simpleton" it's you motherf*ucker, go f*uck yourself, C U Next Tuesday.

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  44. Disappointed the show is going the same route as the hills and other scripted reality TV.

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  45. Poor blackheart, keep projecting your own ignorance. Calling you a simpleton is being generous! LOL!

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  46. Are you the product of inbreeding?

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  47. This show is totally scripted. They kick out the women out of bars that accept the show in order to make it look empty. The staff is told to cause issues. The bar staff we talked w in New Orleans told us they had no financial issues and that the show needed another bar to justify the costs of being there. 30 bars turned them down. I cannot believe that this show still making episodes. What a waste. Do not believe anything that you see on this show.

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  48. Not sure why you could not sign in to post that, whatever. Anyway...we actually went to TJ Quills and found one of the bartenders that was there during that time. He told us that they asked them to turn off all of the tvs. (They generally have ESPN on). They asked to have all of the women leave in order to make it look empty. The owner was not in danger of shutting down or short on money. He just wanted to score the free stuff. They were directed on what to say. When the guys in the kitchen are getting yelled at for being all hungover....it's because they were out with the producers all night drinking.

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  49. It's TV. Fake. All of it. People who take these shows literally are simple minded fools. Just like any "makeover" show the locations are scouted; the story line is contrived and the makeovers are "camera-ready" only (superficial, incomplete, and in many cases actually damaging) not to mention appearing on a show like this generally damages a businesses reputation and can often be the downfall of an actually successful business.

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  50. To the update i ask how can u see the if there is a pocket or not as i cant see that side of his shirt because of the lighting and it is possible that the Dr. is saying it's fake because he made himself look a ass and is getting called out on it and he wants to blame anyone other than himself

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  51. Since I have worked as a production assistant on two reality shows, which I will not name, I'd like to chime in and say that there is a difference between a "documentary" and a "reality show." Understand you're watching a reality show. Yes we often have to re-shoot scenes, for instance if people don't give the right reaction we need for the shot, or if something happens when the film crew isn't there then re-shoot the scene.


    Yes producers have an idea already of who they want the "characters" to be and what they want the storyline to be. All shows have a format, the only way to shoot to a specific format is to have characters and storylines. Period. Yes when people don't give the results we want, they are coached. For example, every storyline has an antagonist and a protagonist. We try to fit people into certain roles and if they don't fit neatly, we assign them a role.


    Yes, we say "we need you to be the antagonist here" and we let them know how we need them to behave in order to follow the storyline or get the shot we need. Reality shows are "loosely based on real events" so always keep that in mind. It's not a documentary. And while they're not usually scripted, we let them know what sort of reaction we need for the shot. If you think you can just sit around shooting hours and hours of film and observing people and have an actual 45 minute show that's entertaining and has a storyline, you're sorely mistaken. People's lives just aren't that exciting or interesting, sorry.

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  52. This guy is a creep!! He's completely full of crap and is upset because he was exposed as the total dirt bag that he is!.......have you seen his infomercial?

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  53. Daniel Bryant sucks.

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  54. I have a friend that worked on the show. He said the show is real, and he is probably one of the most honest guys I know. He did say that a lot of the show is edited by producers for dramatic effect. But when you're squeezing a 5 day period in 45 minutes, you have to make it more exciting in order to have people watch.

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  55. I use to looove this show, but that was back in the first season. This is one of those reality shows that could actually make it without being fake. Now, it's just ridiculous. More bar science and less lame dramatics.

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  56. It would still be interesting! Keep showing the science on why new things work. The majority of the people who watch this show don't watch for the theatrics… no matter how outlandish the drama may be- its not interesting if its fake!

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  57. I think this doctors night terrors headaches etc etc are BULL. I've been blown up, shot at, hit in the head so hard things go fuzzy and dark till you semi regain consciousness and can get up again. Been through a 100mph car crash cuz of some idiot.... I have headaches because of the crash not being blown up or hit in the head quite a bit... A drink thrown in your face will not emotionally scar you it's a drink get over it.

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  58. "Hey whoever can screw up your business the most, gets Selected!"

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  59. Agree 100%. Totally irrelevant and frankly boring and an absolute waste of time.

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  60. The hair salon I work at was on a similar show; and I agree with everything posted here. We weren't allowed to clean for a week leading up to taping. We were closed during taping and the situations were extremely controlled. We were made to look like fools. Nobody got paid during the week of taping including the owner, who also had to shell out nearly 20k to repair damages done by the so-called renovation. We did very well before the show aired and been a laughing stock on the verge of closing ever since

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  61. Hannah, while it's great that you're being honest about the "reality" of reality shows, I'm sure you can understand how deceptive and underhanded a practice it is. The average television viewer doesn't know that the term "reality show" automatically implies a level of unreality, staged scenes, staged reactions, etc. Television companies intentionally market these shows as "reality," because they want people to believe that they're real - and they do.
    I've seen a show advertise itself recently (I think it was Duck Dynasty, or one of the tow-truck shows) as being the "#1 unscripted show on television." It's a show that's clearly fabricated, and set-up, and scripted in terms of its scenes being dictated by the people behind the cameras. And that's what sells. Any Facebook page for a successful reality television show is absolutely jam-packed with devoted fans cursing out those who suggest its artifice - the same people who sit with their children and watch the show each night, fully believing that what they're seeing is an authentically documented experience.
    I think there's the perception - as you shared - amongst television producers that people would be bored with a true documentary show, and therefore they need to inject all kinds of outlandish mishaps, conflict, and drama. While it catches a great deal of people up-front - usually the people who don't understand the show is fake - in time, the veneer begins to wear thin. It becomes painfully obvious (as you can see in the comments reacting to this show) that the entire thing is a farce, and that really eliminates the integrity and enjoyment of the show, for the majority of the viewers.
    I truly, truly believe that viewers will watch, and respect, and enjoy, shows that are true, unaltered documentaries. While secretly staged reality dramas may have been a novelty and attraction in the past, every single channel has gone that route, creating content that professes to be legitimate, and clearly it is not. I think there's a huge, dedicated viewership out there that would appreciate and follow shows that present life and situations as they truly are. There are a lot of people out there who are attracted to the idea of learning something when they watch television. There are people who would like to truly, vicariously experience the work and profession of another human being, by watching a document of their experiences. "Deadliest Catch," for example, is an amazing, incredible show - and one one of my favorites. While it's unusual in that the cameras are documenting an unusually dangerous and exciting occupation, the dedicated filming of any job - in my eyes - would be truly interesting to watch, regularly. As an antithesis, you have shows like "Goldrush Alaska," which are built on the premise that they're showing true and authentic mining experiences; but it's been publicly revealed lately that many, many of their dramas and situations are staged and fabricated by producers. I've seen it said that the reason they falsify certain things, is because they sometimes miss the filming of an actual event that would've been exciting for the viewership to see (a young girl on a campsite begins having a seizure, cameras aren't present, so they later film another child pretending to have a seizure). I understand the logic, as a producer, wanting to create and market a product that's as exciting as possible - but there are subtleties of truth and genuineness, if followed and respected, that can take many shows, and productions, a lot farther than they're going right now (in my opinion).

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  62. Where do you think the MONEY comes from to pay for all the RENO's... Advertisers ! And they want to advertise on top shows !

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  63. This show is ridiculous. When they "rescued" Headhunter's in Austin and renamed it Metal and Lace (which sounds like a badly named gay bar), it pretty much just got laughed at. Incidentally, the place just closed.

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  64. sent John Taffer to Wichita Ks. some bars on south Broadway, Whould make him go running with his pants down around his ankles.

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  65. Well I'm not sure I'd call it "deceptive" or "underhanded," it's just the nature of the business and comes with the territory. "Unscripted" doesn't mean that producers aren't setting up scenes. It just means that the reality participants are not following a script. But there is a lot of set up involved, otherwise it would be called a documentary. Producers have a format that they follow. There has to be a storyline. For example for Bar Rescue, the format is basically, a Bar is a hot mess, Jon comes in and goes in hard on the owners and staff and then all is well. How else do you think they could keep the same format from episode to episode. They specifically look for hot mess people who they think will be dramatic because it fits their format. Kitchen Nightmares, same thing. They're not out to help deserving bar owners. They're out to shoot an entertaining show loosely based on real events.

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  66. Would you like to buy some Florida real estate? A bridge in Brooklyn, perhaps?

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  67. The WWE scene you are describing sounds like something out of Idiocracy. The movie was wrong on only one thing. That is not America's future. It's America's present.

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  68. If anything is fake, I hope it's all of the nasty kitchens and nasty, unsanitary "chefs". This show has made me swear off bar food.

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  69. Breaking News On the Sand Dollar/Bar 702 tonight: Check it out tonight.. As we give updates all day tonight with chef Duffy at 8pn est..

    http://backsportspage.com/index.php/sports/item/real-sports-talk-radio-rescue-edition-2

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  70. He helps bar owners but to what degree and at what price. I wouldn't have Jon Taffer around any of my family.

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  71. Dumb dummies, reality tv is olny as real as hollywood lets it to be. Taffy and his crew chew up "struggling" bars and poh out $&%**# goodness they claim is a viable bar stupid dummies.

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  72. Vaginas taste like penis

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  73. u notice he never goes into a black bar? Ive never seen it, cuz he'd get f-ing shot, and would deserve it, a whore for spike, when u get loud in the face of someone and yell, treat them like crap, its verbal assault, at minimum domestic violence, and the law provides you with the ability to beat his ass because hes provoking you, and it is your place of business. when you assault someone well you get what you deserve, i hope this idiotic show with its retard watchers jump off a cliff, we don't need your narcissism and idiocy polluting our gene pool.

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  74. Drama can be achieved without screaming & getting in someone's face. That's just a lazy, classless way to get drama. It can be done with class & respect, which is much more enjoyable to watch imo.

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  75. Biff SchmuckatelliJune 17, 2014 at 4:55 PM

    not true, he went to two black bars - Webbers and Aura. Both now are closed. Blowhards like Taffer are only brave when surrounded by security. That's why he hasn't been attacked by anyone regardless of race. He probably has police on hand as well.

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  76. I think these owners should stop looking for poor me handouts and get theyre balls untucked

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  77. Some of us really do care about,and resent,its being scripted.

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  78. You're a dumbass. He has went to black bars. I'm sure you watch the show or else you wouldn't be on here so does that make you a retard? Go jump off a cliff.

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  79. Let the doctor sue as I'm sure nobody prodded him to make aggressive remarks ..
    What a great count down last night .... Which show was "I'm all in" I remember him but can't remember the episode ..
    Keep the shows coming!!
    By far the best show on TV .. Was deadliest catch , Alaskan bush people is pretty cool but bar rescue is the best .
    Can't picture anybody else doing it .. Gerardo Riveiera tried something years ago but bombed .
    Thanks Jon Taffer You da man!

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  80. Your understanding of the law is frighteningly ignorant, and will likely get you arrested or worse. Here's some helpful advice that might keep you out of jail: it is not legal to hit someone just because they yell at you.

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  81. So why were they on the show if they were doing very well?

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  82. In most any coherent moral system, the initiator of conflict bears the responsibility for the outcome of that conflict.

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  83. I agree. Dr.Isaac is perverted and sexist.

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  84. What? Reality shows are not reality? What next, the government is not really here to help you?!

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  85. I absolutely believe this. It seems like all the bar owners he "helps" end up quickly resigning their own names and ideals once he leaves. It's obvious the guy is a total blowhard and could care less about the people behind these joints. And as far as the story stating that the production company had the bars vie for the role with outrageous antics. I think that's so painfully obvious that anyone who would argue that point must be a tad slow. There was an episode with a barbeque "rehab" where in the SAME night, people rode a motorcycle and a horse into said bar. People are willing to do whatever they are told if it means saving their business.

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  86. doc's a wimp looking for a payday. suck it up pal...you signed on for it. loser b4 and loser after.

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  87. I love how you bash WWE yet you probably watch all of the Transformers movies, thinking it's SO much different in its idiocy.

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  88. thefuturemrsbigfootJuly 18, 2014 at 1:05 PM

    Very interesting! Thank you for pointing out the discrepancy in the shirt pockets. I have wondered about the 'hidden surveillance camera that they say they install secretly for a week. The shots these cameras get seem improbable. Closeups of chefs cooking, clear auditory on people talking across the room from the supposedly 'secret' cameras. The same cameras seem to move and zoom in, to boot. And who is secretly filming the experts? Some guy across the bar with a hidden hat camera? The one that really got me was the footage of the expert vomiting in the bathroom stall. How would they ever get that footage? No way they'd ever be allowed to (or want to) install surveillance cameras in a bathroom stall.

    Ironically I still love watching the show, it is educational if nothing else.

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  89. All yall talking real stupid!! This show da shit

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  90. ImGonnaFuckRabbitUpJuly 27, 2014 at 9:28 PM

    Jon should have never rescued that dumb ass bar

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  91. Its reality tv, THEY'RE ALL FAKE PEOPLE!!!!! Everyone knows that, drama sells because the human race is socially and morally retarded...

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  92. I have to say, I would not want to go to an OB/GYN that acted that creepy and make such creepy comments about women. The thought makes my skin crawl.

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  93. the hookah place also.

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  94. Wow, I checked out early on. This article is tedious. Why should I care? Of course it's fake. The super hot girl showing her tits at the BYOB bar in Kentucky? Fake. She'd be out of town on the first thing smokin'. None of the bars which are also restaurants have dishwashers? Fake.

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  95. I saw the whole thing happen just the way the dr. Said......

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  96. Then you're an idiot. It's a tv show targeting a mass audience. There is going to be some scripting. Don't like it don't watch It.

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  98. Have u seen the show... do u think jerry springer is legit?

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  99. The bars aren't real, silly

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  100. Less script than u think. Dj blue Steele still lives w mom! And his 2 girls teased 24/7. And he was really fired 2 months prior

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  101. You are a moron with loose mouth and no clue like most people in America what do you do to actually change that or just bad mouth shit idioit . Make change or shut up .

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  102. This show is 100% cosmetic they just got done renovating and shooting @ the Dirty Rooster in Antioch Illinois.... didnt even touch the bathrooms.... absolutely disgusting .... wires hanging everywhere in the main area and the staff is just horrible

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  103. yeah, every show like this is "fake". they're real shows with real people, but scripted. i didn't care much about the scripting in the beginning because people were getting helped. but, like every other reality show, it's gotten worse.


    these shows are on tv to lessen our morality. they push the limits so we'll follow, so it'll become the norm. it's worked. foul language wasn't allowed. now it's in every show, especially animated tv. there's ass on for viewing on naked & afraid & naked dating. i won't be surprised if/when they drop the blurring of the "other parts".


    it's "our" fault. if people don't watch crap shows, they won't exist. it's called supply and demand. if "we" demand better, "they" will have no choice but to provide.

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  104. I'm interested that in this reply you stated "you are a moron with loose mouth and no clue like most people in
    America. " are you not from America? And if not, why are you even getting involved in this conversation? Lol

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  105. Odds improve greatly on the informative bit in the earlier episodes, or so I heard

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  106. I think it went like he said it did. I mean its easy to film different scenes of the same scene and edit them together to make it look uninterrupted. But the article makes one good point to the contrary to the docs complaint which is why would you keep filming if all this drama went down?

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  107. Just went to a filming of one. Didn't look fake to me.

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  108. It's a television show, what do you people expect? Get real.

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  109. I can't speak for all of the bars being "rescued" but I know at least one of them is real. I live less than a mile away a bar that was featured a couple of seasons ago. But I don't believe for one minute this "Reality" show isn't 100% coached and scripted. The only real reality show is Duck Dynasty. Heck, even COPS is at least partially scripted and Hollywoodized. I've caught them staging and re-shooting scenes many times. Whoever their TA is sucks.

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  110. Of course two versions of the same scene were shot. The one with the violence was shot first and then the show somehow convinced the Dr. to shoot the scene again but without the physical altercation and the drink throwing. So, the Dr. changed his shirt and then a much tamer scene was shot.

    So much for "not being scripted", Jon.

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  111. Usually, there are three versions to every story and the third one is typically closest to the truth. In this case, you have the Dr.'s version, the show's version and the truth (the third version) being somewhere in the middle. As I commented earlier, I believe two scenes were shot. One with a physical altercation (Dr.'s version) and one without (show's version). I doubt the physical altercation was as severe as the Dr. would have us believe just as I doubt the scene was as tame as the show would have us believe. But the scene was definitely shot at least twice.

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  112. Then how do you explain the change in shirts?

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  113. @Rabbit, yah well, welcome to the shitty world of reality TV. I would watch this over that lame ass shit on MTV and VH1 and every other crap Reality TV out there.

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  114. Everyone here is not too bright. Why do you keep bashing on Americans? We are Americans lol we make up America. So you're just bashing on yourselves.

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  115. This website is a fake

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  116. sad to put all this money into remodeling these dives for them to just go out of business and at whos cost??? the cost is on our cable or sat bills!!! these networks spend big $$$ then sell the stations to resellers like the cable companies for so many dollars per month per subscriber. come on stop wasting $$ and lets lower our rates and get the economy back on track. our eco is so screwed up because of every company nickel and dimen us to death! thankyou spike tv for anouther failed attemp!

    p.s.
    Do a show on the life of a cable installer! wont cost the show bunches of $$ and 100% real and the lifestyle would amaze you!

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  117. actually even better do a show about a cable tv auditor , the things people say when they get caught theifing cable service lmao , now that would be a true no scripted form of entertainment!

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    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  120. Yeah, Taffer used to focus more on "bar science" and the show was somewhat educational. Now, it's getting to be a bit too much drama. I mean, it's "reality TV" which we know has producers who stir things up and create said "reality," but the show is starting to wear on me. And I say this as a big fan of Jon, his book, and his philosophy.

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  121. if u stupid amerikan's think this show is real you are moron's!! would this phony loud mouth phony rescue bars that barley make it and can't pay their bill's let alone this phony fag-mouth, keep dreaming

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  122. Best example of this is wife swap IMHO

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    ReplyDelete
  124. I have viewed this frame by frame. Prior to the Dr rolling up Taffer's wife sleeve.... While behind Taffer's wife, the Dr. is leaning over to talk to his co-owner. There is a pocket on his right side but you can't see his left side to verify two pockets present. But as the Dr. bends Taffer's wife's arm, the pocket on his right side does not exist. Then FF when Taffer confronts the Dr. and the pocket returns. So that being said, if it really was "staged" then I think it would be safe to say the Dr was aware from the beginning and was willing to "re-shoot" parts of the scene. On top of all that.... where is the cut from cup thrown in his face?

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    ReplyDelete
  126. There was another episode I watched where a bar had Taffer observing at the beginning of the show and a horse went in. Taffer claims the horse pooped in the piece I guess to make a big promo line when you can see that the horse simply tracked something in. Anyone who has been around a horse pooping knows how much comes out and of course where it comes from. If he is willing to lie about something so clearly in the video, he is willing to lie about anything.

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  127. Shocked_and_Amazed8591April 6, 2015 at 9:01 PM

    Doesn't understand English does he. Could just be that he's uneducated

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  128. Shocked_and_Amazed8591April 6, 2015 at 9:09 PM

    How do you explain matching shirts with pockets on different sides? A bar fight? Not buying it. Scripted...why yes

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  129. Shocked_and_Amazed8591April 6, 2015 at 9:31 PM

    Just what I was thinking

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  130. Shocked_and_Amazed8591April 6, 2015 at 9:38 PM

    Looks like he shopped until he found lawyers who would take the case for a percentage which means, based on the lawyers history, the case sucks

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  131. Here's the actual court papers filled by the doc's attorney. http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Bar-Rescue-assult-lawsuit-WM__140407223510.pdf

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  132. It's tv and when they decide on a bar to rescue of course they have ton have a plan and story line. They're spending a lot of time and money they have to be sure they're able to make a compelling tv show or no one would Watch. Every show that's this style has slick editing. You would be bored out of your mind if you looked at the dozens of hours of raw footage. They have to edit into a compelling store. At it's essence the show takes failing bars and rescues them and shoes them what they need to do to succeed.

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  133. Club 72 lost their suit .. It is funny that they lost and Bar Rescue won....

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  134. Recording video and 3rd party video surveillance in a private establishment in itself is illegal without the consent of the bar owners beforehand, this belief that Jon 'secretly' attaches video at what happens to be these ideal locations to capture necessary video footage is a crock in itself. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of the things that occur are hyped up for television. I mean the fact that some bartenders claim to be novices and just 'magically' end up becoming professional drink producers in a matter of days is a little far fetched in itself. I wouldn't be surprised if the producers probably tell them, "Make a bad pizza, turn off these old beer taps to make warm beer, lets plant a bunch of dough in this room to give reasoning for the bad taste of pizza being served, instead of cheese on the sauce, put sauce on the cheese, lets send a motorcycle and a horse in there to make the bar even more toxic and out of control and have the bar owners cheer and make a scene." I mean a lot of these bars would be shut down by state Health departments simply as a result of investigating customer complaints and condemned LONG before Jon even got a chance to rescue them. I find it a little odd that all of these bars just 'happen' to go months on end with so many health violations and yet not one customer brings these violations to the attention of an inspector? They probably pick an area of the kitchen, plant some old grease they transport from out back, just to criticize it on camera later. The bars might be bad in some cases, like fruit flies or bugs - but I wouldn't doubt if a bar needed rescuing simply because of training, dated POS systems and such, that would leave quite a gap of time needed to drag out an episode - hence the need for additional 'drama'.

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  135. Very bad acting when Jon tells his wife "Nicole lets go!" And telling the doctor he may not rescue his bar. Fake anger for sure.

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  136. all these shows are staged; they count on audience being naive of "cameras" and "lighting" and "staged". Still maybe so but it beats the garbage on the 3 old tired networks, who btw need to hear the 90's calling & drop the same-old canned junk already.

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  137. The bottom line is that people asked for help. They benefitted from being on the show with advertisement for their bar, some upgrades to their establishment and some recommended tools to help them be successful. Yes, this reality TV and it is about ratings because people aren't satisfied with feel good shows unless it is for children. So, things don't work out and some go back to their old ways that were contributing to the failure of their business in the first place. Take ownership and responsibility for your own actions. Use the tools that work and improvise to adjust what works, but going back to failure will only produce failure. Blaming others for your failure is irresponsible and a cop out. Embrace the positive and move on or fall by the wayside. We need to teach our young to succeed and not to blame everyone else when we choose not to step up to the plate.

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  138. these stupid "lawsuits" are out of control when it comes down to it no one forced him to act outlandishly its his fault thats like trying to sue a spoon becuase it made you fat

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  139. Watch unreal if you think this is real TV. REALITY MEANING REAL PEOPLE NOT ACTORS. Reality TV does not mean that it is not scripted.

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  140. What a moron. What a moron. The whole point of the show is to get to you watch it, not to help people. Bet you still believe in the easter bunny, santa clause!

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