Reality TV is now our Reality. Pratt is Back.

There is a lot going on locally - and indeed, on our very own desk. But, we're kind of distracted by the fact that Spencer Pratt could quite possibly become the Mayor of Los Angeles.

We feel weirdly proud, flabbergasted, horrified and amused all at the same time.

Not because of his policies. But because, those of us who enjoyed the guilty pleasure of reality telly trash back in the day (we frame this as watching the first emergence of unscripted formats) know exactly who Spencer Pratt is.

He's Heidi's boyfriend.

Spencer Pratt is one of the OG cast members of one of the first reality shows - The Hills (and its predecessor, closely linked, Laguna Beach).  

The shows we used to watch and say “So, wait - is this real? Or not? What’s happening?” 

Spencer was the guy you loved to hate (hated to love) who left us with our mouths open in shock at his behaviour sometimes. His own sister didn’t even like him it seemed. But Heidi did. Heidi and Spencer become Speidi, to fans. 

The show, as silly as it may have been, did break new ground when it came to broadcast. It introduced a form of structured reality. The people were real, relationships were real-ish, storylines appeared real too - yet everything was filmed with the polish and narrative structure of a drama. We weren’t that used to it at the time. So it was pretty interesting watching seemingly real life played out by people in story arcs that unfolded over seasons. The cast appeared to be living their normal lives, just apparently, never acknowledging the cameras following their every move. Fascinating stuff. 

We lounged around watching Spencer and his pals for hours. Working in television at the time we were able to hide behind the interest of watching a pioneering format come to life. But really, it was what the kids now call bed rotting. 

The series eventually ended, but thanks to the rise of social media that followed, we've (somewhat embarrassingly) kept one eye on Spencer and Heidi's lives for the past twenty years - staying with the storyline long to some extent, long after the cameras stopped rolling.

It's been quite the ride. We haven’t paid too close attention but I’ve been drawn in at curious moments - millions of dollars spent on crystals for some reason, Heidi’s pursuit of pop stardom, cosmetic surgery, an unexpected obsession with hummingbirds.

Then came the LA fires.

Heidi and Spencer lost everything.

Spencer was outspoken, angry, emotional and very vocal about what had happened. Rightly so. And things took a turn. 

A year later he announced his intent to run for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Of course, a reality television star running America's second-largest city would sound more outlandish if a reality television star wasn't already running the entire country.

Wild.

Spencer has the President's endorsement. And you can’t help but see some links there in terms of celebrity, glamour, entertainment and aspiration.

“You represent what LA was at its peak. Let’s bring it back Pratt!” says a supporter on socials. A lot of his campaigning suggests indeed, that our old friend Spencer could restore the city to what it once was, - that he could even make it great again. 

At the time of writing, Spencer hasn't won anything yet, and perhaps he won't. He's facing serious competition from Nithya Raman, running a more traditional campaign to reach a run off with current Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. 

But will a traditional campaign cut through or is it - Boring? Really?

After all, Spencer has voters posting pics of stickers on their boobs saying they “Voted for Pratt”, an AI video content creator pumping out videos portraying him as a superhero, Caitlyn Jenner's son Brodie, a DJ and telly star himself, flying in to show support, the glamorous Heidi Montag on his arm and to the point taglines like “Vote Pratt if you're tired of human poop on the streets”. 

So, as a result - Spencer Pratt might just become the Mayor of America's second-largest city.

The lines between politics, profile, culture and content begin to blur in such a way we could never have predicted. We were there on the couch to see it. Back then, watching Spencer on the TV, we wondered whether what we were watching was real. Now we watch real life and think the same.  Turns out - our reality TV is now our reality.

What a ride.