Reality TV Meets Environmental Realities: Plastic Pollution in 7 vs. Wild

Abstract

Since the 1990s, reality TV has grown from a niche genre to a major form of entertainment with global influence. Programs such as Big Brother, The Bachelor, and I’m a Celebrity! Get Me Out of Here! as well as emerging formats on platforms such as YouTube have captivated audiences worldwide and act as a mirror reflecting contemporary cultural norms and societal trends. In today’s media environment, where environmental issues are increasingly in the spotlight, reality television has emerged as a platform for addressing present concerns. The German YouTube series 7 vs. Wild, created by Fritz Meinecke and produced by Johannes Hovekamp and Maximilian Kovacs, exemplifies this by combining survival challenges with real-world environmental issues such as plastic pollution and illegal shark finning. Featuring seven known personalities from Germany and Austria, the show engages participants in a week-long survival challenge. Through their experiences with plastic waste and the island’s environmental degradation, 7 vs. Wild not only entertains, but also sparks critical discussions about the impact of plastic waste and human activity on the environment. This article examines how the second season of 7 vs. Wild, aired in late 2022, reveals both visible and hidden environmental issues, situating the series within a broader socioeconomic and postcolonial framework. By employing theoretical perspectives from the environmental humanities, media studies, and cultural studies, the article explores how the series implicitly engages with environmental degradation and postcolonial themes, and its potential influence on viewers’ perceptions.