Inspired by a similar gambit on early 2000s Judge Judy and an interest in presenting fiction as fact, Rogers and Broadhurst ambitiously engaged the Judge, Jury and Executioner of Channel 10 to resolve a fabricated feud, subvert reality TV and ‘win’ the hearts and minds of the Australian public. In hindsight, there is no way to beat the content machine that is reality Television; the capital ’T’ in television consistently dwarfs the small, translucent ‘r’ of reality.
Devilish producers create conflict and in the editing room participants become unwitting actors whose agency, quotes and expressions are re-purposed for fabricated story lines. Confused and naive about the actuality of reality TV and bullied by the show’s producers, Rogers and Broadhurst prepared for their moment in the spotlight in exclusively useless ways as their paranoia of being caught out with a fake story on national television took over any logical plan making. In an era of Fake News and ethically dubious entertainment, our stars attempted a DIY espionage which culminated in a dreamy, delirious televised court case presided over by a Demon of Australian media.
The intense and enduring paranoia building up to this event quickly gave way to the guilt of shaking hands with the devil and the disappointing realisation that a reality TV appearance is not life changing.
Tom Rogers is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist currently living and working on Noongar Boodja, (Perth/WA). Rogers’ uses drawing, video and sculpture to explore their personal relationships with nature, intuition, Australiana, magick, remix culture and the divine/surreal in everyday life.
Ellen Broadhurst is a multi-disciplinary artist working in sculpture and experimental film. In 2015 Broadhurst co-established HotSoup, a soup kitchen and exhibition space for emerging artists. Interested in fiction presented as reality, Broadhurst has appeared in character in the magazine Take 5 and the reality TV show Trial By Kyle. Broadhurst has exhibited at Fremantle Arts Centre, Sculpture by the Sea, Geraldton Regional Art Gallery and Pig Melon.