Fear Factor

Fear Factor is a popular game show under the genre of Reality TV which requires ordinary civilians to overcome their fears through challenges involving various stunts and dares. The concept was originally taken from a Dutch television show called Now or Neverland and reintroduced in America in 2001 as Fear Factor. Contestants compete against each other in the series of stunts taking the consideration on the basis of time and endurance. The worst contestant is eliminated and the last person standing is awarded a grand cash prize of a 50,000 US$. The show is hosted by comedian Joe Rogan.

In the first five seasons, three men and three women were chosen as contestants and pitted against each other. At times changes were introduced whereby four teams of two people each were taken as contestants. The team members were often noted to be related to each other in one way or more.”

The normal format involves the contestants who are to complete three professional stunts with an aim of testing the very grit within them in the fastest time possible to the win cash prize. If the test cannot be completed which commonly occurs from rejection due to fear or failure in completion of the task; or if the person comes up last in the time taken for completion, the contestant is eliminated.

The surviving contestants face each other in the final and most difficult task and the winner is selected upon completion or by best time it is completed in and is crowned with the cash prizes. However there are clauses in the trials which are shown from time to time. For instance if only one contestant/team is successful at the first or the second dare against the failure of the others, he automatically wins $25,000. There are no eliminations in this case and the rest of the contestants move on to the next round to compete for the remaining prize.

However if no-one successfully completes the first or the second stunt, the cash prize is reduced to $25000. Lastly if the final stunt cannot be completed, both the contestants are eliminated and the cash prize is considered unclaimed in an episode. This has happened only once in the entire history of the show.

Challenges

First Dare: The first challenge is designed to test the physical endurance and aptitude of each contestant. It generally involves jumping off buildings, hanging forth ropes and swinging over long ranges, or capturing as many flags as possible while facing an adverse situation.

Second Dare: The second challenge often tests the mental endurance of contestants and usually involves an act with intimidating animals or insects. This is the only area where contestants are not eliminated even if they fail to complete it. Some tasks require ingestion of insects whereas others may ask the contestant to be locked in a cage covered with reptiles or arachnids.

Third stunt: The third and final challenge is usually an extreme stunt usually based on something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. It is the most challenging situation of all which demands the complete grip and grit of the contestant. Upon a successful completion the winner is awarded the fifty thousand dollars with the ending catch phrase from the host “evidently fear is not a factor for you”.

The various seasons of fear factor were broadcasted under advisory warnings, and often included special episodes with mostly involved curious themes for the dares or celebrities as contestants. It is also noticed that the show has not only received international fame and audience recognition, but spawned many individual shows following the same format in various countries.