Lost in Paradise: Paradise Hotel and the Showcase of Shamelessness

This article examines the Norwegian and Danish versions of the reality television series Paradise Hotel. The reality show emulates what postmodern consumer society wants us to believe in: a kind of “second transgression” for the human being, in which she is both free and without anxiety. The guests (predominantly male in line with prevailing gender norms) at Paradise Hotel may qualify as shameless—after spells of physical and psychological revelations in front of the camera with no visible regrets—still, the price is perhaps the loss rather than the gain of freedom. The medialized shameless self demands the subordination to narrow bodily and emotional standards during filming, which postpones most of the guests’ shame and regrets until after the cameras are turned off. This particular Fall may have unwanted personal consequences that lead to a spiral ascent crueler than Adam and Eve ever underwent.