The Good, the Baddies, and the Ugly
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How does the episode define the spectrum of reality TV and where do shows like Baddies fit?
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Reality TV is a spectrum. On one end, you have gentle competitions like the Great British Bake Off. Jamaican breakfast? Yes. I like it. In the middle you have drama and high stakes highlighted in mainstream stalwarts like The Bachelor and selling sunset. You sound
actually ridiculous. And I know it is.
Because you don't want to admit that you were wrong. And on the other end of the spectrum. You have the chaos on Zeus Network.
Welcome to Daddy!
Zeus Network was founded in 2018 by television producer Lemuel Plummer, who serves as CEO alongside digital creators Destorm Power, Amanda Cerny, and Andrew Bachelor. For only $6, you can get access to shows like Jocelyn's Cabaret. I Love You Bobby Perr, featuring the late great influencer Rolling Ray.
I came here to have a conversation.
And we have no one. Welcome to Zeus Network. And La Pice des Resistance, the Baddies franchise.
Baddies, where you went? Where are you?
The idea for Baddies began as a reunion special for cast members of the reality show Bad Girls Club from the mid-odds, but soon expanded into a multiverse of content. Baddies East, Baddies West, Baddies Midwest, even Baddies Caribbean, also Baddy's Africa. The premise is that these young women, and sometimes young men, travel the country doing club promotion gigs or just living together in a house barely big enough to fit all these personalities. But the real draw of the shows
What is the history and business model behind Zeus Network and the Baddies franchise?
the fights. At any point and sometimes for no reason The show can go from two people having a conversation to an all out. Unedited brawl.
Hey, let her go. Hey, let her go.
Zeus is a subscription network, so their streaming numbers aren't public, but just to give you a sense of how many people are watching, here's what we can say. The official YouTube channel for Zeus Network has 1.21 million subscribers. Super trailers for its series like Baddies West and Baddie's South consistently hit 1 million to 5 million views directly on the channel, sometimes even more. The company has also said that between its cast members, influencers, and content creators, they are reaching a global audience of over 100 million people. Zeus Network co-founder Lemuel Plummer says that these shows give participants a platform to share their talent, and viewers a Quote, raw, real, authentic look at life.
But as you watch more and more of the shows, the baddies house starts to look less like a paradise and more like a pressure cooker. So I'm curious, is this just TV for a new generation or are we crossing a line? To find out, I'm here with Dr. Donitra C. Allison, professor and chair of Africana Studies at Stockton University. Welcome to the show. Show Dr. Allison. Thank you so much for having me. Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident.
And a reminder, if you love It's Been a Minute, which from the sweet comments y'all have been leaving, it sounds like maybe you do. Be sure to follow or subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. That way you get new episodes the moment they drop. I want to get a lay of the land. Talk to me about how we got here. What shows have normalized a type of chaos that led us to what we're watching now, you know, via companies like Zeus Network?
Yeah, I mean, first of all, reality television, you know, started as hitting camera shows, right? So that's one thing. But then You know, when you fast forward to the nineties and we get to the real world.
True story. Seven strangers picked to live in a loft
and have their lives taped. To find out what happens.
What?
When people stop being polite. Could you get the phone?
And start getting real. The real world.
I think that's what really started this whole idea of people living together in a house and let's see what happens. So that really opened the door essentially for
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
How does the episode define the spectrum of reality TV and where do shows like Baddies fit?
0:00–1:47
2
What is the history and business model behind Zeus Network and the Baddies franchise?
1:47–5:12
3
Why do viewers find the fights and chaos on Baddies entertaining, and what draws them in?
5:12–9:22
4
How do these shows reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black women and what is the ‘Sapphire’ trope?
9:22–15:31
5
What are the labor and financial realities for participants on Zeus Network shows?
15:31–20:40
6
Is exposure on reality TV a sustainable path to broader career success for cast members?
20:40–25:49
7
What is the catch‑22 between authenticity, exploitation, and the promise of fame?
25:49–27:53