Little People Big World is often considered one of the most charming reality shows on TV. Despite a failed relationship between Matt and Amy, viewers still tune in week after week to catch up with the rest of family… minus Jacob.
Back in 2014, Jacob began rebelling against, well, everything including LPBW. He took to social media to voice his frustrations about his family’s religion and openly discussed drug use. This caused major waves given the Roloff’s conservative background.
His rant continued into 2015 when he claimed he was “f**ked”out of money and warned other TLC stars about the dangers of filming a reality TV show.
In his newest social media post, Jacob is breaking down the 4th wall of Little People Big World. He shared this behind-the-scenes photo of his siblings during filming.
“The family that is filmed is not my family,” Jacob explained. “They are the Roloff Characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them.”
He goes on to provide a lengthy explanation to his fans why he’s done with TV for good.
I get comments on here all the time about how people ‘miss me on the show’ or telling me I should ‘do a few more episodes’ with the family; I’m posting this to say that that will never happen. For the sake of ‘the episode’ and ratings I’ve seen a lot of STORYLINES drawn up (loosely) about our lives, and when I was standing here, behind the scenes and watching it from an outside perspective I just couldn’t stop laughing. Laughing at how hard the producers have to try to get us to follow the talking points, and at how ridiculous the talking points are.
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To misquote Chomsky, “the primary objective of any system is to preserve the integrity of that system”, meaning, the primary objective I have felt and observed over the years of the ‘crew’ is to preserve their job and preserve the ratings, which is up to you to be right or wrong. That’s not to say they are all soulless corporate shills or something, there are and have been good people involved but that doesn’t negate the fact that they do have their own personal agenda. For me, noticing how the agenda of the crew doesn’t work well with the health & happiness of our family is what made me decide quite a while ago that I would not be a part of it as soon as I was able.
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All in all I appreciate people wanting me to ‘be with the family’ for a few more episodes, but the family that is filmed is not my family. They are the Roloff Characters and I have scarcely anything in common with them, nor do I want to be a character myself. As soon as the cameras drop however, its almost like they never played the part. 20 minutes after this picture was taken we all, plus friends, had a campfire late into the night. So, I am with my family and I love them I’m just here to say you’ll never see that from me on TV again.
(This picture is from a few months ago)
Jacob’s claims against the show aren’t that surprising. Fans of reality TV understand producers are involved in helping create a storyline that will be interesting to viewers.
While some have criticized Jacob for going against the grain, others have praised his bravery in standing up for his beliefs. After all, being a reality TV star isn’t for everyone. Just ask Adam Lind…
Don’t forget to catch new episodes of Little People, Big World Tuesdays at 9/8c on TLC.
PHOTOS: TLC/Instagram
