Reality TV show contestants are more like unpaid interns than Hollywood stars

In December 2018, John Legend joined then-newly elected U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to criticize the exploitation of congressional interns on Capitol Hill, most of whom worked for no pay. NBC's “The Voice” had just announced that Legend would join as a judge. The fall 2023 TV lineup will be saturated with low-cost reality TV shows like “The Voice”; for networks, it's an end-around to the ongoing TV writers and actors strikes.