How did "The Garden: Commune or Cult" get made?

December 4, 2023 8:50 AM

We are very much enjoying the silly confluence of ridiculous reality actors and practicing anarchists on "The Garden: Commune or Cult". But does anyone know the story around "why" the Garden would agree to allow the film crew to do this sort of show? We haven't been able to figure it out.

As someone with tangential relationships to people involved in intentional communities and movement work, its strikingly out of character for a semi-anarchist/off grid group of people to invite such a thing to happen - such clear security risks and destruction of communal practices. No one from the genuine community could have believed the show was going to do them any good as PR or advertising (unless they are really, really collectively oblivious.)

Obviously, a community like this doesn't have random reality actors come to get "voted on" or "voted off" as a long-term growth plan. They don't need/want misogynist weirdos who talk about cannibalism or Beverly Hills influencers who know nothing about them to join up. And I do not believe the idea that they want to "build awareness" or "clear their name" or anything like that; its a reality show.

My best guess is that maybe the production company paid for their new parcel of land? Or maybe just gave them big bucks so they don't have to worry about figuring out how to get cash for a while?

Would love if anyone actually knows the backstory, though I guess informed speculation is fine, too!

posted by RajahKing to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

I haven't watched the show but did some googling around as it's an interesting topic. This interview with Tyler mentions that Tree was the person who coordinated the filming, and they are listed as a producer on the show. This would make sense because Tree is the one who started the media attention via a fairly popular TikTok account. Based on the social media presence I would imagine the primary goal is to spread awareness about the off the grid movement in general but given that Tree is listed as a producer there was probably money changing hands there. Maybe Tree just convinced everyone else to go along with it. Also living in an intentional community can be pretty boring day to day.
posted by JZig at 9:05 AM on December 4, 2023

Tree has a credit as “ consulting producer” so someone got paid. Jack Forrester provided archival footage which was probably “ licensed” for use in the series.
Tyler “ Oak” probably didn’t get SAG pay for this.
Tree and Julia podcast.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:33 AM on December 4, 2023

For the record, I know a left wing person who after a lot of thought decided to participate in a reality show about [their particular situation]. Their motive was a combination of needing the money and believing, after a lot of consultation and negotiation with the company involved, that the narrative would, on balance, be more beneficial to their concerns than not.

I am reluctant to supply any identifying information except to say that this person is not any of these people, but upon reading up on them, they do not strike me as the kind of anarchists who are extremely security oriented (or they wouldn't have been doing TikToks in the first place).

The whole thing strikes me as ill-advised but not especially sinister; from the outside, they just sound like hippies to me, not a cult.
posted by Frowner at 10:31 AM on December 4, 2023