The history of reality TV is littered with bad ideas, tasteless concepts, and shows designed to make viewers watch because they can’t turn away from the ugliness. But even among the genre’s trashiest programs, The Swan, which ran for two seasons on FOX in 2004, stands out as a particularly controversial low. It was basically a beauty pageant with a twist: All the contestants were “ugly ducklings” who would be transformed with the help team of three surgeons, a cosmetic dentist, therapist, trainer, stylist, and life coach. The premise was self-actualization by way of a scalpel, and it’s remembered today with horror.
