Most so-called 'reality shows' are actually positioned somewhere between fiction and non-fiction. Even, it turned out this week, those featuring actual polar bears.
For Dalston Superstars, Vice.com's hit online mockumentary about the lives, loves and leopard-print tights of hipsters in East London, the line between truth and reality is even more blurred.
At least for its audience - according to Vice, many viewers of the show still don't know whether it's real or not.
Type in "Is Dalston Superstars..." into Google and the search engine will fill-in the most popular search terms to complete the phrase. "Is Dalston Superstars Real?" is top of the list.
On Twitter viewers are also confused:
Apparently the stereotype of the young, media-obsessed creative idiot is so self-reflexive it's almost impossible to parody.
"People are so ready to hate young creatives," said Vice UK executive editor Alex Miller. "I think perhaps because they're jealous of the lifestyle of a Dalston Superstar.
"It's been funny watching them become local celebrities though. It's not possible to walk around London with them without strangers pointing and asking for pictures. Sam even got recognised in the players lounge at Spurs."
Real or not, Superstars is still worth a watch. Apparently it's building to a dramatic conclusion over Christmas, which given the subject matter probably involves customised Converse and set of Urban Outfitters moustache magnets.