Sunday, September 25, 2005

Reality Junkie

Hi. My name is E and I have a problem. I'm addicted to reality TV. It started out innocent enough. A Survivor episode here, The Mole episode there. (Awwww...I miss The Mole. That was my show damn it!) I've come to the realization that 80% of my viewing habits involves some element of reality TV.

Let's take earlier this year. VH1, a station I hardly watched much in the past, premiered two reality TV shows that put the focus on objectifying males. Needless to see, I became VH1's bitch! I'm talking about Kept and Strip Search. Of the two shows, Kept was actually the more interesting one. The concept behind the show was that Jerry Hall was on this quest to find her "kept" man, a job with unclear expectations as was seen when she ultimately chose the most uncouth & unkept man of all, Seth. A friend of mine who I debated on this (yeah the things I debate about...*LOL*) told me that her choice of Seth made sense because despite his unorthodox behavior, he was the only one that made her laugh & got the real Jerry to come out. I saw his point, maybe, but why go through all those bullshit exercises saying that a kept man must do this and must do that if she winds up picking someone who didn't even try on most of his tasks. Tasks that were deemed things a "kept" man is supposed to do. I had a mad crush on Devonric & if it were me, he would've been the one I chose. I mean...look at him:

Ok fine. I suppose he may not have been the most articulate person in the group. And yes, CONVERSATE is not a word...*LOL*. But I'm sure with some polishing and such, he'd have been perfect.

Or maybe it was my wishful thinking...*LOL*. I love ya anyway D, even though you don't know me from Adam.

You'd think a show titled Strip Search would be interesting. But it wound up being the most boring dreck created. Yet I couldn't look away. It was like one of those train wrecks that you can't help but watch. The mistakes were plenty. They spent two episodes focusing on the selection process Billy and some chick I can't remember had regarding potential strippers. Who freaking cares? Then it seemed like they picked guys for the drama factor. It was hilarious hearing some of these guys act like stripping for a living was their biggest dream ever. Plus these guys were so melodramatic, you'd think you were in a sorority. Billy's reasons for eliminating guys was so bogus. For example, two of the guys he dropped because of their kid issues. Basically the guys expressed how much they missed them (although hello, it's not like you'll never see them again. Get a grip...*LOL*). The thing is Billy knew they had family so to use that as an excuse to kick them off was stupid. Gah...but glued to my TV I was through it all so they must've done something right...*LOL*.

Then just as those two series were ending. VH1 threw a triple punch with Surreal Life 5, Hogan Knows Best, and Celebrity Fit Club 2. Fortunately Hogan's show wasn't that compelling to me but I got sucked into SL5 and CFC2. My favorites on CFC2 were Victoria Jackson & Toccara of America's Next Top Model fame. The latter looked hotter and hotter as the weeks went by. It was cool seeing her sashaying across the walkway like it was a runway. The show, of course, added its own elements of drama. I guess they do whatever it takes to reel viewers in.

Then there's SL5. I knew it'd be crazy when they included nutjobs Janice Dickinson (another ANTM alum and claims to be the world's first supermodel) and Omarosa (Apprentice 1 reject.). Toss in Balki from Perfect Strangers and Jose Conseco and you have the makings for nutty TV. Since Surreal Life moved to VH1, the series has an annoying habit of showing only 5-10 minutes of new footage while airing the same ol' crap they already shown at least two or three times. They're milking it for all it's worth, which actually when it comes right down to it, ain't worth much.

To make things worse, Apprentice is back. But it's not one version but two. What's a reality junkie to do? Watch them both I guess. Along with America's Next Top Model. Good grief. Talk about reality overload. Maybe it's about time I focus on my reality...:-)

Labels:

10 Comments:

Blogger Rose said...

I think I like when things are not planned...take for instance, America's Top Model, Survival, Celebrity Fit Club, The Apprentice, and Surreal Life. I am trying to break away but I just don't feel like seeing death on television, destruction and spirits...I want to laugh...reality television for right now is my laughing medicine.

11:22 PM, September 25, 2005  
Blogger MADD MAN said...

Hello E

I am also a junkie. I am guilty of watching Top Model and I miss Project Runway.

12:46 AM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger SGL CafĂ©.com said...

I hate reality TV. Hate it, hate it, HATE IT! I watched one season of IDOL 'cause i saw Corey Clark and fell hopelessly in lust ... then when he got booted for BS, I vowed never to grace the show with my eyes again.

Then the Ruben & Clay Show started. *groan* Well, I had to see what happened, u know? Plus, I loved Clay. Yeah. I know. I was a big Manilow fan too, so it was natural progression. Guess I just like skinny little white boys with big voices.

Haven't watched IDOL since. But it did get sucked into DOG (the bounty hunter) and his cool-ass white trash crew. They pray to Jesus together before kicking in the door and blasting their prodigal 'perp'. Gotta love violence & Christianity all mixed up together ... makes for some good TV watchin'.

If I'm hooked on anything now its the HBO & SHOWTIME series ...
Rome, Weeds, Entourage, L-Word, all awesome in their own way.

If you haven't checked out ROME yet, do so. All those people did was kill and fuck. Gotta love that Roman ethic.

9:59 AM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger Abreu, Jorge said...

It's funny the way these shows claim to be "reality" tv but they're so far from it. They're as fake as the people on the shows. It's just a show flooded with sometimes staged drama and spontaneous occuerences. Real fake.

11:25 AM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger That Girl said...

It's okay I am a junkie too and the first step is realizing that you have a problem...and the mole was a good show.

11:27 AM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger No_the_game said...

I am into my reality now. :) Used to watch TV for 3 month almost 4 + hrs. Talk about junkie life style LOL

12:13 PM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger M-Dubb said...

Hi, My name is Marlon... and I am a reality TV addict. Big Fat Loser, The Real World, Road Rules, Celebrity Fit Club, Being Bobby Brown... I love them all. People are on the wives of Wisteria Lane, but you could give me a "Hell to the Naw," and that would be OK.

12:58 PM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger winterssoulstyce said...

maaannn...i saw one episode of kept and i was hooked. and yes devonric was not the brightest bulb, but anwar was a little stuck on himself...most of those men were pretty decent looking but i feel in love with seth, too...lol...

i picked seth to win too because although he was uncouth to death, dude had hella swagger. and um, swagger does it for me. yeah. go seth! lol...

being bobby brown was another one that sucked me in....

7:57 PM, September 26, 2005  
Blogger TLO said...

okay, my name is TLO...and I thought I was a reality tv junkie, but after reading some of the responses I don't think I'm that bad.
stage 1:Denial

11:36 PM, September 27, 2005  
Blogger Marz said...

Thank you for sharing your addiction E. The next step is canceling your VH1. (Just kidding.)


ANTM FREAK. I'm getting into the Wiseswap shows, and American IDol.


-Marz

11:56 PM, February 18, 2006  

Post a Comment

<< Home