Reality TV

TV Tuesday

1. Do you watch reality shows? Which ones?

I'm a junkie...got hooked in season two of Real World on MTV and have pretty faithfully watched every season since. Also Road Rules, and the Battle of the Sexes (and all the others of the MTV family, even the wrestling show).

From that [in]auspicious beginning, I have watched all of the Survivors except Africa (can't remember what happened, but life got nuts-busy just about then, I think), a few Moles, including the Celebrity Mole (which was embarrassingly bad, kind of like watching a car wreck) and The Amazing Race. I think I've seen almost all of the latter, though I may have missed an early season.

2. What's your favorite all time reality show?

TAR, no contest. It really is the best in concept and personality.

HOWEVER, I still love watching Real World/Road Rules et al. It is quite amusing to see these kids acting so shamelessly out of control. It makes me happy I'm not there anymore. And it gives me a hint of what to be aware of as my son approaches that age.

I do have to wonder, though, about some of the "kids" on the "battle" shows who are in their mid-thirties. What do their mothers think of their "career" path??

3. Do you feel "reality" shows are real or are they faked?

How about a compromise: they operate with a different, TV-created set of rules that restricts and encourages behaviors that are not restricted or encouraged in what I think of as reality. So, yes they are faked, but the good ones are NOT scripted per se.