I have been living with my aunts in Toronto for the past month and I haven’t been able to watch all of my regular television programs. I have been an avid TV watcher since I was a little girl (I have just grown up watching a lot of television and film), so not being able to watch my scheduled shows has thrown me for a loop.
While I was hanging out with my PR crew (yes, we are a crew), I was telling some of the ladies about my situation. When Megan and Erin asked what shows I normally watch, I was shocked with what was coming out of my mouth. All of the shows I was listing off were reality shows.
Just a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching a reality show. I didn’t even watch Survivor in its popular days. No Big Brother, no Bachelor, no Bachelorette, no The Mole, no nothing.
Somewhere between second year of university and now, I have accumulated a plethora of reality TV shows to take up my time. And just to humour you, here is a list of all the shows I watch (although not on a very frequent basis):
- America’s Next Top Model
- Beauty and the Geek
- Jon and Kate Plus 8
- Celebrity Apprentice
- Project Runway (American and Canadian)
- Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels
- Miami Ink
- LA Ink
- Kenny vs Spenny
- The Fashionista Diaries
- American and Canadian Idol
- Mythbusters
- Wife Swap
- Trading Spouses
- The Girls Next Door
- The Pussycat Dolls
- Jamie at Home
- Iron Chef: America
- Hell’s Kitchen
- The Surreal Life
- Deadliest Catch
- Dancing with the Stars
- American Gladiators
- Dragon’s Den
- Flavor of Love
- What Not to Wear
Good God! Making this list is rather embarrassing because I didn’t realize just how many I watched until I looked up Reality TV on Wikipedia. I don’t even know what the draw to these shows is. They aren’t even that good. I think it may be because there aren’t very many good television shows on right now. I can only think of a few that I watch, outside of this heinous list.
Perhaps reality television is easier to make/produce, but that doesn’t excuse why I a) Watch them b) Like them. I remember my university professors talking about how reality television was kind of like a fad, and we all know about fads, they eventually go away. But with the advent of Survivor and the hoop-la of that show, there has been no sign of stopping the machine that is reality TV. I don’t know if this is for the good or for the bad. But all I know is that I don’t think I will escape it anytime soon – unless of course, I get rid of my television.
*cough cough* i dont see no style by jury on that list
I’m sorry, Shaan. I have only watched that show once, so it technically doesn’t count. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love you!
For more on one of your favorites, “Miami Ink,” visit my blog: http://www.victoriasrighthip.typepad.com/
hey…to each their own.
if i may, i’d like to suggest some good television:
1) The IT Crowd – British comedy about working in an IT department. PEED my pants laughing.
2) Battlestar Galactica (the new season) – Seriously, I never had any interest until I accidentally watched a show, not knowing what it was. I now have a serious obsession. I watched 3.5 seasons in about 3 days, collectively. Yes, it’s a show in outerspace but it is a complex and thought-provoking mix of love, drama, religion and sex.
3) Dexter – a show about a good serial killer. ‘nuf said.
If you want to get started let me know and I will hook you up with some DVDs. or you can go to piratebay.org for the downloads.
happy watching!
z