Loving to Hate Reality TV

These days, it seems as though every time you blink, there is a new reality show racing out of the television floodgates. From nationwide searches for the next big inventor to gold-digging wannabe divas competing for the love of a veteran hip-hop star, reality shows have either reached an all-time high or a down and dirty low. Either way, every single reality show, no matter how dimwitted or intriguing, is a guilty pleasure that the majority of the American population can't get enough of -- particularly 18- to 25-year-olds.

According to a survey taken in 2005 by PollingPoint.com, almost half of our nation's younger generation watches more reality television than last year. Eighteen- to 25-year-olds watch close to four reality shows a week.

There is no denying it -- reality television is like an addictive drug. At first glance of this television indulgence, you are curious to what it's all about -- so you try it. Before you know it, you're going out of your way to make time for the latest craze in the redundant genre. No matter how stupid or obnoxious these worthless pieces of drivel are, we watch them. But why? Is it some philosophical undercurrent driving the decay of western society? Or is it just plain, good ol' fashioned entertainment for us to giggle at behind the closed doors of our home? Regardless of the reason, many of us -- especially I -- love to hate this form of entertainment.

Calling this kind of television "reality" is a big overstatement. It's more like a flexible kind of reality. If we were considering reality television "real," then all of us who are trying to live in the "real world" would be able to go out and find a rent-free luxury penthouse, live with six other strangers and have nightly bouts of drunken promiscuity.

Generally, these reality shows can be broken down into several categories -- dating, celebrity docu-soaps, game shows, makeovers, fantasies fulfilled, law enforcement, talent searches and others. Viewers have their favorite kind. Even if a person says he or she doesn't watch reality TV, five times out of 10, I think they're lying. Once again, our PollingPoint.com survey shows that in 2005, even people who were over the age of 55 were keeping up with at least two reality shows.

In the early '90s, when it was worth watching, MTV premiered an experimental television show, uniquely titled The Real World, about seven 20-something strangers picked to live in a loft. Slowly, yet surely, this started a revolution in television -- it also served as a catalyst for my obsession for reality television aka RTV. Sure, the show has now been reduced to trivial tear-jerking drama from whiny little attention whores, but luckily there is a veritable landslide of alternatives for us.

For starters, there is the overzealous circus talent show called American Idol, the reality series that gave Kelly Clarkson her name. (Did I mention she forgot to thank the show when she accepted her Grammy Award?) Nonetheless, the show is a spectacle. Millions of dreamful pop stars stand in line for hours, even days, in various parts of the country in hopes to become a famous musical superstar. From these millions, we get to see them showcase their talent (or lack thereof) in front of mega music producer Randy Jackson, ex-pop pinup girl Paula Abdul and the Englishman everybody snidely adores, Simon Cowell. Already in its fifth season, the show already irritates me because I think no one will ever fill Miss Clarkson's shoes, yet I put my life on pause in order to watch it.

Same goes with America's Next Top Model, a nationwide search for -- you guessed it -- America's next top model. Hosted by former Victoria Secret vixen Tyra Banks, the show puts aspiring models in real-life model situations. They go through drastic makeovers, painstaking photo shoots, themed challenges and other modelesque things. The show may give superficiality a new name, but I simply adore it. The aspects I enjoy most about this show are the end results from the photo shoots. They are wonderful pieces of commercial art that tinge the senses. The show definitely doesn't skimp on the drama. It's only natural that when you put a herd of competitive wannabe models in a house, cattiness will ensue. It makes me think that sometimes shows like this rely on the tiffs and spats rather than the actual premise.