Reality Check

I'll admit it- I'm addicted to reality TV. Somehow, in the midst  of 60-80 hour work weeks, I still find a few minutes here and there to catch the beginnings, middles, ande endings of my favorite reality shows. I have accepted the fact that reality TV is trash and that I'm addicted to it. I do not yet DVR or TIVO so I must catch the episodes the old fashioned way. If I miss one, I check the listings, make mental notes of the repeated showings, and try to watch them. I have even been guilty of finding a showing of a stray episode here and there at 3:00am.  

I can recite from memory the scripts of the hosts of Project Runway, Survivor, Top Model, and many more word for word as they deliver the lines just before someone is voted off. Two beautiful girls stand before me...

I don't really even have to be interested in the subject to enjoy a reality show, either. Yesterday, I discovered Flowers Uncut and watched florists scramble to plan a wedding event. I've watched celebrity stylists, dog groomers, rock stars, sex and drug addicts, designers, hair technicians, housewives, brides, real estate moguls, toddlers, models, cheerleaders, chefs, and little and large people just to name a few- and that's just this week.

This brings me to a hypothesis. I believe that I like seeing real people. I grew up watching TV in an era where Charlie's Angels set the bar high. An angel could karate chop a villian, wield a firearm, and save the day without breaking a nail. And we won't even discuss Wonder Woman. I waited patiently for puberty just to discover that I would never fill a red/white/blue ensemble the way she did.

Yes, reality TV gives us a look at real life. I secretly relish the breakdowns, flaws, tirades, and generally bad behavior. Well, all except for Cash Cab. That's possibly my favorite- I vicariously won $1700 while cooking dinner Friday night.So, in that respect, reality TV allows me to escape from real life as well. I can enjoy watching people who aren't perfect. That's my guilty pleasure right behind Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.  So, until the next episode, auf weidersen!