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Please put the REAL back in Reality
Is it just me or is Reality television just getting lazy as hell? Remember the old days when you clicked on your television only to be surprised by a new and edgy reality competition featuring some exotic location full of perilous trials and deadly environments? Survivor was awesome in its prime, a truly magnificent piece of writing genius. Let’s stick twelve random people on a desolate wasteland with nothing but the clothes on their backs and film the outcome was a pretty compelling scenario and offering a million dollar payout was just enough motivation to turn prissy, high heel wearing women into brute, prowling tigresses. Am I the only person excited about that last sentence? Anyways let’s get back to business. Survivor, The Real World, American Idol, Americas Got Talent, so on and so forth. These are great shows that express the true heart of America and the human effort.
So why are these television titans forced to share their stations with today’s “Reali-trash.” What I mean to say is why are we wasting our valuable entertainment time on these god awful reality shows that follow the lives of celebrities and their celebrity families. I mean, in the beginning I guess it was kind of cute. We got a glimpse into the lives of the Osbourne family which in all sincerity was actually pretty entertaining. One celebrity family was just enough to tolerate, but Hollywood had to milk this controversial cow for all it was worth.
Celeb-Realities began to pop up EVERYWHERE. Multi-cultural, world-wide. Every other celebrity not on the A-List had to have his or her name in the reality bracket. We got some really “good” jewels out of these too. Such greats as Hogan knows best, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and Living Lohan began to appear on television broadcasts across the land. Now I’m all for people making something of themselves and if you have the capacity to make it to Hollywood then more power to you, but HONESTLY people. What the hell does it tell you when we have a reality show about a celebrities FAMILY that doesn’t usually involve said celebrity. Living Lohan is the god awful spawn of a late night bender at E! Entertainment Studios. I guess they realized Lyndsay Lohan was far to drunk all the time to have a coherent reality show that they cast her non-famous family. Does that even make sense people? Can you really have a celeb-reality without the celeb? Isn’t this just a reality? Whatever it is god please stop it and let me off.
Keeping up with the Kardashians, or whatever their names are, is another mutant mix-breed of poor writing staff decisions. I’m sorry if I seem like a sheltered person when I say this but who the hell are these people? It’s like they drug some family off the street with an expensive sounding name and slapped together some slack jaw reality bit. In all honesty what’s so exciting about watching people that are too rich for their own good blow their money on drug parties and lavish, sex crazed vacations to far away lands. All these shows do is prove what is wrong with Hollywood and make low income families feel like complete and utter trash because they can’t afford beluga caviar on imported soy crisps.
The point is, America is sick and tired of watching celebrities screw things up for everyone else. We don’t want to see these lavish, posh, stuck up, spoiled brats, get their way anymore. Why don’t you bring an interesting reality show to the table. Why don’t we grab the Smith’s up from down the lane and show the world the reality of a low income situation. How Mr. Smith has to work eight hour shifts everyday just to barely support his family and give them the happiness they desire. How about a refreshing reality show about togetherness in the face of adversity, or overcoming a seriousness illness, or achieving an amazing goal? Quit flooding our screens with this mindless garbage about what Angelina Jolie is wearing and what Britney Spears had for lunch yesterday. Forgive me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the word “Reality” mean REAL as in REAL SITUATIONS? Come on people, celebrities don’t live “normal, REAL, lives.” Show me real people in real situations and I’ll give you kudos on a great reality combination. People wonder why Hollywood is such a horrible place. You need to sit down and take a good long look at the kind of television you guys are producing over there. Let’s get something interesting back on television for once so hard working American’s don’t have to watch spoiled rich kids get things handed to them. But that’s just my opinion.
Published: Jul 12,2008 00:38
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Andy Cowan
Andy Cowan, an award-winning writer, whose credits include Cheers and Seinfeld, regularly contributes humor pieces to the Los Angeles Times and the CBS Jack FM Radio Network.
Paul M. J. Suchecki
Paul M. J. Suchecki has more than 30 years of experience as an award winning writer, producer, and cameraman. He's written numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Currently he writes, produces and shoots for LA CityView Channel 35 and his more than 250 articles for Ehow.com are approaching half a million readers.
Coby Kindles
Coby Kindles is a freelance journalist, screenplay writer and essayist. She has been a staff writer at Knight Ridder and a regular contributor to The Associated Press.
Debbie Milam
Debbie Milam is a syndicated columnist for United Press International, an occupational therapist, family success consultant, and motivational speaker with more than 20 years experience. Her work on stress management, spirituality, parenting, and special-needs children has been featured in over 300 media outlets including First for Women, The Miami Herald, Elle, Ladies Home Journal, The Hallmark Channel, PBS and WebMD.
Dan Rafter
Dan Rafter has covered the residential real estate industry for more than 15 years. He has contributed real estate stories to the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Business 2.0 Magazine, Home Magazine, Smart HomeOwner Magazine and many others.
Jack Nargundkar
Jack Nargundkar has been repeatedly published in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He is also an author of "The Bush Diaries" published in July 2005.
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