Live of Memorex

If I sit at home on any given night and flip through the channels, I am attacked by the abundance of reality television or, as I like to call it, “crap.” Night after night we are forced to spend our evening choosing between “smut,” “stupidity” or more “smut.” Like many others I would like to know who or what is responsible for the outbreak of reality T.V.
It seemed to begin with MTV’s, “The Real World” which debuted in the early 90’s. This show forced seven different people who lives otherwise would not have crossed, to live and work together. This show dealt with the realities of racism, sexism, classism, and gay and lesbian lifestyles. To this day it remains a favorite among young America and has earned the respect of many critics. Still, how do we go from that to, “Who wants to Marry a Millionaire”? One theory is that panicked networks needed to come up with a way to remain in business at the threat of an actor’s strike. In reality, the ability to create these programs and maintain descent ratings at a fraction of the cost is to blame. Unfortunately, this leaves us with intelligent programming such as “Playmate Fear Factor” and “Temptation Island.”
There is still the question as to what makes people watch these shows. The few that I asked said that it was entertaining to watch other people embarrass themselves, and that it is funny to see just how many losers there are out there. I can understand that, but is it real? It is about as real as Michael Jackson’s nose.
What people don’t know is that while the shows use a mimimum of paid actors, there is still scripting and extreme editing to twist the show in any direction the producers want to go. And lets just be serious, when will any number of attractive intelligent men who just happened to have been screened for sexually transmitted diseases and a criminal past, be competing for the affection of one one minimally attractive female?
Enough is enough. One thing is for sure; even though reality television may be hot right now, quick-witted comedies, like “Will and Grace” and intelligently crafted dramas such as “CSI,” and “Law and Order” remain number one with viewers.