Real Fake

I will admit. I used to want to be on a reality show.  I would submit a questionnaire and several times got asked to submit a video or additional information.  But as you know, I was never selected.  I wanted to be the next Bachelorette.  I wanted a dream wedding by Martha Stewart, I wanted to win Amazing Race.  However, I NEVER wanted to win the love of either Flava Flav or Ray J.  I didn’t classify myself as a Bad Girl nor did I want to eat bugs to be on Fear Factor.

But the more I’ve watched reality tv, the more I am blessed that I was never part of the chosen few.  Now, before I explain this, please know that I love some filth tv like the next person.  Real Housewives of ATL, NYC, NJ, BH all find their way on my DVR.  But the more I watch these shows the more I realize how absolutely horrible they are.  The next time you watch an episode, after its over try to come up with a summary of what happened.

Here’s what your answer will be:  This one chic met with another chic to talk about what these other chics said about her.  Then one chic gets a really big ego and her friends quickly become her enemies. Then that other chic gets a divorce from her husband and the other chic hooks up with an athlete. And the season ends with all the chics being more unhappy than when the season started.  And those chics that had any type of a normal storyline get cut and don’t get invited back. The end.

We watch and get addicted to the cattiness we hate to see in our own lives.  So is that the reason we watch it?  I honestly don’t think any of us want that to be our reality, but I think we find a guilty pleasure in seeing it in someone else.  These shows help us see that money definitely doesn’t buy you happiness and as B.I.G. says “Mo Money, Mo Problems”. I remember one night on FB everyone was talking about Basketball Wives.  A lot of people.  Right after that went off, La La’s Full Court came on.  And there were no comments.  LaLa is the perfect example of a successful working female, married to a successful man with a cute child.  She has a supportive family and is making a positive name for herself.  But for some reason, we don’t care and we don’t show her love. Why?

If we want our daughters to grow up to be ladies, we must show them how ladies act.  If we are only watching “hot ghetto mess” what type of example are we showing?  Reality tv might be great way to wind down from a stressful night, but just make sure the stars aren’t the people you aspire to be.  Let us all strive to live a life non-worthy of a reality tv show and the world might be a little more peaceful and drama free!

October 2011