Thanks a lot, The Real World and Survivor.

If I remember correctly, MTV's "The Real World" was the first of the genre, and CBS's "Survivor" definitely was the first megahit as far as "reality" shows go.

And now that "reality" shows have exploded into the American culture three of the most ridiculous stories that have captured the nation's attention in the past six weeks contain so-called "contestants" on reality shows:

The balloon boy's parents; the White House party crashers; and one of the supposed mistresses of Tiger Woods.

Reality TV has pretty much ruined television. Good to see our culture has followed.

Fuckers.

 

Yeah, what he said goes double for me.

 

You can throw in (up?) Jon and Kate and the murderer on that VH1 Millionaire show. A great year for TV.

 

Get me enough beer and I'll throw up on all three of them.

 

This is one area in which the right and left wings of SportsJournalists.com can unite in sheer seething sizzling white-hot hate.

Fuckers.

 

Spencer and Heidi would also be on my own personal exile island. Throw in Alan Grayson and Joe Wilson who also found it pays to be outrageous.

This topic brings to mind one of DeNiro's most underated films "The King of Comedy." Waaaaaaay ahead of its time.

 

I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore.

 

Are you guys ready for this?

 

Our culture was fucked before television was ruined.

 

So, a rich little man with white hair died. What does that got to do with the price of rice, right? And why is that woe to us? Because you people and 62 million other Americans are listening to me right now. Because less than 3 percent of you people read books. Because less than 15 percent of you read newspapers.Because the only truth you know is what you get over this tube.Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube.This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation.This tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers. This tube is the most awesome goddamn force in the whole godless world.

 

Plus, the Russian never came back from the Pine Barrens.

 

Sad thing is, Real World was actually a pretty compelling show for the first three years or so, before they too, got in the whole, "Let's just show people fighting and having sex," routine.

And to me, the worst reality show of all was Temptation Island. Let's split up happy couples and put them with attractive people on an island and let's see if they'll cheat on their significant other!