I rarely watch television. If I'm going to use my TV, it's for dvds or video games 99.5% of the time. But I was relaxing at my parent's shore house the other night where there is less to do, so I started channel surfing. I was aware that there are a lot of reality tv shows on the air, but to be honest, I didn't realize there were nearly as many as there are. I was shocked. There was seriously a reality show on almost every station.

When exactly did this get popular? Was it American Idol or something earlier (The Real World maybe) that really made this fad take off? Like I said, I don't watch too much TV and I especially don't watch many reality shows. Some of them are pretty funny and interesting, but most of them are horrendous. I don't know...I guess I'm just curious as to how this whole thing evolved.

Also, discuss your favorite reality shows.

I rarely watch television. If I'm going to use my TV, it's for dvds or video games 99.5% of the time. But I was relaxing at my parent's shore house the other night where there is less to do, so I started channel surfing. I was aware that there are a lot of reality tv shows on the air, but to be honest, I didn't realize there were nearly as many as there are. I was shocked. There was seriously a reality show on almost every station.

When exactly did this get popular? Was it American Idol or something earlier (The Real World maybe) that really made this fad take off? Like I said, I don't watch too much TV and I especially don't watch many reality shows. Some of them are pretty funny and interesting, but most of them are horrendous. I don't know...I guess I'm just curious as to how this whole thing evolved.

Also, discuss your favorite reality shows.

it's a scarry thing man, before you know it you lose your own reality and get sucked into others. The ones i watch are not set up that way.

The thing is, this shit has been going on for far too long with People magazine and stuff like that. The fact that people are concerned with the private lives of celebrities just boggles my mind.

I cannot stand any of these shows. When the slow heartbeats coincide w/ the closeups of the participants before an elimination, I want to throw the television out of the window.

'Next Top Model' Writers Threaten Strike
They say producers of the reality show, which is a key part of the new CW network lineup, have ignored their request to join a union.
By Richard Verrier
Times Staff Writer

July 21, 2006

"America's Next Top Model" is getting ugly.

Writers of the hit reality show walked off the job for an hour Thursday and threatened to strike today, alleging that the show's producers had snubbed their request to join the Writers Guild of America, West.

The dispute comes at a delicate time for the new CW network, which is relying on the hit reality show created by supermodel Tyra Banks to dress up its inaugural lineup.

The series debuts Sept. 20 on the CW, forged by CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Television from the remnants of the WB and UPN networks. Only the first few episodes have been completed for the series' seventh cycle.

In a low-key protest outside their West Los Angeles offices, the writers wore red "United We Stand" T-shirts with the writers guild's logo and handed out fliers titled "Free to Be Union? Not at the CW's America's Next Top Model," a play on the network's motto, "Free to Be."

The writers contend that they are key to the show's success and should get benefits and protections similar to those enjoyed by their peers in movies and scripted television.

"They want a guild contract, but their employer won't give it to them," said writers guild President Patric M. Verrone, "This is how they are showing their solidarity."

A spokesman for the CW declined to comment. Ken Mok, president of Anisa Productions Inc., the show's producer, said in a statement that the writers guild was seeking to circumvent federal rules that allow secret ballot elections overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.

"There is absolutely no ill will or rancor from anyone in 'America's Next Top Model' toward the employees in their activities with their WGA," Mok said. "All of us respect their legal rights to pursue a path that they feel best serves them."

Even though reality shows purport to capture events as they happen, many employ writers to feed lines to participants, plot out story lines and edit interviews. With the "America's Next Top Model" walkout, the writers guild signaled that it was stepping up its campaign to organize workers in the burgeoning genre.

"This will be the first of many actions like it," Verrone said.

Last year, the writers guild backed two lawsuits that accused producers of exploiting workers in reality TV.

Reality producers dispute allegations that writers are mistreated. They say writing for a reality show isn't the same as working on a scripted program.

The "America's Next Top Model" dispute began this month when 12 writers on the show signed cards seeking to be represented by the writers guild. The writers affirmed their support in a letter to Mok.

But attorneys for the production company disputed the guild's claim and suggested that the guild hold a secret ballot election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.

"If the NLRB decides that the WGA has the exclusive representation of the employees, we would be happy to sit down and negotiate with them," Mok said.

Guild officials allege, however, that the production company's goal is to buy time and intimidate employees.

reality tv is the worse thing in the world. I watch supernova, but that's different. there's a good house band, some good songs, they don't show the guys in their house too much talking about dumb stuff, and I want to bang Dilana. And Brooke Burke. Oh, and Storm too.
As far as all the other shows, people please, STOP WATCHING THEM!
Read a book or at the least, go jerk off or something. god.

i will be talking to a reality show winner in one week and two days

I do watch the Kathy Griffin show on Bravo, but that's just because she's hilarious on stage or in real life.

You disagree?