Five People Reality TV Shows Hurt The Most

Answer: Everyone

In the name of full disclosure, we will admit that we enjoy watching trashy reality shows as much as the next girls. We'd call it a guilty pleasure, but we don't really feel guilty about it. "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars" helped us through the winter, just like "Hogan Knows Best" and "Living Lohan" got us through many hard workouts. That said, we also think that reality television is bad for so many reasons. It is dumbing down society, promoting the absolute worst values we can imagine, and changing the entertainment industry - we'd argue for the worse. Quality programming is becoming increasingly hard to find, but "Top Model" marathons and back-to-back episodes of "The Hills" are plentiful. As a result, we know tons of smart, educated people who are completely addicted to these shows, but we're not worried about them. We're worried about the impressionable young boys and girls out there who hang onto reality stars' words as if they're gospel and who actually base their lives around these shows. These are the people whose lives will be forever changed by reality TV:

#1 - Little Girls

Thanks to "The Bachelorette," little girls grow up seeing that if they can't find a husband on their own, they can just go on TV and make out with 25 different hot guys to magically find their Prince Charmings. Teenage girls, on the other hand, watch those nasty brats on "My Super Sweet Sixteen" and then turn into them by throwing hissy fits when all they get on their big day is ice cream cake and a key to the family Honda. What about "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"? In order to "keep up" with them, little girls are taught that all it takes to be a celebrity is to become a glorified porn star. Then there are the dozens of "makeover" shows that hire plastic surgeons to make "regular" girls look like they're favorite celebrities. We're certainly not saying that all reality shows are bad, but these examples are teaching our little girls the absolute wrong things about themselves - that they should strive to be uneducated, slutty brats with fake boobs. We urge you to steer your daughters' eyes away from the screen during these shows or to at least take the opportunity to explain why those women are pretty much the worst role models one could pick.

#2 - Little Boys

We think that little boys should be out riding their bikes, finding treasures in the gutter, and daydreaming about they're cute little crush at school. They should not be glued to the TV watching Flavor Flav hook up with the most classless, scantily clad, cat-fighting women we've ever seen. And we don't want them to be obsessed with watching Tila Tequila to see if she's ultimately going to choose a guy or a girl to be her partner, either. Boys have plenty of time to learn about bisexuality; they do not need some MySpace whore in a sting bikini and stripper heels encouraging them to think about girls on girls. They'll waste enough time thinking about that when they're good and ready.

#3 - Husbands

Our friend's ex-husband never missed an episode of "Laguna Beach." He was completely obsessed with those sixteen-year-old rich kids with blonde highlights. It turns out he was also living a double life. When he wasn't talking about Lauren Conrad and her nemesis, he was banging some other chick the whole time our friend was planning their wedding. Complete and total coincidence? Could be. But we think that reality shows are kind of like strip clubs - if your man visits one occasionally (like for a bachelor party) that's totally fine and harmless, but these shows (and clubs) can also suck your man in by showing him an alternate lifestyle where there are no rules, no repercussions, and all the fake boobs and equally fake tans he can feast his eyes on. We'd prefer to keep our man with us in the real world, instead.

#4 - Wives

The women on reality shows can make even the most confident women out there feel like they are not beautiful enough, skinny enough, or tan enough, and especially like they don't have enough shiny things. Does watching reruns of the Real World make you feel good about where you are in life? And does hearing Denise Richards explain that she needs a $9,000 grill because she likes things that are "a little bit fancier" make you feel better or worse about your lifestyle? We don't think that anyone should try to emulate the people on reality shows, and it's very sad that watching too many of them can actually impact one's self esteem. Women who are addicted to these shows and take them too seriously should try watching the news about the rest of the world - it's sure to make them feel better about the $35 grill in their own backyard.

#5 - Reality Stars

Yes, it may seem counterintuitive to say that reality shows are bad for the very stars that are taking the jobs away from real actors (and writers and directors) and are becoming rich and famous from these shows, but think about where some recent reality stars have landed. "Newlyweds" surely contributed to Jessica and Nick's breakup, and we wonder if "Hogan Knows Best" had anything to do with little Nick's horrible car crash and subsequent prison time. No, there may not be a direct correlation between reality show and prison, but these shows do inflate their stars' egos and make them believe that they are omnipotent, immortal creatures. Dealing with celebrity is hard enough for people who have actually earned it with their own hard work and talent. It must be even more difficult to handle when it comes overnight and for no good reason at all.

Comments

[dac253]

Reality shows aren't good or bad, they're just shows on television.
Everybody has their own path in life and if someone tries to live out someone else's life, they deserve the head and heart ache they get when it doesn't pan out. Teach your children well.
Everybody is going to get to where they're going; it's just a matter of time,... and time is all we have.

sub specie aeternitatis

[ohiodem250]

As with anything, if you don't like it - turn it off. The production companies wouldn't make it if it wasn't in demand. So I think the more intriguing question than what the effect is: why do we, as a culture, have the desire to see it? I once threw this off of one of my friends so I'll try it here: In a way, I believe that Britney Spears (and all the reality stars, celeb culture, etc.) is a blank canvas that mass society paints their subconscious desires upon. What's most disturbing about that hypothesis is that perhaps her life is somehow a mirror into the worst part of our souls.

[shamaniceconomist]

"MySpace wh*re"??? That's just wrong. There is no reason to even have that phrase in your vocabulary. It's not a good way to refer to anyone, and if you use it at all, some people will think you are referring to women in general (or to all women on the Internet).

[JBS]

Bread and Circuses.

[speakyourmind]

their = belonging to them
they're = they are

[mathme]

#3? What is that? He watched reality TV and he had an affair? Do you know which began first? Maybe he liked banging young girls so when they put them on TV he was drawn into that? This is ridiculous.

[nothingcool]

yeah, that came out of nowhere.

[pychicfakes]

I used to watch flavor of love, First and second seasons. What struck me was that the series follows the same lame process every time. They use the same house, are almost predictable. Sad is the one thing that comes to mind. They exploit their children for money and fame. These people on these "reality shows" set back the womens and the civil rights movement.

[Eric8869]

Please don't admit you watch that. Its a guilty pleasure for you - behind locked doors. Tell no one.

[BEHM777]

Where can I get a $35 grill?

BEHusseinM777

[pinkyboo]

Big Lots - LOL

[Dannydel]

Americans get sucked into watching this meaningless trash because....they have no idea about the reality of what real life is or should be. They have lost all sense of priorities. Their idea of what is important in life is a new car, bigger boobs and getting close to someone who has had their 15 minutes. I think that is all about to change however. The reality of 5 dollar a gallon gas, food shortages and losing ones house, may awaken these brainless twits to some of the issues they haven't thus far had to deal with. It is only going to get worse, thats what happens to countries that have it all, fail to realize how they got it all and think that they simply deserve it all. Get used to it fools. Oh, and Nick Bollea? Hope you're enjoying YOUR time in the spotlight. You were such a cool dude, who would have thought that the laws of physics actually applied to you and the way you drove? SURPRISE Nick!

[roxanne90]

I question the term REALITY to describe these types of shows....is there anything
remotely "real" or authentic about them? I think the TV industry needs to consider
renaming them....there is something different about competition shows about
talent--singing or dancing -- in Americal Idol and Dancing shows and those that
follow around no-name or has-been actors (or their families..) and often promote
sleazy values, fame for fame's sake; and spoiled brats.

[peterg76]

I think it's funny how documentaries *aren't* reality shows. (I'd say the same about the news, but journalism has actually moved away from reality.)

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

I am a clinician who works as a women's health nurse, and I can say that I've seen the result of how some of these shows (and perhaps mainstream media in general) skews the perception of many women.

I work in labor and delivery, and have had more than one new mom come back for their post-partum check-up feeling horrible because they don't look like Heidi Klum did from "Project Runway" after she lost 21 pounds in 3 months. Or why their belly isn't as flat as those women they see on "Extreme Makeover". It makes my job much harder when these new moms are made to feel like failures when they've just taken on the most amazing job in the world, mother.

[jkonen]

Not all reality shows are bad.....but most will make you lose brain cells when you watch them.

[kellygrrrl]

such a bizarre culture we have created

[Vyvjala]

Hogan knows best makes "Married with Children," look like the Walton's..­..........­...

[patamakka]

we must realize that showbizz is just a small part of these peoples life. they have to go through the same things as us, but their wages are higher.
that said, i was watching snoop doggs father life and i was so stunned about the way they ate. they were in germany in a restaurant that served fresh food, vegetables, meat, etc. but the kids could not eat it, they only wanted deep fried unrecognizible food. and the father went for the fried food, so did the mother. how can you teach your kids healthy things in that manner?
about denise richards and her 9000 dollar grill wish: her father was right behind her to say that that was much too expensive. it is one thing to want something, but it should not be good to get your way all the time. i too am someone who wants everything, but i have a build in no, which is my empty wallet. which denise doesnt have, but she has her father.
last but not least: the best of the best, top of all reality shows: The Osbournes. I have not yet seen a family that tops that. have you? I must teach my Sims to live like them.