When Did Reality TV Jump the Shark?
I guess reality TV jumped the shark the second it began, really, didn’t it? It has always appealed to our basest instincts – watching people snark about each other, witnessing fights, artificially engineering unbelievable situations and calling them reality? I mean, who watches this stuff? Oh. Me. Yeah, I do, don’t I?
But anyway. I still love it. Or, rather, most of it. You see, I see myself as a bit of a reality TV snob. I like good reality TV: Survivor. Amazing Race. So You Think You Can Dance. Idol. Biggest Loser. ANTM. There are lots of them, these higher-quality reality shows.
And then: there’s Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend.
Paris Hilton's BBF
I kid you not, kids. This one’s for real. Featuring a cast of Britain’s skankiest and ditziest wannabes fighting for the attention of anorexic valley-girl-dough-head Hilton, this one was painful to watch (and watch it I did).
Oh, but wait…the motor boat is only warming up, and the Fonz hasn’t even strapped on his waterskis yet. Now, I realize I’m waaay late on this one, but to be fair, it only just premiered here in Canada tonight, although it already ran the gamut of its two-season life on MTV in 2007 and 2008. Yes, that’s right, this evening I watched the premiere of A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila. (Get it? A shot at love? Yuk, yuk, yuk: do people actually get paid money to make this crap up?)
"I love boys...I love girls"
In this brilliantly conceived gem, Tila Tequila (who is, evidently, an internet celebrity, television host, model, entertainer, and a singer-songwriter) invites 15 guys to a fancy Hollywood mansion to compete for her affections, à la Bachelorette. The twist? Tila’s a bisexual, only the boys don’t know it yet. Neither do the group of 15 hot lesbians who are on their way to Tila’s crib to meet her for the very first time. And compete against the guys for a shot at love with Ms. Tequila. What ensues promises to be messy (of course it does! This is MTV, after all), and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to resist tuning in again.
We’ll see. Sometimes I like to watch these horribly embarrassing reality shows as a salve to my soul. I may not have Paris’ money or looks or fame, but I am one hell of a lot smarter than her. And sometimes, I like to be reminded of that.
As for what reality show I’d love to be on myself? No question: A Shot at Love. Naaaah…just foolin’ ya!
Amazing Race, all the way! I think I might just do okay, too: I speak a few languages and have traveled enough to know what I’m doing. I can think well under pressure, too, although I’m not the fastest runner. Now I just have to find a partner I won’t fight with, because there’s nothing more embarrassing to look back on than you and your partner bickering all the way to the Kremlin in some Russian taxi. But enough of that fantasy: show’s only open to American contestants. Booo, CBS!
You think you’re smarter than Paris but I think she has us all fooled. Immoral, maybe, but this woman has likely surpassed her father’s riches by acting like the dumb blonde and laughing all the way to the bank. Btw, Paris needs a British best friend so she won’t be lonely when she has to fly to London for business. Yeah, I watched it too