The reality of it all

The new year presents a number of possibilities through resolutions and promises to enjoy this year more than last. Although some people plan to lose weight, attain that much-needed promotion or start a savings account, many people look forward to season finales and the start of their favorite reality television shows. I admit that I have even been roped into religiously watching this garbage.

There was a time when reality television was a break from depressing news and the redundancy of family shows. Shows such as "Survivor," "Big Brother," and the distant memory of "Mole" involved a group of people battling their physical and mental abilities in efforts to win cash.

MTV shows "Real World" and "Road Rules" have been airing for over 15 years, with cast members with different views and lifestyles coming together to perform a given set of tasks. MTV created "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" where groups from the shows would compete against one another for a cash prize. As if our society isn't money-hungry enough, these shows convince people to lie, cheat, and manipulate in order to win.

"Joe Millionaire," "The Bachelor" and its spin-off, "The Bachelorette," involved men and women competing for love. These shows aired on ABC and CBS, and it wasn't long before MTV and VH1 followed with similar ideas. VH1's "Flavor of Love" made a so-called celebrity out of New York, an obnoxious woman who later starred in "I Love New York." Two brothers from "I Love New York" just ended their first season of "Real Chance at Love." Tila Tequila's "Shot at Love" introduced a bisexual love prize for men and women to compete over, which has literally doubled in its insanity in a second season with bisexual twins starring in "A Double Shot at Love."

The promiscuous nature of today's reality television is astounding. Women convince themselves to put it all on the table to make it through eliminations, by wearing revealing clothing and flaunting their natural assets. These women are promoting trashy methods of flirtation and insisting that sex is the easiest way to attain love. Though many of these women make it to final eliminations, love is never found on these shows, and networks keep coming out with more.

It seems that viewers are no longer satisfied with the simplicity of original competitive sports, game shows and dating shows and now long for shows that push the envelope and bend the limits to a breaking point.

Because humans feed on drama and conflict, reality shows will continue to flood airways, filling our brains with the unwanted necessity of nonsense. There will be more journeys for love, money and materialistic happiness as viewers anticipate the arrival of new shows. It's difficult to determine how far reality television will go, considering the absurdity of its current existence.

Until new ideas are developed, viewers (including myself) will wait to see which fake-breasted woman Bret Michaels will select to go on tour with him, who the next bikini-wearing girl will be to push Sharon Osbourne to physical violence and if any of these fame-seekers will land a spot on the next season of "Celebrity Rehab" or "Sober House."

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.