I saw a clip of the View recently: a show that I haven't watched since Rosie O'Donnell left (I have a love/hate relationship with Rosie). I used to DVR the View when she was on so I could tune in whenever an argument erupted between her and whatever (usually) conservative person she banged heads with that day. I'm a train wreck loving type of gal. If everyone got along on television I'd be all radio.
But I tuned in a few days ago to watch Elizabeth Hasselbeck do her usual silly shtick about The Bachelor (apparently she adores the show and has made said adoration her 'thing' on the show). She had a group of girlfriends come over for the evening to see the grand finale, they all held roses (I'm not joking although I wish I was) and ate chocolates and hammed it up for the View cameras that happened to be in her apartment that night. Then it made for a cute bit on the show the next day. Nobody was taking it seriously, it was just a tongue-in-cheek bit of fun.
The Bachelor made headlines,however, due to the fact that he asked his #1 choice to marry him and a few minutes later changed his mind and asked #2 the same thing. #1 called him "a bastard" and off she stormed and #2 cried with happiness and made out with him on the stage. All in the space of a few minutes.
And millions of us watched it all go down.
I know why we all watch (those that do)all this. We like trainwreck TV. We like to see fights and tears and misunderstandings and dramatic endings that aren't always so happy. We want to be thought of as watching Frontline and Nova and the BBC World News but many of us also like this kind of Bachelor stuff. I'd never want that kind of stage, but I admit that I like to watch a little from behind the curtains. The Bachelor isn't alone. Here is a list of some other reality shows and it's not a complete list. The mind boggles:
. The $25 Million Dollar Hoax
• 13: Fear is Real
• 17 Kids & Counting
• 30 Days
• 30 Seconds of Fame
• 50 Cent: The Money and the Power
• 8th & Ocean
• A Double Shot at Love
• A Model Life with Petra Nemcova
• A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila 1
• A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila 2
• Adventures in Hollyhood
• Age of Love
• The Agency
• Airline
• All American Girl
• The Amazing Race 1
• The Amazing Race 2
• The Amazing Race 3
• The Amazing Race 4
• The Amazing Race 5
• The Amazing Race 6
• The Amazing Race 7
• The Amazing Race 8
• The Amazing Race 9
• The Amazing Race 10
• The Amazing Race: All-Stars
• The Amazing Race 12
• The Amazing Race 13
• The Amazing Race 14
• America's Got Talent 1
• America's Got Talent 2
• America's Got Talent 3
• America's Most Smartest Model
• America's Next Muppet
• America's Next Producer
• America's Next Top Model 1
• America's Next Top Model 2
• America's Next Top Model 3
• America's Next Top Model 4
• America's Next Top Model 5
• America's Next Top Model 6
• America's Next Top Model 7
• America's Next Top Model 8
• America's Next Top Model 9
• America's Next Top Model 10
• America's Next Top Model 11
• America's Toughest Jobs
• American Chopper
• American Gladiators
• American Hot Rod
• American Dream Derby
• American Idol 1
• American Idol 2
• American Idol 3
• American Idol 4
• American Idol 5
• American Idol 6
• American Idol 7
• American Idol 8
• American Inventor
• American Juniors
• Amish In The City
• Amne$ia
• Anchorwoman
• The Anna Nicole Show
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
• Anything For Love
• The Apprentice 1
• The Apprentice 2
• The Apprentice 3
• The Apprentice 4
• The Apprentice 5
• The Apprentice: Los Angeles
• The Celebrity Apprentice 1
• The Celebrity Apprentice 2
• The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
• Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
• Are You Hot?
• Armed & Famous
• The Ashlee Simpson Show
• Ashley Paige: Bikini or Bust
• The Assistant
• Average Joe 1
• Average Joe 2: Hawaii
• Average Joe 3: Adam Returns
• Average Joe 4
• Ax Men
• The Baby Borrowers
• The Bachelor 1
• The Bachelor 2
• The Bachelor 3
• The Bachelor 4
• The Bachelor 5
• The Bachelor 6
• The Bachelor 7
• The Bachelor: Paris
• The Bachelor: Rome
• The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman
• The Bachelor 11
• The Bachelor: London Calling
• The Bachelor 13
• The Bachelorette 1
• The Bachelorette 2
• The Bachelorette 3
• The Bachelorette 4
• Baldwin Hills
• Battleground Earth
• Battle of the Network Reality Stars
• Beauty And The Geek 1
• Beauty And The Geek 2
• Beauty And The Geek 3
• Beauty And The Geek 4
• Beauty And The Geek 5
• Beg, Borrow & Deal 1
• Beg, Borrow & Deal 2
• Being Bobby Brown
• The Benefactor
• Better Half
• The Beverly Hillbillies
• Big Brother 1
• Big Brother 2
• Big Brother 3
• Big Brother 4
• Big Brother 5
• Big Brother 6
• Big Brother 7: All-Stars
• Big Brother 8
• Big Brother 9
• Big Brother 10
• Big Brother (International Editions)
• The Biggest Loser 1
• The Biggest Loser 2
• The Biggest Loser 3
• The Biggest Loser 4
• The Biggest Loser: Couples
• The Biggest Loser: Couples 2
• The Biggest Loser: Families
• The Biggest Loser: Special Edition
• Big Man on Campus
• Bindi: The Jungle Girl
• The Block
• Blow Out
• Blush
• Boarding House: North Shore
• Boot Camp
• Born Country
• Boy Meets Boy
• Brat Camp
• Breaking Bonaduce
• Bridezillas
• Bridget's Sexiest Beaches
• Britney And Kevin: Chaotic
• Bromance
• But The Sex Is So Good
• Can You Duet?
• Canadian Idol
• The Casino
• Celebrity Circus
• Celebrity Cooking Showdown
• Celebrity Duets
• Celebrity Fit Club 1
• Celebrity Fit Club 5
• Celebrity Mole Hawaii
• Celebrity Mole Yucatan
• Celebrity Rap Superstar
• Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew 1
• Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew 2
• CHA$E
• Change of Heart
• Chasing Farrah
• Chopped
• The City
• Clash of the Choirs
• The Club
• Cold Turkey
• College Hill
• Combat Missions
• The Complex
• Confessions of a Matchmaker
• Confessions of a Teen Idol
• The Contender 1
• The Contender 2
• The Contender 3
• The Contender 4
• Cops
• Criss Angel Mindfreak
• Croc Hunter Challenge
• The Crocodile Hunter
• Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants
• Cupid
• The Cut
• Daisy of Love
• Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team
• Dance Machine
• Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
• Dance Your Ass Off
• Dance Fever
• Dancelife
• Dancing with the Stars 1
• Dancing with the Stars 2
• Dancing with the Stars 3
• Dancing with the Stars 4
• Dancing with the Stars 5
• Dancing with the Stars 6
• Dancing with the Stars 7
• Dancing with the Stars 8
• Date My Ex: Jo & Slade
• Date My House
• The Dating Experiment
• DEA
• Deadliest Catch
• Deal Or No Deal
• Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love
• Denise Richards: It's Complicated
• Destination Truth
• Destroyed in Seconds
• Dice Undisputed
• DietTribe
• Dinner: Impossible
• Dirty Jobs
• Dog The Bounty Hunter
• Dog Eat Dog
• Don't Forget the Lyrics!
• Dr. Steve-O
• Dream Job 1
• Dress My Nest
• Driving Force
• Eco-Challenge
• Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke
• ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show
• Engaged and Underage
• Estate of Panic
• Ex-Wives Club
• The Exterminators
• Extreme Makeover
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• Fake-A-Date
• Fame
• The Family
• Family Foreman
• Family Business
• Family Plots
• Farmer Wants a Wife
• The Fashionista Diaries
• Fast Cars & Superstars
• Fat March
• Fear Factor
• The First 48
• Flavor of Love 1
• Flavor of Love 2
• Flavor of Love 3
• Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School starring Mo'Nique
• Flip This House
• Flipping Out
• Food Detectives
• For Better Or For Worse
• Forever Eden
• For Love Or Money 1
• For Love Or Money 2
• For Love Or Money 3
• For Love Or Money 4
• From G's to Gents
• Funniest Mom in America
• Gay, Straight or Taken?
• Gene Simmons Family Jewels
• Ghost Hunters
• Ghost Hunters International
• Gimme My Reality Show!
• The Girls Next Door
• Giving Hope
• Gone Country 1
• Gone Country 2
• Gone Country 3
• Grease: You're the One That I Want
• Greatest American Dog
• Hard Knocks
• Harlem Heights
• Have Fork, Will Travel
• Hell Date
• Hell's Kitchen 1
• Hell's Kitchen 2
• Hell's Kitchen 3
• Hell's Kitchen 4
• Hell's Kitchen 5
• Here Come the Newlyweds
• He's A Lady
• Hey Paula
• HGTV Design Star
• High School Musical: Summer Session
• High School Reunion 1
• High School Reunion 4
• The Hills
• Hit Me Baby One More Time
• Hogan Knows Best
• Hole in the Wall
• Holmes on Homes
• Homeland Security USA
• Hooked Up
• Hope for Your Home
• Hopkins
• House Rules
• How to Look Good Naked
• Howie Do It
• Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
• I Can Make You Thin
• I Love Money 1
• I Love New York 1
• I Love New York 2
• I Propose
• I Survived a Japanese Game Show
• I Wanna Be a Soap Star 4
• I Want To Be A Hilton
• I Want to Work for Diddy
• I'm From Rolling Stone
• I've Got Nothing to Wear
• Ice Road Truckers
• I'm A Celebrity - Get Me Out Of Here!
• In Harm's Way
• In Search of the Partridge Family
• Intervention
• Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein
• Invasion Iowa
• The It Factor
• Jackass
• The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency
• Jingles
• Joe Millionaire
• The Joe Schmo Show 1
• The Joe Schmo Show 2
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• Keeping Up with the Kardashians
• Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design
• Kid Nation
• King of Cars
• Kitchen Nightmares
• LA Ink
• Lady or a Tramp
• Laguna Beach
• Last One Standing
• Last Comic Standing 1
• Last Comic Standing 2
• Last Comic Standing 3
• Last Comic Standing 4
• Last Comic Standing 5
• Last Comic Standing 6
• The Last Resort
• The Law Firm
• Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods
• Life of Ryan
• Little People, Big World
• The Littlest Groom
• Living Lohan
• Liza & David
• The Locator
• Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska
• Love Cruise
• Love Shack
• Luke's Parental Advisory
• Mad Mad House
• Make Me a Supermodel 1
• Make Me a Supermodel 2
• Making It Home: Greensburg
• Making Menudo
• Making News: Texas Style
• Making The Band 2
• Man vs. Wild
• Manhunt
• Manhunters
• Married By America
• Master of Dance
• Maui Fever
• Meerkat Manor
• Meet Mister Mom
• Meet My Folks
• Meet The Barkers
• Million Dollar Listing
• The Millionaire Matchmaker
• Miracle Workers
• Miss America: Reality Check
• Model Citizens
• Models NYC
• The Mole 1
• The Mole 2
• The Mole 5
• The Moment of Truth
• Momma's Boys
• Monster Garage
• Moving Up
• Mr. Personality
• Mr. Romance
• Murder
• Murder in Small Town X
• Must Love Kids
• My Big Redneck Wedding
• My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad
• My Super Sweet 16
• My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss
• My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance
• My Fair Brady
• My Life Is A Sitcom
• Mythbusters
• Nanny 911
• NASCAR in Primetime
• Nashville
• Nashville Star 1
• Nashville Star 2
• Nashville Star 3
• Nashville Star 4
• Nashville Star 5
• Nashville Star 6
• National Bingo Night
• New York Goes to Hollywood
• Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica
• Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County
• The Next Best Thing
• The Next Food Network Star 3
• The Next Food Network Star 4
• The Next Great American Band
• The Next Iron Chef
• Next Action Star
• The Next Great Champ
• The Next Joe Millionaire
• No Boundaries
• The One: Making a Music Star
• One Ocean View
• The One Who Got Away
• On The Lot
• Oprah's Big Give
• The Osbournes
• Outback Jack
• Outsider's Inn
• Pageant Place
• Pam: Girl on the Loose
• Pantry Raid
• The Paper
• Paradise Hotel 1
• Paradise Hotel 2
• Paranormal Cops
• Paranormal State
• Paris Hilton's My New BFF
• Parking Wars
• The Partner
• Party Monsters: Cabo
• Pepsi Play for a Billion
• Perfect Match: New York
• Performing As...
• Phenomenon
• The Pick-Up Artist
• Pimp My Ride
• Pirate Master
• The Player
• Playing It Straight
• PoweR Girls
• Prankville
• The Principal's Office
• Project Greenlight 2
• Project Greenlight 3
• Project Runway 1
• Project Runway 2
• Project Runway 3
• Project Runway 4
• Project Runway 5
• Project Runway 6
• Property Ladder
• Punk'd
• Push, Nevada
• Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll
• Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
• Queer Eye For The Straight Girl
• Queer Eye For The Straight Guy
• R U The Girl With T-Boz & Chilli
• Race To The Altar
• The Rachel Zoe Project
• Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew 1
• Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew 2
• Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew 3
• Raw Nature
• The Real Gilligan's Island 1
• The Real Gilligan's Island 2
• The Real Housewives of Atlanta
• The Real Housewives of New Jersey
• The Real Housewives of New York City
• The Real Housewives of Orange County
• The Real Roseanne Show
• The Real Wedding Crashers
• The Real World: Austin
• The Real World: Back to New York
• The Real World: Boston
• The Real World: Brooklyn
• The Real World: Chicago
• The Real World: Hollywood
• The Real World: Key West
• The Real World: Las Vegas
• The Real World: Los Angeles
• The Real World: New Orleans
• The Real World: New York
• The Real World: Paris
• The Real World: Philadelphia
• The Real World: San Diego
• The Real World: San Francisco
• The Real World: Seattle
• The Real World: Sydney
• Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge
• The Rebel Billionaire
• Recovery
• Renovate My Family
• The Restaurant
• Rich Guy, Poor Guy
• Rich Girls
• Road Rules
• Road Rules: South Pacific
• Road Rules: X-TREME
• The Road To Stardom With Missy Elliott
• Rob & Amber: Against the Odds
• Rob and Big
• Rob And Amber Get Married
• Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels
• Rock of Love Charm School with Sharon Osbourne
• Rock of Love with Bret Michaels 1
• Rock of Love with Bret Michaels 2
• Rock the Cradle
• Rock Star: INXS
• Rock Star: Supernova
• Rookies
• Ruby
• Run's House
• Running in Heels
• Say Yes to the Dress
• Scare Tactics
• The Scholar
• Scott Baio is 45... And Single
• Scream Queens
• The Search for the Next Elvira
• The Search For The Most Talented Kid In America
• Second Chance: America's Most Talented Senior
• The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom
• Secret Millionaire
• Secret Talents of the Stars
• Sell This House
• Sex in the Itty Bitty City
• Shaq's Big Challenge
• The Shark Tank
• She's Got the Look
• Shear Genius 1
• Shear Genius 2
• Shipmates
• Shooting Sizemore
• The Simple Life 1
• The Simple Life 2
• The Simple Life 3
• The Simple Life 4
• The Singing Bee
• The Singing Office
• Skating With Celebrities
• Smash Lab
• Snoop Dogg's Father Hood
• So You Think You Can Dance 1
• So You Think You Can Dance 2
• So You Think You Can Dance 3
• So You Think You Can Dance 4
• Solitary
• Sorority Life
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search
• The Springer Hustle
• The Stagers
• The Starlet
• Star Search
• Starting Over
• Step It Up & Dance
• Storm Chasers
• Street Customs
• Style Her Famous
• Stylista
• Sunday Best
• Sunset Tan
• Super Millionaire
• Supernanny
• Superstars of Dance
• Superstar USA
• Surf Girls
• The Surreal Life 1
• The Surreal Life 2
• The Surreal Life 3
• The Surreal Life 4
• The Surreal Life 5
• The Surreal Life 6
• The Surreal Life: Fame Games
• Survivor: Borneo
• Survivor: The Australian Outback
• Survivor: Africa
• Survivor: Marquesas
• Survivor: Thailand
• Survivor: The Amazon
• Survivor: Pearl Islands
• Survivor: All Stars
• Survivor: Vanuatu
• Survivor: Palau
• Survivor: Guatemala
• Survivor: Panama
• Survivor: Cook Islands
• Survivor: Fiji
• Survivor: China
• Survivor: Micronesia
• Survivor: Gabon
• Survivor: Tocantins
• Survivorman
• The Swan 1
• Tabatha's Salon Takeover
• Take Home Nanny
• Taquita & Kaui
• Taxicab Confessions
• Temptation Island 1
• Temptation Island 2
• Temptation Island 3
• Thank God You're Here
• That's Amore
• There's Something About Miriam
• 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave
• Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
• Toddlers and Tiaras
• Todd TV
• Tommy Lee Goes To College
• Tontine
• Tool Academy
• Top Chef 1
• Top Chef 2
• Top Chef 3 Miami
• Top Chef 4
• Top Chef: New York
• Top Design 1
• Top Design 2
• Top Gear
• Tori & Dean: Inn Love
• Tough Enough
• Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod
• Trading Spaces
• Trading Spouses
• Treasure Quest
• Treasure Hunters
• Trick It Out
• Trick My Truck
• Trick My Trucker
• Trista & Ryan's Wedding
• True Beauty
• Tuesday Night Book Club
• Twentyfourseven
• The Two Coreys
• Two-A-Days
• Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge
• UFO Hunters
• The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search 3
• Unan1mous
• Under One Roof
• Varsity Inc.
• Victoria Beckham: Coming to America
• The Victoria?s Secret Fashion Show
• Viva La Bam
• Walk the Lion
• Wanna Bet
• The Weakest Link
• Welcome to the Parker
• Welcome To The Neighborhood
• What Not To Wear
• When Women Rule the World
• While You Were Out
• Who Are You Wearing?
• Who's Your Daddy?
• Who Wants to be a Superhero? 2
• Who Wants To Marry My Dad? 1
• Who Wants To Marry My Dad? 2
• Wickedly Perfect
• Wife, Mom, Bounty Hunter
• Wife Swap
• The Will
• Will Work for Food
• Wipeout
• Work Out
• World Idol
• Wreckreation Nation
• The X Factor
• Your Mama Don't Dance
(http://www.realitytvworld.com/realitytvworld/allshows.shtml)
Dizzy yet?
It's not just reality TV. We're all Facebooking and Myspacing and blogging and Twittering! We feel the need to tell the world that we had Cheerios for breakfast and that Junior pooped twice before 9am and that our husbands are mean or they are fantastic or that we feel fat or got really drunk last night.
Of course, some of us maintain very private lives - but most of us under the age of 50 (and often older) do not. We risk losing (or being disqualified) for jobs due to what we write or say publicly. We lose relationships, friendships, money and even our homes because we get into trouble on line or fall for a scheme or a phony romance.
One Twittering mom that made headlines had the police at her door at 11pm one night because she twittered that she was thinking of smothering her kid because her kid wouldn't go to bed. Someone read it and felt it might be serious since the mom had already twittered about her bouts with depression and anger as well as several suicide attempts. But the smother chat was a joke, apparently, and the woman is back Twittering again. But not before she launched a foul mouthed tirade about how she was just joking about her ""f*cking daughter" and how an email from a twitter reader would have been better "instead of ruining my f*cking evening as I sit here enraged that a f*cking stranger had the gall."
And sadly, we have all heard of people, young and older, being harmed or worse, from meeting someone who pretended to be someone else, on line.
Yet nothing seems to hold us back from letting the entire world know our every move. And most of the world seems to want to know. And I wonder...why?
Tell Us
Do you tell the world your life on any of the social networking sites? Do you want any of the hundreds of reality shows out there? Have you ever tried out for one? Do you blog? Do you love to see, listen and read about others? Tell us why!