Britney and Wild Boars

Kidd asked me on the air today if I happened to watch Chaotic last night, the new Britney reality show. Of course I didn't, because the Rangers game was on. And if the Rangers hadn't been playing then I'm sure I would have discovered some dust on the wine rack or a dog-paw-shaped spot on the carpet that needed tending to instead. It's not that I don't like Britney, she's fine. I just don't particularly enjoy watching a train wreck, especially when it is filmed with a hand-held camera and the visual makes me feel like I'm riding in the bumpy caboose.

Does everyone in the world love reality TV? Am I all alone in this bubble that is void of cash prizes and strategic alliances? I've never seen American Idol. I watched the first two seasons of Survivor, but I haven't been into reality TV since. Unless you count Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals as reality TV. That seems pretty real, and she rocks. And I'll watch an occasional Newlyweds episode because I like to look at Nick and Jessica's granite countertops. But the minute they killed the wild boar on Survivor a few years ago I was done with reality TV on the whole. Perhaps I have too large a soft spot for animals who just happen to be minding their own business and who don't expect to be stabbed for ratings. I have emotional issues with squashing bugs after all. I knew the wild boar scene on Survivor was coming (we were in Austin at the time and my radio collegues and I had talked about it that day), so when the scene started with the unsuspecting boar rustling around in the bushes I had to run outside into the backyard with my fingers in my ears singing la-la's loudly to myself so I wouldn't hear one millisecond of a squeal. Okay, that just makes me a wimp. But there are no pig murders on Comedy Central or ESPN or during a Mavs game. Much more agreeable for the sensitive types. And you get to laugh and cheer and stuff.

You know what it is for me...so much of reality TV is about tearing people (and pigs) down. I just don't need to see that. I would rather be part of the building up process. I don't want to allow another person's loss or folly, or casting off from a reality show, to become the avenue that I use to make myself feel good. Anyone?

All of this was much too difficult to squeeze in during a ten second transition to the traffic report on Kidd's show today. Blogs are fun like that. Best of luck to Britney and Kevin and the upcoming bundle of joy. Now that's a reality show.