Reality Bytes

So yeah, it's summer. Which is a weird concept now because I guess in the "real world" (not to be confused with the original reality show on MTV, though reality television will be the subject of this post) summer isn't all that much different from any other season. There's no summer vacation, summer camp, summer school... In fact, I assume "summer" won't really be special anymore until we have kids, at which point we may very well dread the season we have for the past 12 years or so looked forward to so anxiously. Summer, the Christmas of seasons, has been deflated into nothing more than Columbus Day (which, incidentally, I learned from Jeopardy is the least celebrated of all the federal holidays).

However, there is still one crucial defining factor that separates summer from the pack. One essential difference for which summer stands alone: all the regular TV shows are over and the airwaves are being populated by reality TV, entertainment gems such as Celebrity Circus and Wipeout and entirely too many dance-competition shows. It feels like the strike is happening all over again. That being said, my reality TV quota is influenced by the fact that I'm currently living with Mama Woods, reality show enthusiast, who squealed with excitement the other day over a commercial for the new season of Big Brother.

Speaking of Mama Woods, I'm proud/concerned to announce that she's beginning to pick up some of the phrases that I, in turn, picked up from some of you. Just this evening, while watching a particularly riveting conclusion to an episode of The Bachelorette, in which Dianna chose her final four bachelors, my mother responded to Dianna's choice of Jesse, the short, shaggy-haired, snowboarder, with an exclamation of "Balls!" (She also continues to use "GP, GP," which she picked up during our intercession trip freshman year.)

But I digress. Back to reality dance shows. TLC premiered their version of reality-dance-competition-TV with the debut of "Master of Dance" this evening. I could not help but think that this is a show Steiny should really be on. The game goes like this:
They play bits of oldies, and the contestants dance, of course using the classic associated dance moves, and adjusting quickly as they shuffle through songs like Footloose, Billy Jean, Macho Man, and Flashdance. You have to be quick on your feet - literally. And remember... only ONE person can be named (echoing reverb here) Master ..... of ..... Dance! Seriously, Steiny, you so have it in the bag.

To prove my plight, here is a list of the reality TV shows I have watched in the past week:
The Bachelorette
The Mole
Master of Dance
Jon and Kate + 8 (actually really good - check it out on TLC)
Kathy Griffin - Life on the D-List (also good)
What Not to Wear
She's Got the Look
So You Think You Can Dance (amazing)
Design Star
America's Got Talent

And so, like Carrie Bradshaw in SATC, I have to wonder, Can reality TV teach me anything about this "real world" which I'm about to enter? I guess I'll find out. But I really doubt it.

MDubbs, out.