Just When Reality TV Was Starting to Pi$$ Me Off

I am not much of a reality TV watcher.

I find the Bachelor/Bachelorette nauseating, and yet I have to work not to even get a GLIMPSE, or I will mindlessly watch it and yell feminist mantras at the television. This has happened several times in a seedy-no-channel-having hotel on a work trip and all bets were off. I feel bad for my hotel neighbors, listening to me yell "Don't do it!!" and "Run, RUUUUN!"...

The Teen Mom show is just sad and depressing since the story never really changes. Girl loves boy, boy sleeps with girl, girl gets pregnant, pregnancy is girl's problem, girl's life changes, boy's life continues on relative same path.

Survivor...meh.

I DO watch Top Chef, and Project Runway because A) I love food and B) I love the campy and quirky characters on both. There is inevitably a secret romance or Drag Queen with an adoringly ridiculous laugh. And while there is a lot of bitchiness, no one sabotages or votes each other off. Much. There was an incident of pea puree, but it was never proven.

Fierce. He said it 1000 times. Per show.
It cracked me up. 

Special Agent and the Baboos love Pawn Stars, and i could find the show interesting if I wasn't reminded that the mope who has the most damned interesting item and corresponding story is selling it for much less than it is worth so he can gamble, or pay his rent because he gambled, needs a fix, etc. Currently it is a jackass selling his grandfather's well-loved harmonica after talking about it and his memories of his pappy playing it (tears). He sold it for $200 bucks and a bad watch.

Fail.

But, take heart! Have you seen ABC's The Secret Millionaire?

I have caught a few episodes and the last one had the baboo and I bawling by the end. The super rich take a trip to an area of town that is struggling and live there, sometimes living off what the average person in the area would earn and then learning and participating in social service non profits in the area. And after spending some time there, the wealthy-but-wiser spring the truth on the unsuspecting, selfless community servant, along with a big 'ol check. Everyone cries and hugs. It is sort of in the vein of Extreme Makeover - Home Edition, but without the narcissistic Ty Pennington and his bad hair and annoying-ness.

Good work, bad host. What a tool.

This is a reality show you can get on board with. The episodes I have watched featured those who describe themselves as lucky in business, who are not flashy about their wealth and don't know the Kardashians. Some have even spent a little time living in the conditions they are now visiting.  The best part is, it isn't trite, as one would expect. The millionaires experience actual transformations as they see how even a small amount of their money can fund a program for a year, or a whole community. It rocks.

These soup kitchen sisters doing good work..

I don't care if watching the Real Housewives of Wherever curls your toes and you can't miss it. I am not judging - I have my own issues. But try to make some time for this reality show where getting off the island is actually a good thing.