Really Bad Reality Shows on My TVo

I have many vices like chocolate, 1 star romantic movies and well, more chocolate - but the vice I couldn't bring myself to include on my New Years resolution list is watching some bad reality shows. The good reality shows like "The Amazing Race", "Project Runway", "Tabatha's Salon", and "Shear Genius" have some adventure, intellectual and creative value to me. The bad ones actually make me cringe and make weird frowny-faces. In spite of increased wrinkles around my mouth, I continue to watch them.

The two that make me think I need a 12 step program and an admission that I am a bad reality show junky are "Launch My Line" and "High School Reunion". This was the first season of "Launch My Line" and since I like "Project Runway" so much (I actually bought a mannequin I was so inspired) I decided to check it out. The premise is that aspiring designers, with no training are paired with real designers who help them sew the clothing that they create. I was getting a feeling that this wasn't going to be a top-grade reality show (yes, there is such a thing) when 2 of the judges were dress shop owners. They are called "fashion notables" on the Bravo website. That's like me being a judge of a line of sportswear because I'm a "frequent sweat pants wearer". The hosts are designers Dean and Dan of DSQUARED2. Now I have to admit that I don't know what they design but I want to tell them - gently - that men their age should not be dressing alike anymore. They not only dress alike but they finish each other's sentences and walk identically onto the stage and onward to the judges chairs. My frown lines grow deeper every time I watch them. The contestants were certainly chosen for the drama and the bickering is a big part of the show. The only saving grace is that they did have Fergie come on to give each finalist some kind of compliment - she must have lost a bet. The season is finally over and I only hope that my TVo forgets that I have a season pass to this show.

The other awful show that I've started watching again is "High School Reunion". This show actually used to be interesting. I watched it a few years ago and I liked the concept. A group of people get back together 10 or 20 years after they graduated from high school and they get to meet up with old loves or confront the bullies of their youth. I totally forgot about the show until I happened to be flipping through channels and found it again. I don't know what happened to the writers, but I think they now only come up with story lines after a night of drinking and not sleeping. I am actually embarrassed for the people on the show - and for me for watching it. This season, a group from a high school in Las Vegas get together in Hawaii. They label each person like "the jock","the cheerleader", "the player", "the nerd", "the prankster", "the late bloomer" and "the summer girls". It's bad enough that 20 years after graduation you have these labels but then they add two guys from a rival school that crash the reunion. Sadly, they could only find one single guy so they brought a married guy with him who says he's just here as the "wing man". I'm not sure what he told his wife about this gig, but I doubt she will be telling her friends and neighbors to tune in. The rival guys spray paint their high school name on the other's high school banner and toilet paper the rooms. Really??? These people are 38 years old! Have they not grown up at all in 20 years? The cliches keep coming on this show. The "summer girls" are botoxed and wear skimpy clothes, the "nerd" has a secret that she is now an exotic dancer but she still holds a grunge against the popular girls because she was never able to get into the "in" crowd. The "jock", who had been dating the "cheerleader" for years in high school, only to fool around on her, ended up tossing her aside again for the "late bloomer". This is so contrived and stupid that I can't believe that I am watching it (It's not over yet). The interesting thing is that this show is at least partially real because they are asking people who graduated in 1990 to apply for the next season. I'm not sure that 15 minutes of fame is worth 20 or 30 years of humiliation. I'm not saying that I am not going to finish watching it, but I am publicly admitting that I have a problem and as soon as this season is over, I'm going to consider addressing it.