Reality and TV

I'm watching one of the five thousand reality shows on television right now. I remember when the reality show first started hitting the scene. When I was in high school, The Real World was introduced on MTV. This may not have been the first reality show, but it's the first I really remember. My first thought was, "I can't wait to get on my own reality show!" But now, I'm just horrified by what has happened to the genre. When will it end? A "Weird" Al song about television talks about watching lions eating Christians. It was funny when that song came out, the phrase was funny. It's too close to the truth now to be amusing. People...the television industry will only stop the madness when we truly stop watching. Why are we watching people behave badly for entertainment? A future bride abusing everyone involved with her wedding is not cute. Watching a family break up and then stalking them through their separation is not fun. Finding a life partner through a pool of possibilities on television through a series of dates that turn into makeout sessions is not classy. When we all start respecting ourselves and each other, this insanity will stop. Am I downing all reality television? Not at all. I appreciate reality shows with a point and don't have a problem with most reality competitions (American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Hell's Kitchen). These shows are not as much about these people's personal lives as about their professional skills. A competition is good for the spirit. But we just have to stop prying into everyone's personal lives, even celebrities. They have public jobs, they should not have public lives. And I don't need to know their political views. Oy vey!