Hi, I’m Nanci, and I’m going to write about lots of different stuff. Some of you may think that some of my topics are stupid, and even think less of me after reading these posts. That’s fine! Hopefully you’ll find something you’re interested in reading here.

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is “reality television.” For a long time, it was my escape from the pressures of college. Now, it’s just fun entertainment after a day at work.

The first show I regularly watched was MTV’s The Real World, which many people credit with starting the reality TV genre. The early seasons seemed to be interesting social experiments that provided insight into the lives of diverse young people. I first started watching the show when I was 13, and the cast members seemed so fascinating! They had career aspirations, went to college and had part-time jobs. Some were even activists. One of the early cast members, Pedro Zamora, died of AIDS when his season finished airing, and he was considered an ambassador for the AIDS education movement.

Today, The Real World focuses on young college-aged coeds who drink and party and complain about having to get up at 10 a.m. for a cushy job. Most of them aspire to be in the entertainment business, and many of them go on to participate in various Real World/Road Rules challenges. The show has lost its social experiment quality that made it so interesting.

Not that I’m complaining! It’s still entertaining and I love talking about how stupid everyone was on last night’s episode. See, the main reason I watch “stupid reality shows” is to get a glimpse into other people’s lives. I like a variety of shows: True Life on MTV; documentaries about people with various medical problems; shows about different kinds of families. I’m addicted to HGTV, mainly because I love seeing other people’s houses. And, I’m sad to admit, I get sucked into horrible dating shows because I cannot believe that people actually fight over people like Flavor Flav and Bret Michaels and Tila Tequila, just so they can get on television! In short, I love watching other people.

One of my favorite reality shows is The Hills. Yes, it’s scripted. Yes, it’s staged. But who cares? It’s entertainment. I think Heidi and Spencer are horrible people, but they are definitely interesting! And who knows, maybe they’re all friends in real life, and laugh at all of us who think they hate each other while they count their piles of money.

I had an epiphany the other night while watching wrestling with my husband. (See, I’m well-rounded!) I’ve become fascinated with wrestling because while the storylines are scripted, the moves are real. People get hurt, and there is drama behind the scenes. Fans know wrestlers as characters, but their real-life personalities may be completely different. Just like reality television stars! (And after last night’s episode of The Hills, I’m starting to think that Spencer Pratt is not so horrible, but is just really good at pretending to be a big jerk.)

So while some of you may think that reality television shows are a sign of the downfall of society, and that everyone who likes these shows are stupid, just remember that people like things for different reasons. I know that my shows are stupid—but I love them anyway!

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