Reality takes a beating

If you want to talk reality TV—and lord knows I don't—you've got to talk to Gael over at Pop Culture Junk Mail. She sums up my problem with reality TV in a comment about some crappy show called “High School Reunion: Catholic School”:

People, will they never learn? Two free weeks in Maui will NOT soothe the pain of being labeled “The Predator,” “The Fat Girl,” or “The Psycho Ex” in front of the entire nation.

Reality shows tend to be populated by people who aren't all that bright, because nobody else would think it was a good idea to participate in such a thing. And I'm supposed to care about what they do and how they react to various contrived scenarios? Thanks, but no.