Reality {TV}? Check!

I find it humorous, seeing the look on Levi's face as he looks from me, to the TV, then back to me, while "my shows" are on.


Watching my favorite reality TV shows is the most masculine thing I think I've ever done. No, I'm not watching something on Spike and I'm not scratching. . .anything. I think that because when they're on, I don't want to talk and don't want to be talked to. I can {almost} tune everything else out. I don't want Levi to sit next to me with his arm around my shoulders; I need adequate space to physically respond to the show {lean forward in suspense, throw my hands up in disgust, cheer with delight, etc.}

"Why do you like this stuff?" Levi asks.

I look at him like he's got a third eye.

My very cool, very casual {very sarcastic} response is, "It makes me feel better about my own life."

He's expecting such a feminine remark and acknowledges it with an exaggerated eye-roll. I look back at him with a smirk that oozes, "You had it comin', buddy."

But it got me thinking -- why do I like these shows? There's no educational value. And when I try to describe what the shows are actually about, even I have a hard time finding enough words to validate them {and myself}.

There is no question that I am entertained. I love watching the dynamics of relationships, the different personalities, and how each member of the cast approaches obstacles and stressful situations.

And that's what I think it is. I am constantly comparing the decisions they make with the ones I think I would make. Especially in confrontational situations where heated verbal exchanges take place and both sides either feel passionately about what they're defending or are too prideful to back down.

As I've gotten older, I have developed a violent distaste for game-playing. The kind that sucks life out of a relationship, time out of a day, and days out of a life. So I can appreciate confrontation, when done appropriately. And because confrontation is the very life-blood of reality TV, the more dramatically and viciously it is done, the better the ratings.

I don't necessarily agree with the method, but I agree with the point of it, which is getting things out in the open, tackling them head on, and then moving on, not necessarily as "BFFs", but having stood up for what you believe in, holding another person accountable, and expressing your self-worth as a human-being.

So I like observing the confrontation to see who keeps their cool, who is devouring the person standing before them, who has a good point, who's side, if any, I am drawn to, and to compare the comments that come to my mind to the ones being verbalized.