Reality Show Hell

I've been a fan of reality shows since MTV first aired The Real World. It was an original idea: take strangers from "formulated" different backgrounds, put them in a house, and film their ups and downs. Next came Survivor - again, another original concept: take strangers, have them compete for a reward/immunity, and contestants get voted off in a drama filled elimination process.

VH-1, which used to be a music video channel, has abandoned that concept and went "all in" with reality shows (they should rebrand themselves as RS-1 "Reality Shows One"). They evolved the reality genre into "celebreality" by using "past their prime" celebrities. Flavor of Love and Rock of Love were entertaining in the beginning, but became too redundant. The problem came with the many sequels (do we really need a 3rd Real World set in New York City or a Rock of Love Bus), the many spinoffs (I Love New York, Real Chance of Love), people not acting "real" by trying to get their own shows or further their acting/singing/modeling careers, and the trashiness. It'll be interesting to see what the genre will evolve into next.