Comment 10 by alaskansee :

Where did that "Reality TV" straw man come from Paula? Yes a popularity contest, such as a phone in vote, will produce the most popular choice not neccesarily the "best". What's the surprise and what's new - remember the Eurovision, remember any election ever?

Creationist and right wingers have been working hard in the US to convince everyone that their beliefs are true facts and you're blaming reality TV? I'm not sure which is funniest; that you think Reality TV has even the slightest conection or that it wasn't all of the hard work the creationists have been doing. I think I know which one the IDiots would like you not to believe, so thanks on their behalf.

"I don't just mean because the vast majority of such programs are mind-numbingly tedious..."

It's hard to believe you wrote this Paula, do you have any understanding of personnel tastes? I like mountain biking, drum and bass, smoking weed and Hells Kitchen (US reality TV show), if you don't agree with everything I like you must be, what, "mind-numbingly tedious", funny that's never come across in any of your previous pieces?

Zero marks for getting your pet peeve into the first paragraph, full marks for the rest.

That seems like an amazing over reaction to me. All she said was "the vast majority of such programs are mind-numbingly tedious...". I mean I would say that's true for ALL Television and Hollywood movies for that matter. That the vast majority (not all) are mind-numbingly tedious. I'm sure that Hell's Kitchen is the exception that it is full of witty intellectual discussions that rival the Alqonquin round table. That doesn't contradict her point that the vast majority are mind-numbingly tedious.

I've never seen a reality TV show and never will unless I'm in a persistent vegitative state and the nurse turns the TV to one. But if you like them so what? We all have our guilty pleasures, mine is Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD.