MamaPop Confessional: Reality TV Guilty Pleasures

OK, betches, fess up. While the majority of us are intelligent, savvy connoisseurs of quality television, sometimes, we watch some total crap.

We know it's wrong. We know what our friends would think if they found out. We know how the neighbors would talk if they peeked in through the flickering blinds and saw what we were doing. And yet, the siren call of bad television is often unbearable and irresistible.

For example, we would probably never publicly admit to it, but some of us saw every episode of VH1's reality series, The Pickup Artist. I mean, I'm not saying I watched that show, but some of us might have.

It was a friend of mine, actually. And she's totally going to watch the second season, too.

Even though I recognize the difference between quality programming and utter shit, I have to admit to having watched some really terrible TV in my time. So, ladies, it's confession time.

Bless me, Nielsen, for I have sinned:

The following are my top five guilty pleasures of the past and present.

5. The Millionaire Matchmaker

As a feminist, this show really strained my cringe muscles, but I watched it weekly with great zeal, anyway. I love how Patti Stanger tries to weed out gold diggers, as if any of these model/actresses are actually applying for her services because of all the charity work the bachelors do.

4. Hell's Kitchen

I wouldn't trust most of the contestants to make a grilled cheese sandwich, let alone a Wellington, and none of them should be managing so much as a Dairy Queen, yet I must tune in to see who wins the position as Pretend Head Chef of a five-star restaurant, which will actually have a competent executive chef to keep the winner from burning the place down, thank goodness.

3. Rock Star: Supernova

I tuned in every week to watch people with more talent in their pinkies than Tommy Lee and crue crew contained in their entire collection of leather pants vie for the spot as lead singer in the "supergroup" Supernova, whose album is available now in a Walmart bargain bin near you!
For the record, I was a Storm Large fan.

2. The Pickup Artist

Because, seriously, does this shit actually work on anyone with two brain cells to rub together? This show is the second-most unintentionally hilarious reality show I have ever seen. Second, only to...

1. Rock of Love

Why not Flavor of Love, you ask? Because the only thing worse than a show about a bunch of women fighting over a washed-up musician is a KNOCK OFF of a show about a bunch of women fighting over a washed-up musician. Seriously, some of these girls deserve Golden Globes for their abilities to even halfway convincingly act earnestly attracted to the tanorexic, wig-wearing, washed-up Bret Michaels.

 

Well, having gotten all that off my chest, I feel a great weight has lifted. So, tell me, what's your guilty pleasure?

Comments

[laura]

Snarky, I LOVE "Flipping Out." Currently DVR that, Project Runway, Shear Genius, My Life on the D-List and Must Love Kids (which I am liking so far.) O.K. Apparently, I can't live without the Bravo channel...or my DVR.

[Lauren]

Two confessions:
1. Wipeout. Wouldn't be quite so embarassing if I din't die laughing the ENTIRE time. BIG. TEARS. OF. LAUGHTER.

2. I Survived a Japaneese Game Show. I was recently in Hawaii and wanted to stop every Japaneese tourist and ask them if they had been on a Japaneese game show, thankfully I have a husband who embarasses easily and wouldn't let me...sigh..

MAJEDA!!!

[deirdre]

I have not yet seen, but intend to, the Denise Richards reality show. I see it on the tv guide, flip to it, it's on commercial, and I flip on to something else. But I know that when I catch that first golden moment of Denise acting . . . nay, *being* herself, I'll be hooked forever.

[Gail]

No one is watching "From Gs to Gents" except me? This can not be true.