Summer Reality Television

Okay -- now that its over (mostly) -- I'd like to thank cable television for the BEST SUMMER REALITY SHOWS EVER!

And I'm not just talking about Sister Wives, Project Runway, Real Housewives of New Jersey,  Duck Dynasty, Toddlers and Tiaras or the spinoff -- Honey Boo Boo. Those shows are wonderful, of course. You surely must know by now that I have VERY LOW STANDARDS when it comes to what I'll watch on television.

The best television shows -- like the best books -- teach you something. For example -- this summer -- I learned about the private yachting industry. Who knew there was one?? In the BRAVO show Below Deck -- was amazing.  The Honor yacht takes out private parties for a week-long luxury cruise. The guests are completely pampered and indulged. Every guest who comes aboard sends an advance list of food preferences, etc.  I don't know what the guests pay for the cruise itself -- but just the TIP at the end of a trip is expected to be  $12,000 (delivered as CASH to the Captain and then divided amongst the crew).

Working on a yacht is like indentured servitude...you MUST do everything the guests request.

But surely the most outlandish reality television show to ever hit cable television would be the Discovery Channel's show -- NAKED AND AFRAID.  Think how it went in the conference room when somebody was selling the premise....

TV exec #1: Let's put two complete strangers together for 21 days to see if they can survive in the wilderness.

Exec #2: Nah. That's already been done...

Exec #3:What if we make them take off all their clothes for the entire time?

Everybody in the room: THAT'S A GREAT IDEA..!!

Amazing that any network would agree to produce this show!!

BUT EVEN MORE AMAZING THAT THEY CAN FIND PARTICIPANTS...!!

Yet -- it actually happened. For the whole summer -- every week -- a different couple would meet on the edge of a wilderness. They take off all their clothes and for the next 21 days they eat bugs, suffer from sunburn and dysentery. They argue and shiver as they try to start fires with sticks while they dodge poisonous snakes and wild animals. If they survive they don't win a damn thing.

OH MY GOD...that is exactly like so many of my friends' first marriages....

Every  participant loses 20% of their body weight. My friend Sandy thinks it's better than the Biggest Loser...

But -- AS AMAZING AS THESE SHOWS have been this summer -- the summer's MOST UNBELIEVABLE SHOW deserves a post of it's own..yes -- it is even crazier than

NAKED AND AFRAID...
THAT show will be in my next post. (yes, Sandy, I promise to follow through!)