'Reality' Check

The Specifics and Tricks of Your Favorite Reality Shows

I have to admit I am a skeptic when it comes to television. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy or entertain myself with various reality shows but I've always known that crazy character isn't as crazy as they seem and those hard voting decisions aren't as hard to make as you would think.

Pay close attention to the end credits of certain reality shows especially competition shows such as the Apprentice. It says something like the producers have influence on the final decision...etc. Its obvious producers of the show tell the characters what would make good TV and therefore would influence them to go their way so that their show would stay on the air.

Did anyone notice the episode of I Love New York where the Chance character is bribed by New York's mother and starts to give his chain (her award for him to stay in the show) back? When New York leaves upset and ready to change her mind and kick him off, the camera accidentally shows the legs of another man outside with her and Chance. I believe that man was explaining to New York that he told Chance to act like he was going to take his chain off for good TV. New York's character has been intolerant of the slightest betrayal from any of the other guys the whole show so far, so why would she suddenly forgive Chance? Because the producers told her to, that's why.

Also in America's Top Model, it's easy to see how Tyra Banks focus on leaving the girls who are more dramatic then others in the show. I mean, how easy is it to tell a girl your "eyes didn't just look right" in that photo. Come on! There is no actual rules or standards of beauty that all models must follow. Tyra knows what will keep her show on the air and that's drama. It's not just a coincidence that the girls who have short tempers or who cry all the time manage to make it far on the show.

Don't get me started on Flavor of Love. It was extremely obvious to me how these girls would go out of their way to start fights that didn't even make sense. They Just wanted to show off and be the one girl everyone's looking at and saying 'tsk tsk look at her what ashame' and then she's talked about on sensational news shows such as Talk Soup and Access Hollywood.