Mock, mock, mock

I don't watch a whole lot of television, but there never seems to be a shortage of shows that I hate.

Why is this? Because my girlfriend has a nasty habit of gravitating towards shows worthy of my scorn. Now, to be fair, she's not the type that insists on watching the bevy of reality shows that permeate our airwaves. She doesn't sit around waiting for the next schlock-filled episode of Rock of Love, Flava of Love, I Love New York, Fucking (Disguised as Loving New York), etc, etc. Actually, two of her favorite channels are more "reality" based than your average broadcast network or vh1: TLC and Discovery Health.

I'll leave Discovery Health alone not because I like it, but because I'm uninterested and generally freaked out by all things medical. This is, of course, despite the fact that I work at a BLOOD center. TLC, however, is a different beast.

I don't think I can stand a single show on that network. I don't watch anything closely on the channel while my girlfriend is watching What Not to Wear or Jon & Kate Plus 8 but time and again I find myself turning away from my computer screen to curse the TV or mock one or more of the people.

I'm finding the only way I can stomach any of this reality television is to mock it incessantly. (And hopefully to the point where she turns it off)

I've written about this before -- about Bridezillas in particular -- that I think the only reason most reality television exists in the first place is because it makes the average American feel better about themselves.

I'm not trying to take any sort of high road here. I openly mock people on a regular basis; it's entertainment to me. But that's the thing - I mock real people. I don't want that to be the selling point for a decidedly escapist form of entertainment. When I'm entertained it's because of a good plot or (more likely because I'm not a fan of dramas) brilliant dialogue. Reality TV doesn't deliver when it comes to those points.

So why the screencap from the final episode of Seinfeld? Because Babu tells the jury how the foursome just mocked and mocked and mocked and never thought about any of the people they were mocking... and I think that illustrates rather poignantly the attitude of the average reality show viewer, even me.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Am I just a hateful, bitter asshole incapable of having a little fun? On that last question, I'm (barely) secure enough in my own skin to admit that I am, in fact, a hateful, bitter asshole. Regardless, reality TV still bugs the living shit out of me and if that's wrong, I don't want to be right.