"Reality TV is destroying our society."

So the whole Balloon Boy story was a hoax. Twenty years ago, I might have been astonished by that. But in a world where a woman would purposely give birth to octuplets solely so that she can get her own reality television show, the Balloon Boy hoax is just business as usual.

For the longest time, I refused to watch any reality television. Then I found myself sucked into The Amazing Race and yeah, I was pretty excited when Project Runway moved to basic cable so I could watch it too. So I guess now I would say that I'm a bit of a reality TV snob. I don't feel like the shows I watch cater to the lowest common denominator the way so much of reality TV does.

And that's where the problem lies really afterall - in taking people who we wouldn't ordinarily give the time of day AND PUTTING THEM ON TV. Like all those no-talent goofballs on The Hills who have no business being on television and the nutcases on Wife Swap who go to all kinds of extremes just for show. Reality TV is destroying our society and the people who watch are every bit as responsible as the producers. Being upset by the Balloon Boy hoax but still watching the trash television that inspired it is like complaining about the paparazzi who killed Princess Di but still buying US magazine.

I was shocked to find out that child labor laws don't apply to reality TV shows. I guess they're not technically "working" just because they have cameras following them around day & night. I personally think it should be against the law for children to be on them at all. Do we have any idea the long-term psychological effects it has on them? I can only imagine the exaggerated self-importance one must develop from such a childhood.