Flip through the channels on the ole' boob tube and your sure to find a fairly decent amount (read: mind numbingly huge) of reality TV shows, from Daisy of Love to The Hills and pretty much everything in between. You want to see people do absolutely disgusting things for buttloads of money? There's a show for that. Want to watch some ridiculously over done C list "celeb" make an ass of themselves in the name of love? There's a show for that too! You name it, there's a reality show for it. Think I'm joking? Wikipedia breaks them down by type of show here.

The problem with all of it is the simple fact that its ruining traditional TV. For those of you who remember the 90's, take a trip down memory lane with me for a moment, will you? Shows like Saved by the Bell and Family Matters filled our afternoons when we should have been doing homework. The original 90210 was a soap opera for teens, and quality cartoons like Tom & Jerry greeted us every Saturday morning. Those were the days, weren't they? /end reverie

But then came along reality tv. It started with The Bachelor, and pretty soon, it was all everyone could think about. Don't EVEN get me started on American Idol, and its various spinoffs. GAH. Now I'm not saying the shows in and of themselves are bad. I actually LIKE a few of them. But it makes me cringe every time I click over to traditional tv. I mean they can't even come up with original stuff, so they resort to bringing back (badly, I might add) the classics. Think I'm joking? Click over to cwtv.com and search 90210. They didn't even bother trying to rename it. Some things are seriously better left dead and gone. The CW has even gone so far as to attempt to resurrect Melrose Place. WTH? Excuse me while I go puke now.

As much as I like my Sex in the City, I would probably hate it if they tried to bring that show back. Why? Because nothing can top the original, and in this world of the next has to be better than the former, I would feel disappointed.

But that isn't my point. How precisely is reality tv ruining traditional tv? Its simple. You flood the market with CRAP, and those that work hard are going to give up. Why pay millions of dollars to an actress who can't roll out of bed before noon when you can turn to the public and get them to do ridiculously stupid stuff, often for free? Sure there is the prize at the end, but only one contestant walks away with the prize, not the 20 other people. Economically, it makes more sense. Why pay out the derrier for programming when you can get Joe Blow to do it for a fraction of the cost?