I suppose a lot of what constitutes reality tv is based on the premise that famous people are inherently more interesting in their day to day lives than "ordinary people". This is a fallacy. Most often you get famous movie stars away from the camera, or rock stars off the stage or out of the studio, and they're just as boring as we are.

Paris Hilton is a bit of an anomoly, a member of that new breed who are famous solely because of their famousness. No talent whatsoever. You wonder how they ever got famous. And their lives become inseparable from the concept of reality tv, because with it they'd be nothing.

Sometimes reality tv is rather funny. I thought the Osbournes was a hoot. Hulk Hogan and Gene Simmons reality tv are boring as hell.

Yeah a lot of reality tv exists because "we" like to see stars take a fall, e.g. Britney Spears.

American Idol is pure shit, it's a glorified Karaoke/Gong show.

So yeah Lyle, I'm pretty much with you, but I don't seem to get as worked up about it.