The Dumbing Down of Kiran

Please don't judge me but . . . well, while I was on bedrest and now that I am on maternity leave, I have to admit that I have pretty much sunk to a level that I would never sink to when it comes to reality television. As a matter of fact, I think I would have snorted with derision at myself if I could have seen myself in the future, only a few years ago. Which just goes to show you . . . WHAT A COMPLETELY JUDGEMENTAL PERSON I was because boy, let me tell you - you can learn a LOT about life from reality television. It is chock full of wisdom that no Emmy award winning drama or even your own life can provide you.

My husband John disagrees of course and while he generally withholds comments, when he is going through our DVR recordings trying to find something to watch, I can see the look of confusion on his face as he encounters some of my newer recordings which have included:

Keeping up with the Kardashians

Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami

My Antonio

The T.O. Show

Now, while he generally does edit his comments due to what he perceives to be a highly sensitised hormonal state for me, I did hear him mutter under his breath "Who else would take Miami? Of course it would be Kourtney and Khloe . . ." before he turned to me and asked "So who the heck are Kourtney and Khloe? And what's with all the K's?" I can tell he is trying not to laugh but what am I to do? It's off-season and I am trying to stay entertained when the baby is napping and I don't have the mental capacity to handle anything more sophisticated than an Ellen DeGeneres re-run.

But the premise of these shows is fantastic. Let me tell you a little about each of them.

"The T.O. Show" is an honest and open reflection of the sensitive and highly misunderstood Terrell Owens. Man - that guy is deep and it took this reality show on VH1 to show me how wrong all of my misperceptions of this man. And the show is NOT SCRIPTED at all, which makes it so much more real, you know what I mean? Although, I still haven't figured out how he "surprised" his girlfriend at her house in Colorado with the cameras rolling in her living room and she still didn't seem to know he was on his way over. But you know - these things must happen when you are a reality high roller. It's like "The Hills" for football fans, but 100 times more real. Seriously.

"My Antonio" is an amazing reality dating show with Calvin Klein hearthrob Antonio Sabato, Jr. "looking for love in all the wrong places" to quote Eddie Murphy on SNL. The man, who while genetically gifted from a physical perspective, is obviously mentally challenged and this is the first reality dating show that addresses what a washed up pseudo celebrity with an obvious and sad mental handicap must do to find true love. He has had it tough when it comes to love. According to him - he was married and then had some relationships but now, he is all alone. So now he goes to Hawaii to find true love.

Within the first ten minutes of the show, I knew that Antonio was serious about this and not just another celebrity looking to reclaim a few more moments of fame when he pulled a girl aside from the group and asked her to leave because she had ugly hands and feet. That shows me that he really meant business. I tried not to feel bad for the girl as she was utterly humiliated on her first glass of champagne, trying to hide her ugly as sin hands and feet on the way out.

So - I do hope that Antonio finds love this season because once Brett Michaels comes back for Round 4 on Rock of Love, I won't have much more time to give to Antonio if this season does not resolve his very legitimate loneliness problems.

I won't even comment on "Keeping up with the Kardashians" or "Kourtney and Khloe take Miami." I guess you will just have to watch them to recognize the sheer brilliance of these reality dramas.

And while we are on the topic of reality shows, what the heck is up with Project Runway moving to Lifetime? And do you think the crazy Housewives of New Jersey will come back for Round 2?

OMG - I am a total reality monster. I know it. I recognize it. I am not sure I can embrace it but acceptance is a huge first step in addressing the fact that I have a problem.