by Angie Nelson

Created on: April 06, 2009

Reality television is the biggest joke of the century. It humors me when people talk about last nights episode of "Survivor," or who got kicked off of "Top Chef." How many people do you know live on a remote island, foraging for their own food and water? How many people do you know get to cook and serve a meal to the Foo Fighters or cater the bridal shower of someone who works for Food & Wine magazine? I don't know anyone like that.

What I do know is that Americans are troubled right now. Lay-offs, repossessions, foreclosures, and the stock market are at the forefront of peoples minds in our country today. People worry about feeding their families, affording gasoline to get to work, and keeping a roof over their family's heads. People worry about their 401k, whether they will be able to afford college tuition for their kids, or whether or not they will be able to afford decent health care. People are not worried about whether or not they will get sent home from the Big Brother house before they have a chance to really prove themselves.

Reality television is fifteen minutes of fame and a way to earn quick money if you can "outwit, outplay, and outlast." Oh, and did I mention you also must be one of the beautiful people? Yes, of course, the fatties and the uglies rarely if ever make it on reality TV. The exception of course is "The Biggest Loser", and the like, where you can sit on your couch while you keep getting fatter, and watch people who have the perfect equipment, training, food, and environment to lose the weight, do. Weight you so desperately try to get rid of.

I also believe people get emotionally involved in reality television, and it makes no sense to me. I do not care if someone wins a million dollars, if that someone is not a relative or close personal friend of mine. I wouldn't want someone to win over another person if I have no connection to them. I want a million dollars handed to me, or my own restaurant, or a clothing line with my name on the tag. I want to be the next "American Idol," and then not sell any records because in reality I do not have what it takes to be a real musician. Shouldn't people be getting emotionally involved in something more important? Like their kids, or their husband or wife? I care more about the family dog than I do about whether or not Mike goes all the way on "The Biggest Loser."

Speaking of children, what kind of example are you setting when you watch reality television? It's ok if you don't go to college, you

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