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C'mon, admit it! You love reality TV

It’s the dirty little secret no discerning television viewer wants to admit: Reality TV may be over the top, dumbed down and at times straight up offensive, but it’s one fun guilty pleasure.Maybe that’s why, what with all of the “just bring back scripted shows” and “this is what’s wrong with this country” talk that inevitably comes up whenever subject is broached (yes, we always
MTV, Getty Images / Today

It’s the dirty little secret no discerning television viewer wants to admit: Reality TV may be over the top, dumbed down and at times straight up offensive, but it’s one fun guilty pleasure.

Maybe that’s why, what with all of the “just bring back scripted shows” and “this is what’s wrong with this country” talk that inevitably comes up whenever subject is broached (yes, we always read your reality TV rants on our Facebook page), one would get the impression that no one really tunes in to “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” or “Jersey Shore.”

But boob-tube enthusiasts must love getting their voyeuristic fix on because they tune in regularly.

In fact, big competitive reality shows, such as “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars” often snag the top spot in the overall TV ratings. And those so-called candid shows such as “Sister Wives,” “Intervention,” “Teen Mom,” all of the Kardashian spin-offs and the aforementioned “Shore” are routinely considered serious contenders in the cable ratings.

Heck, Kim Kardashian’s recent two-day, four-hour nuptial-palooza (aka “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event”) alone raked in more than 10 million viewers for the E! network. And despite requests from many readers that we never write about the famous-for-being-famous K-family again, our last blog post on the subject was one of our top five for the week.

So let’s face it: While there are, no doubt, plenty of you who wouldn’t dare watch a single episode of “Toddlers & Tiaras,” “16 and Pregnant,” “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” or “The Real Housewives” of anywhere, there must be just as many or more who would and do. We want to hear from you!

Do you love the Seaside Heights gang? Can’t get enough of “19 Kids and Counting”? Or maybe you’re the type that just enjoys exercising along with “The Biggest Loser” and tidying up during “Hoarders.” No matter what your reality TV guilty pleasure is, share it with us on our Facebook page. We promise we won’t judge, although we can’t speak for your Facebook friends.

Just to keep things fair, we’ll even get things started. Click here for a list of staff picks (including a shame-filled entry from yours truly).  

 

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