Reality and Kids

Anyone that knows me at all knows that I detest reality shows in all their forms and am never quiet about this fact, but lately I’m seeing it go to all time lows. First of all, isn’t “Reality Television” an oxymoron to begin with? Reality goes right out the window the instant the camera starts rolling. No one can truly be themselves in front of the camera. Okay, maybe those village idiots out there, but no one with a single functioning brain cell can.

Lately it’s all you hear and mostly about these poor kids that are getting thrown in front of the camera. I don’t mean to sound cold, but the instant I heard “reality show family” with the balloon boy, I knew that I wasn’t taking it seriously. Come on, I’m not a rocket scientist, but even I couldn’t see how that flimsy balloon could have ever lifted a child or even a small animal off the ground. Get real people!

It all goes to show how true the old adage is that you have to have a license to drive a car, but any idiot can have a child. It’s scary the damage these people are likely doing to these children. In years to come instead of it being “Plus Eight,” it will more likely be “Eighteen Plus Years of Therapy.”

Don’t get me wrong… I don’t claim to be the perfect parent by any means, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, knowing that was using my kids to make an easy buck. That seems to be all these parents are interested in. Their 15 minutes of fame, garnering an income off the backs of their kids.

What kind of example are they setting??? Yes, all of us normal people know it’s a bad one, then why are people still watching? I know that I’ve read that people are getting sick of hearing about it (goodness knows I am), but it’s going to take more people to realize that watching is keeping this nonsense going. Yes, these shows make the most dysfunctional family feel normal by watching, but what does watching this teach our own children?

Let’s get REAL and turn off the “Reality Television.” Maybe then it would go away for good.