It’s time for reality TV to be voted off the island

The reality program has officially overstayed its welcome. Primetime television has drowned… The reality program has officially overstayed its welcome. Primetime television has drowned its viewers with the supposed real shows.

When MTV’s “The Real World” premiered in 1990, America knew nothing of the reality program. “The Real World” was new, fresh and real. It no longer, however, remains real. The most recent seasons of MTV’s longest-running program have been nothing but garbage. Pretty faces with petty problems portrayed as having the greatest time in the world. Not real.

With the season premiere of ABC’s “Wife Swap” inching toward pushing our heads under water a little more (the show airs next Wednesday) the ridiculous trends of reality programs have come full turn and have to stop.

“Wife Swap” takes two women from two different families who lead two different lives, and has them switch places. This is supposed to show these women that they need to respect the lives they lead and have more interest in things that occur inside their homes, all while dealing with drama, chaos and eventually tears of sadness and, maybe, joy.

What it’s going to be is a dramatic piece of trash.

Another piece of dramatic trash is the never-ending “Survivor.” Now in its 10th season, “Survivor” has also worn out its stay in our living rooms.

Now, I know I can just ignore these shows and watch a movie or a baseball game; there are several options to ease my reality-program suffocation. What has really disturbed me about reality programs is that they have taken a game that I consider very fascinating and very challenging and turned it into a three-month annoyance.

The game that I am referring to is the World Series of Poker. ESPN has taken a game that was very small when it was created and has blown it out of proportion. The WSOP is a five-week event that has several small prize games before the big dance of the tournament. ESPN felt the need to show us every final table of those small prize tournaments for several weeks up until the final game.

In previous years, the sports network would only show the main tournament, which is enough, making the final table of the big event even more fascinating to watch. The final table aired last night, with Greg Raymer winning. Unfortunately since the WSOP took place in March, I already knew that Raymer was going to win. But I still watched because I am a fan of poker. I’m not a fan of what ESPN has made the tournament become.

Basically, when a reality show airs, it is fun to watch– to see what’s going to happen. Much like listening to Howard Stern. But when the show progresses it gets old and tired. Sadly, that is what happened to the WSOP and “The Real World.”

Will this constant barrage of reality shows end? Probably not anytime soon, especially when there are more people in America who tune in to these shows than there are people like myself who wish the shows would cease to exist.

Brian Palmer is the arts and entertainment editor and still wants to be on “The Real World,” even if he is disgusted by reality shows. E-mail him at bkp8@pitt.edu.