We have 3 DVR’s in our house.  (Digital video recorders - TiVos only not that name brand).  We have segregation.   We’d probably divorce if we had to share a DVR.  My dh’s DRV is loaded with reality programming - The Great Race, Survivor, Deadliest Catch, etc. (weird since he’d rather run naked through Manhattan than fish), Ice Road Truckers (again weird since he hates the cold) and pretty much any documentary on any of the world’s religions.  He also tapes the evening news every night - only because we are rarely home at 6:30, so he gets delayed news.  All I can say is thank heavens that crap is on the machine in his office and not taking up space on my DVR.

The family room DVR had things like America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance; Dancing With the Stars, Deal or No Deal, American Idol and some assorted Animal Planet documentaries.  Those are my kid/dh’s shows.  While I adore Howie Mandel, I’m not interested in watching models with suitcases nor do I care who has talent, particularly when they are being introduced by Jerry Springer and judged by David Hasselhoff.  American Idol makes my skin crawl.  It’s the reality show equivalent of Saved by the Bell - is there any night that frigging show isn’t on?.  The animal stuff is just gross - mostly Animal Police (translation animal control) and pretty much a tribute to pit bulls attacking, well, everything.  Sorry to all you pit bull lovers but there’s a breed that I think should be eradicated.  But I digress.  There are a few shows on that DVR with my name on them - Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives.  I admit it, I’m amazed by the value of ugly stuff.  The uglier it is, the more it’s worth.  Granted, I have a very limited (by choice) knowledge of art but a faded paintings of kittens playing with yarn done by some obscure Dutch artist worth hundreds of thousands makes my jaw drop.  We received a painting as a wedding gift - called it Depressed Cherries - an original oil of dark cherries on a black background - we gave it to Goodwill - given the ugly-high worth system, we probably gave away a half-million in bad art.

My DVR had exactly three reality programs set on auto-record -  Anthony Bordain’s No Reservations, Kitchen Nightmares and Hell’s Kitchen.  Sense a theme?  All have volatile hosts.  However, I still haven’t watched last season’s Top Chef and the new season is about to start.  I tape other stuff - Law & Order (all versions), Life (stunned it was renewed). Dexter (love the gore) but I never watch stuff on its air date and often it takes me months to get to something.

We’ve never (in 26 years) sat down and watched television together.  My dh is a sports junkie and I’m a foreign film fan.  He can watch commercials, I can’t.  I’d rather tape something and wait to watch it until I can blow through the commercials.

In general, I think reality TV is a blight on the television landscape.  It’s  cheap programming to produce and obviously I’m in the minority since no one but me seems to care that on most nights, some sort of reality show is on.  American Idol probably irritates me most - voting is so skewed it reminds me of the game show hoaxes of the 1950s; followed by Survivor - sweaty dirty people willing to eat insects for a shot at a Hershey Bar. 

But on the positive side, I can vote with my fingers.  One click and I can erase any traces of reality and use television for its intended purpose - to deliver news, documentaries. movies and provide escapist entertainment.  The only thing worse than reality programming is an infomercial, but that’s a topic for another day.

Regards,

Rhonda

PS - go to the Babes blog www.babesinbookland.com and check out last week's info on building characters - we had fun and created a pretty interesting character!