Reality Bytes

My husband started to enter the room the other night when I was watching a guilty pleasure on TV. My first reaction was to change the channel before I was subjected to his look of disgust but instead I said, "Don't come in unless you want to share the latest episode of 'Hoarders'." You have never seen anyone change direction so fast.

Let me try to explain. I'm not a reality show fanatic but there are a few that fascinate me and 'Hoarders' is one of them. Maybe fascinate isn't the right word. Maybe it just makes me feel better. I can look around my cluttered house and say, "Well, I'm certainly a better housekeeper than Sally". Or I can look in my refrigerator and say, "At least I don't have bugs crawling in my produce drawer like Nancy". It may not be great television or even a worthwhile use of an hour of my finite time on earth but it sure does motivate me to clean or organize something when it's over. And what's wrong with that?

On closer inspection, my reality TV viewing serves other worthwhile purposes. I love 'Amazing Race' for showing me all the places I've yet to see and reminding me of the beautiful locations I've been lucky enough to experience. I tune in to 'Top Chef' and 'Project Runway' to marvel at artists' passion and creativity (and maybe jump start my own). I catch 'Say Yes to the Dress' (or as my husband calls it, 'Say No to the Show') for the chance to relive the whole bridal experience without spending a dime. I even occasionally check out the 'Real (?) Housewives of Wherever' to appreciate the fact that I have true friends that don't feel compelled to hurl expletives and furniture at me when they're unhappy with my behavior.

Despite my rather compelling justifications, my husband continues to be beyond appalled that I watch any of these shows. I'm not always proud of how I spend my leisure hours but I wish he would just lighten up and give me a break. Reality shows may not be real. They may not have any redeeming social value. They are, however, a harmless source of entertainment after a hard, stressful day and I'm tired of apologizing for liking a couple of them. And let's be honest. Until I start hanging out in the hot tub with Snooki and The Situation, my husband has absolutely nothing to complain about.