Say what you will about Kim K and the rest of the Kardashian clan, but you have to admit, they have definitely created some incredibly binge-worthy, so bad you can't look away, content. "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" isn't my personal reality show guilty pleasure fave, but TRUST me when I say I don't judge you for watching.
Trashy reality TV is honestly a gem and I wish fewer people had their noses up in the air about just how entertaining it can be. I mean, we all love viral videos of people fighting outside of bars, right? So, why should the exact same content with a higher production value be any less enjoyable?
I myself have been religiously watching "Love & Hip Hop" since day one. And, I'm talking EVERY L&HH, not just NY. So sure, I will freely admit that I not only love to read books, support feminism and watch the news but I also get really ratchet while chicks on L&HH throw glasses of Rose at each other.
So, why are we all so ashamed of our love for trashy reality television? Why do we seem to care so much if our friends are judging us because we enjoy celebrating the cat fights of the "Real Housewives" or the incredible stupidity of the "Jersey Shore"?
I think dipping in to the reality show pond once and again is actually kind of good for the soul. Most of the reality shows I watch, I watch to decompress. I watch so much news and often find myself a little hungover from a long and stressful news day. Unwinding with a glass of wine and some seriously scripted drama is incredibly helpful.
Enrapturing yourself in someone else's drama is the easiest way to temporarily ignore your own problems. Watch one episode of "Siesta Key" and you'll not only feel like a scholar, but will be praising your SO for not being trashy and cheating on you on national television. It's the little things really.
I think that's what I love so much about Joel McHale, both on "The Soup" and his new Netflix series, he unapologetically pokes fun at reality television and helps you find all the humor and fun in enjoying such programming.
More than anything else, I think that the fact that taste is subjective is what really makes the case for trashy outlandish reality television. We all have different tastes in music, movies and yes, even garbage reality shows. To put it simply, reality shows wouldn't exist if there wasn't an audience.
My advice to any closeted reality show fan, STOP FEELING GUILTY. Or at the very least don't try to defend your viewing habits. If people don't like reality television, that's fine! Enjoy yourself and stop being ashamed that you enjoy watching other people's drama, we all do.