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" It&amp;#039;s trashy and lame and circa-1999 entertainment, but I don&amp;#039;t care. When Hulk Hogan tries to reconnect with his son Nick by getting into stunt car tricks, I think about how my dad started getting really into football when my brother joined the freshman team.  When Scott Baio admits he can&amp;#039;t commit because he&amp;#039;s always looking for the next best thing, I think of that guy I dated in college who wouldn&amp;#039;t return my calls whenever I started talking about getting exclusive.  Survivor and Survivorman both make me grateful for cooked food.  Paula Abdul falling down and having a mental breakdown about costumes for the Bratz movie reminds me not to sweat the small stuff.  The Amazing Race shows me all the places I want to see on my vacation days and also what kind of traveler I want to be (not one who screams at taxi drivers).  Reality TV also makes me a better person. When I&amp;#039;m tempted to slick my hair into another bland ponytail and wear my comfortable shoes, I remember that What Not to Wear could be secretly filming me, and I&amp;#039;m usually convinced to put on a dress and some snazzy heels.  Watching the Biggest Loser can make me pass up dessert, keeping me on-track with my fitness goals.  Trading Spaces has inspired me to paint my walls; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has inspired me to buy a new area rug and make a donation to Katrina rebuilding.  So though my parents would still rather have me read a book, and my friends would rather I join them out at the bar, I&amp;#039;ll be at home, sprawled on my couch, watching reality TV. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a891/reality-tv-obsessed/?click=rel>