The Reality of TV

I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for the Real Housewives of...Anywhere

But I often think about how it affects my self esteem.

I'm a big advocate for helping young girls feel good about themselves.  Let's face it, puberty was a bitchhh!  I wish I had guidance growing up to get through all the hardships young women face.  So, naturally, I'm against anything that may influence them in the wrong direction--one would assume that reality television fits that mold.

The thing is, young girls have impressionable minds, and if they don't yet have the ability to decipher between what's real and what's made-up for entertainment reasons, reality TV can be a deadly influence.

I, on the other hand, have been through the whole puberty thing--and thank the Good Lord, I made it out alive.  So I like to think that I have enough maturity to know that what I see on TV isn't real...especially having worked in the grunt work of television production for a good portion of my career!  I do see reality TV as entertainment value, not something I aspire to, as young women still trying to figure out their path in life might.  In fact, I find that it often inspires me to better in my own life!  I may see women who have gotten famous from sleeping with this athlete or that actor, only to be dropped on their behind and slapped with divorce papers, ultimately left with nothing.  I never want to be like that!  So I work hard to support my own behind.  Or there are many women who feel pressures to look young and hot and have gone a little too far getting "work" done to keep up their appearances for the TV screen, only to come out looking crazyyy and realizing that their 15 minutes of fame is already up!  So what do I do?  Get my behind to the gym and recognize what's important in REAL life.  (For me, it's love, family, and ultimate happiness)

So for me to say that reality TV is ruining lives would be hypocritical, because (so far) it hasn't ruined mine.  I don't sit on the couch wishing I was famous for absolutely nothing but being crazy on TV, and often it motivates me to do better for myself and stay grounded.  But  I also think that, as women who have been through the ringer already, it's important to pass down this maturity and self-assuredness to our younger sisters because I'm sure we all wish we had more guidance growing up.  It's our responsibility to show the real reality of being a woman, not a woman on reality TV.