Now, thanks to the boom in reality TV shows, there are Joe Patanes everywhere.
Reality TV shows, not covered under current contracts, already occupy 35% of broadcast networks' primetime schedule, according to TVtracker.com.
Expressing contempt for reality TV shows is our No. 2 national pastime, second only to watching reality TV shows.
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The name has become synonymous with scandalous affairs and divorces, obnoxious reality TV shows, blatant comb-overs, birther nonsense and general weirdness.
His worries stem not from zombie movies or half-cocked reality TV shows, but in the birth of his son amidst the chaos of his hometown of Los Angeles.
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But while Hilton is appropriately young, rich and well-connected, she's not exactly a cover girl for class, what with those sex tapes, drug charges and reality TV shows.
He would wonder how black culture has deteriorated from Harry Belafonte, Motown and Nina Simone to Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and reality TV shows that present utterly destructive black images.
That means the proportion of people whose primary life motivation is fame isn't getting larger over time, even though opportunities for people to try for their 15 minutes have exploded through the Internet and reality TV shows, Brim said.
The good news for Burnett is that those ideas, from reality-TV shows to online challenges like "Gold Rush, " often please the masses as well.
The head of the production company, TF1 Production, said the decision would cause upheaval for TV reality shows.
More recently he has appeared in a number of TV reality shows including the US version of I'm a Celebrity...
There are now a handful of reality shows on cable TV devoted to the subject.
Fewer holiday cards have been sent and received, Christmas specials seem to be usurped by talent shows and reality TV housewives bickering.
While she knows of no research examining the long-term impact of reality TV, a several decades-long study shows people who watched aggressive and violent behavior on TV as kids were more likely to be aggressive, hit their spouses and engage in other inappropriate behavior later in life.
Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff has revealed he thinks reality shows have "ruined" TV and that David Cameron is a big fan of Knight Rider.
Hearst recently acquired a 50 percent stake in the production company owned by reality TV magnate Mark Burnett and is pitching ideas for shows that would incorporate several different Hearst publication titles.
But this kludge also happens to have allowed reality shows to skim the best elements of scripted TV and documentaries while eschewing the problems of each.
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Those who missed some of their favourite shows might reflect it is better than any reality TV for low viciousness and high drama.
If you are a fan of reality TV, you have probably noticed an overabundance of house-flipping shows, and each show paints a picture of a little hard work followed by nearly risk-free profit for those who endure.
Everyone has their own taste in music, but to decide if someone is any good or not based on the fact that you first saw them on a reality TV show rather than in a smoky back street club somewhere is just silly and shows a lack of real critical analysis.
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