If I refused to consume any pop culture unless it upheld my feminist politics/worldview, my world would be a dull place indeed. Reality tv, music, fashion, magazines all contain minefields of content that are not pro-woman. But that doesn’t mean I have to run away screaming—I’m plenty capable of judging for myself what I can/should tolerate in the name of entertainment.

For the record, I don’t go in for shaming other women about their choice of TV. I think most readers of this site are intelligent and fairly aware of all the themes and subtexts swirling around in the pop culture we consume. So a statement like “The real question is why you started [watching this show] in the first place” is problematic, since it’s not genuinely a question, just finger-wagging over whether I’m toeing what someone else sees as the feminist party line (and, of course, assuming that if I’m not toeing that line, it actually matters ).

I haven’t seen this franchise of shows you are talking about (I refuse to get foxtel, or pay tv in Australia – our FTA channels are pretty good).. but after having seen shows like “Temptation Island”, “Surviver”, “Big Brother”, I wonder if what is marketed as *reality tv* is more a name for a tv show that is unscripted and is full of silly people who make silly decisions in front cameras that goes to air without those same people being able to veto that same footage.

I still watch, I’m sure I’ll get bored at some point, just like I did with the (worse in my opinion) full slate of trashy VH1 shows. I’m not there yet though.

I’m so weary of “reality” TV – with emphasis on the word reality. What would life actually be like without the presence of a camera? That’s reality.

Ok, maybe not.

As Mr. Bennet said: “For what do we live but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?”