Love it or hate it, "reality TV" is here to stay, even if the stars it creates are not. The generally exploitative nature of "reality television" has kept me away from the majority of it, although I do find myself tuning in whenever the occasional washed up D-list celebrities get a chance to make an ass of themselves on the aptly named boob tube. You couldn't pay me to sit through an episode of "Survivor," "Big Brother," or "The Real World," but at the same time I haven't missed a single season of "The Surreal Life," and I can't wait for this Sunday's episode of "Rock of Love." I think it's easier for me to stomach "reality TV" when it features actors and musicians who are behaving like fools rather than average people being their annoying selves. If I wanted to see a regular person stab somebody in the back over some petty reason, I'll just go to work. But to see former WWF star Chyna drunkenly humping her abusive ex-boyfriend in a spa while in full view of a former Brady kid and Mini-Me, that's entertainment!
When I received the first season of Mr.T's reality show "I Pity the Fool" in the mail, three things sprang to mind. One: Just how low has Mr.T sunk if he's willing to allow himself to be marketed as a "reality TV star?" Two: Whoever the genius is at Lionsgate that made the DVD case deserves a raise; they made Mr.T's mowhawk out of touchable fuzz! And three: When the hell did this show air and what channel was it on?
"I Pity the Fool" aired in the fall of 2006 on TV Land; yes, even TV Land is producing "reality" shows now. Thankfully, Mr. T's show doesn't dwell on negativity the way most "reality" shows do. His show is a bit more akin to the Dr. Phil show, except it stars somebody you would actually want to take advice from. Over the short six-episode season, Mr. T goes from a dysfunctional car dealership to a farm filled with out-of-control boys. While most people might think Mr. T shows up like a drill sergeant ready to dispel some tough love, nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. T works more like a motivational speaker and uses crazy words generally unseen on "reality television," words like "respect" and "accountability." Even though it doesn't have the screaming fistfights or tearful eliminations that most reality shows survive on, Mr.T's show has something none of those programs exhibit: Heart.
When I received the first season of Mr.T's reality show "I Pity the Fool" in the mail, three things sprang to mind. One: Just how low has Mr.T sunk if he's willing to allow himself to be marketed as a "reality TV star?" Two: Whoever the genius is at Lionsgate that made the DVD case deserves a raise; they made Mr.T's mowhawk out of touchable fuzz! And three: When the hell did this show air and what channel was it on?
"I Pity the Fool" aired in the fall of 2006 on TV Land; yes, even TV Land is producing "reality" shows now. Thankfully, Mr. T's show doesn't dwell on negativity the way most "reality" shows do. His show is a bit more akin to the Dr. Phil show, except it stars somebody you would actually want to take advice from. Over the short six-episode season, Mr. T goes from a dysfunctional car dealership to a farm filled with out-of-control boys. While most people might think Mr. T shows up like a drill sergeant ready to dispel some tough love, nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. T works more like a motivational speaker and uses crazy words generally unseen on "reality television," words like "respect" and "accountability." Even though it doesn't have the screaming fistfights or tearful eliminations that most reality shows survive on, Mr.T's show has something none of those programs exhibit: Heart.
Love it or hate it, "reality TV" is here to stay, even if the stars it creates are not. The generally exploitative nature of "reality television" has kept me away from the majority of it, although I do find myself tuning in whenever the occasional washed up D-list celebrities get a chance to make an ass of themselves on the aptly named boob tube. You couldn't pay me to sit through an episode of "Survivor," "Big Brother," or "The Real World," but at the same time I haven't missed a single season of "The Surreal Life," and I can't wait for this Sunday's episode of "Rock of Love." I think it's easier for me to stomach "reality TV" when it features actors and musicians who are behaving like fools rather than average people being their annoying selves. If I wanted to see a regular person stab somebody in the back over some petty reason, I'll just go to work. But to see former WWF star Chyna drunkenly humping her abusive ex-boyfriend in a spa while in full view of a former Brady kid and Mini-Me, that's entertainment!
When I received the first season of Mr.T's reality show "I Pity the Fool" in the mail, three things sprang to mind. One: Just how low has Mr.T sunk if he's willing to allow himself to be marketed as a "reality TV star?" Two: Whoever the genius is at Lionsgate that made the DVD case deserves a raise; they made Mr.T's mowhawk out of touchable fuzz! And three: When the hell did this show air and what channel was it on?
"I Pity the Fool" aired in the fall of 2006 on TV Land; yes, even TV Land is producing "reality" shows now. Thankfully, Mr. T's show doesn't dwell on negativity the way most "reality" shows do. His show is a bit more akin to the Dr. Phil show, except it stars somebody you would actually want to take advice from. Over the short six-episode season, Mr. T goes from a dysfunctional car dealership to a farm filled with out-of-control boys. While most people might think Mr. T shows up like a drill sergeant ready to dispel some tough love, nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. T works more like a motivational speaker and uses crazy words generally unseen on "reality television," words like "respect" and "accountability." Even though it doesn't have the screaming fistfights or tearful eliminations that most reality shows survive on, Mr.T's show has something none of those programs exhibit: Heart.
When I received the first season of Mr.T's reality show "I Pity the Fool" in the mail, three things sprang to mind. One: Just how low has Mr.T sunk if he's willing to allow himself to be marketed as a "reality TV star?" Two: Whoever the genius is at Lionsgate that made the DVD case deserves a raise; they made Mr.T's mowhawk out of touchable fuzz! And three: When the hell did this show air and what channel was it on?
"I Pity the Fool" aired in the fall of 2006 on TV Land; yes, even TV Land is producing "reality" shows now. Thankfully, Mr. T's show doesn't dwell on negativity the way most "reality" shows do. His show is a bit more akin to the Dr. Phil show, except it stars somebody you would actually want to take advice from. Over the short six-episode season, Mr. T goes from a dysfunctional car dealership to a farm filled with out-of-control boys. While most people might think Mr. T shows up like a drill sergeant ready to dispel some tough love, nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. T works more like a motivational speaker and uses crazy words generally unseen on "reality television," words like "respect" and "accountability." Even though it doesn't have the screaming fistfights or tearful eliminations that most reality shows survive on, Mr.T's show has something none of those programs exhibit: Heart.
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