Reality has become something of a subjective concept in the world today. Many of us spend hours online or on the couch watching life go by. However, in early modern times television came up with something to make us feel like we have a life: shows about other people’s lives. And we bought it. So here are your Top 10 Reality Shows of the 2000s:
10. Survivor
Do we really need to write a synopsis for this one? On the off chance you’ve not been on planet Earth in the last decade here it goes. A group of strangers are placed in a remote area and have to survive on what they can scrounge up on their own. As an added challenge, there are contests with another group of strangers who are going through the same thing. And people are voted off the island. This is considered great fun for the rest of us, because we have beer in the fridge and can laugh at the starving people trying to win a million dollars.
Survivor Best Moments & Highlights
9. The Bachelor
This is another type of Survivor. Women line up and try to impress a guy who could be anyone really, but for the sake of the show is a successful princely entrepreneur with pearly white teeth and a cleft chin. The women of course are out to win one on one time with our bachelor and steal him away. The seasons come and go and someone’s always won, but interesting enough, no one’s ever actually gotten married. The premise spawned a lot of copycat programming though such as number 8….. 8. Flavor of Love
It’s insane, and I don’t particularly understand it, but this show threw out some serious numbers. 4.9 million tuned in. It’s mind boggling, but like a train wreck a lot of people couldn’t stop watching it. But still, I suppose with the amount of child support Flav has to pay, he had to do something. Best Girl Fights in Flavor of Love
7. The Apprentice
There are those who say that it’s a jungle in the work place. It’s tougher than that when you’re trying to get a job with Donald Trump. The man’s image of being a really nice guy and regular fella was irreparably damaged with the first “Your Fired” and never will come back. Yet somehow people like him better now. Best Omarosa Fights of The Apprentice
6. America’s Next Top Model
Silly, self-indulgent and shallow; this is reality competition at its best! Model wannabes compete in a competition to be AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. The only problem is none of the winners have really done anything afterwards. Still, this is inspirational to all of us because “like, they’re soooo pretty and like, you know, making the world better with their prettiness.” Funniest moments of ANTM
5. Extreme Makeover
Extreme Makeover gave even ugly people a chance at shallowness, but somehow didn’t catch on as well as America’s Next Top Model. But it gets points for being daring and for the spinoff not mentioned in this list; Extreme Home Makeover, which is slowly becoming an American icon.
4. The Biggest Loser
People share with us the sad stories of how they got too fat, and we, the public buy it and send them tons of mail, and tune in every week to see how much weight they’ve lost. The irony is in 11 million people tuning in every week and seeing who has lost weight… while eating snack food. If we were really going to support them, we’d be doing reps with them down at the gym. Biggest Loser Best Moments
3. The Amazing Race
This is a $1 million grand prize for the team that arrives before all the rest in the final leg of long journey around the world. Since the teams of two consist of people who entered the competition together and already have a functional (or sometimes dysfunctional) relationship, there’s little chance for the cattiness and backstabbing but then again, if someone doesn’t turn left when they’re supposed to.
The Amazing Race Winners
2. The Hills
Lauren Conrad graduated high school and took to the Hollywood Hills to gain more teenage girl ratings and because she couldn’t yet turn loose of her fans from the real OC. This is a prettier show than most of the reality TV out there, and no, not because of the girls. It this case, it’s more like in spite of the girls. The Hills Season 1-4 Best Moments
1. Jon & Kate Plus 8
The kids were cute, the stories seemed a little staged, but overall the reality series itself wasn’t that bad. It’s the reality behind the reality that makes this one so interesting. After the show ends, it’s the divorce and law suits and “those poor children” that’s kept us wondering “whatever happened…?”