Diary of An Addiction

It all started back in 1992. May 21, 1992 to be exact. As my junior year in high school was coming to a close, I had thoughts of senior year, SATS, prom and college filling my head. At that time, the amount of television I watched was minimal. But, I did have my favorites. Part of my addiction can be blamed on those shows.

I think if my three favorite television loves at the time had not ended, maybe I wouldn't have been so vulnerable. The Cosby's had been a part of my television landscape for so long that saying goodbye was bittersweet. I still wanted to watch their stories, but even I knew we'd never love Cousin Pam, Olivia and the twins, Nelson and Winnie, the way that we did Sandra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy. Claire and Cliff were still themselves, but they kind of felt like ringleaders trying to corral a 2nd rate circus. At the time, I liked "A Different World" because it felt a little like "The Cosby Show", but I didn't love it yet. It took me going to college, to actually love it. *lol* So, on April 30, 1992 all the Cosby's said goodbye.

A mere 9 days later, my favorite ladies exited TVland. Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche and Rose had made me laugh and cry for years. Although a bit of the sexual humor went over my teenage head, I got the gist of it! The thought of never hearing another St. Olaf story from Rose was almost heartbreaking. "The Golden Girls" still keep me laughing in reruns.

As if those two weren't enough, one of my first action heroes was Richard Dean Anderson, aka, MacGyver. I don't know, but there was something about him that glued me to the tv screen. So, on May 21, 1992 when he said goodbye to tv world, I almost cried.

So, there I was, mourning the loss of three of my favorite shows when I started to channel surf. Purely by accident, coincedence or cosmic intervention, I stumbled onto, "This is the true story, of seven strangers, picked to live in a house, work together and have their lived taped, to find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real. The Real World".

Instantly, these seven captivated me and millions of others. The roommates included Heather B, the rapper and person most likely to tell it like it is; Julie, the sheltered naive girl from Birmingham who was shocked by the big city and the antics of her roommates, and of course Kevin Powell, the writer and social thinker, with a much bigger future than anyone else on that show.

That show pulled me in - hook, line and sinker! And I'm been caught up ever since. Reality television was a drug and this sista was addicted. If it's a reality show (minues dating shows), odds are ya girl is watching it. *lol* So, without further ado, let us join the Reality Television Junkies Anonymous Meeting already in progress:

Hi Room, I'm TDJ. I'm a reality television addict and I need some help. It's filling my DVR machine and taking up countless hours of my time. Look at all the shows I've watched faithfully or am currently watching:

Reality Shows TDJ Watched or is Currently Watching

Real World
Road Rules
The Amazing Race
Survivor
Big Brother
Dancing with the Stars
Top Chef
Next Food Network Star
Next HGTV Design Star
Newlyweds
The Surreal Life
Making the Band
The Biggest Loser
American Idol
Project Runway
The Apprentice
America's Next Top Model
The Contender
Celebrity Fit Club
Made
Hell's Kitchen
Airline
Fraternity Life
Sorority Life
AmericaCasinoon
Amish in the City
The 70's House
The Mole

Good gracious! I wish I'd never "met" Heather, Julie, Kevin, Eric, Norm, Andre or Becky, in their cute NYC loft on May 21, 1992. Maybe, just maybe, if I hadn't had that first taste, I wouldn't be addicted now.