Reality shows

Last night I was watching American Idol for Dancers when Gabe came into our bedroom. He took one look at the TV and asked: "is that the dancing show?" I nodded yes. He groaned, said "tell me when it's over," and left the room.

The only reason I was watching this show is because Step it Up and Dance is over, and I really enjoyed that show. So I was looking for something similar to watch. But American Idol for Dancers is not a good substitute. I hate the show's format. I know that the three-judges (one quirky, one bitchy, one normal), two-days, public voting formula is the key to the success of these franchises. Still, I think the show is incredibly lame.

To me, there is a big difference between the dancing show I watched on Bravo and the dancing show on Fox. Yes, the Fox show came first and has more viewers. That does not make it better. Maybe I am a snob, liking the Bravo show because it's on the alterna-network?

To my husband, there was no difference whatsoever between the two shows. Both are merged in his mind as the dancing show. And he was having none of it.

Gabe is sick and tired of reality shows. He used to be able to sit in the same room while I was getting my Bravo reality show fix. Sometimes he would even ask a question or two, or laugh at something on screen. But after enduring several seasons of Project Runway, Top Chef and Work Out, plus first seasons of Shear Genius, Top Design and Step it Up and Dance, he just can't take it anymore. They are all the same to him and he hates them all. He no longer wishes to sit with me and laugh at the monumental vapidness of Millionaire Matchmaker. Not even the mildly amusing bromance on Make me a Supermodel made him watch a whole episode. He hates both the OC and NYC housewives equally and is not at all interested in watching them ironically. He hopes I stop watching when Project Runway (the one he hates the most) moves to Lifetime.

The only show he would still watch with me is Flipping Out, because he truly wants to see how the collapse of the real estate market is going to affect Jeff Lewis' life. Plus, Jeff's anal-retentive, control freak, OCD antics make him laugh. And I get it. Jeff knows how to be a great reality show character. Also, Gabo is a much neater person than I am, and living in the chaotic mess that is our house, he can identify with Jeff's obsession with symmetry and order.