Here’s a surprise: I couldn’t bring myself to watch The Simple Life last night. The idea of spoiled rich girls genuinely trying to live and work on a farm and learning from the experience was appealing. But these girls aren’t genuine about anything but amusing themselves. They know that after a month that they’re going to go back to their socialite lifestyle, so it has become a month of slumming and disrespecting the rubes. That’s not entertaining to me, it’s just mean. More proof, I guess, that I’m beyond the show’s target demographic.

Making good reality shows is a fine line. Casting can make or break them.

I watched the Real World/Road Rules Challenge on Sunday, which is produced by the same people who did The Simple Life. The cast on there is more compelling because they need the money for which they’re playing. They’re all trying and they all care. And because they’re young, that passion often comes out in tears and anger. That’s interesting drama.

And the kids on the Real World and Road Rules are at the age where they’re still trying to learn conflict management for themselves, and they’re still shocked and upset to realize that people make decisions with ulterior motives. I miss that naiveté. It’s a good time in life. I guess the idealism of youth fades, and that’s when you become a Republican.

I was never interested in Survivor. I work in an office. Why would I want to come home and watch adults scheme against each other, compete for attention, and try to keep from losing their position?

At least the Real World kids look pretty while they’re doing it. Probably because they get to go home to a mansion every night. If the Survivor people could do that, they’d look better, but it would reduce the conflict. Adults need the hardships to raise their tempers. I think that most adults, when given regular meals and showers, a pool table, and a hot tub, would probably find a way to agree on whose turn it was to do the dishes.

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