HOOKED ON REALITY

Not sure what’s wrong with me.  I work hard, travel, have a daughter, friends and a loving maltese (Moose), yet I’m addicted to reality shows.  I should probably tattoo Bravo or Food somewhere on my body or at least see if they’re publicly traded.

I come home from work, make Moose and myself dinner and then start clicking away.  Anthony, Bobby, Heidi, Isaac, the NYC preps and the Real Housewives (no matter where they’re from) have become my new best friends.

Yes, I read the news and even have a stack of magazines (unlike Sarah Palin) and paperbacks on my nightstand, yet I am drawn like a magnet by the guy who eats goat guts and the doc who lets himself get bitten by bugs head to toe.  I’m amazed by the spoiled brats in NY who constantly talk sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll (wonder which colleges are actually accepting them).  And I get hungry when Flay does his throwdown and nauseous when Adam scarfs down 12 pizza with extra cheese.  Yet I stay glued to the screen.  Kinda like a train wreck.

What is it about reality shows that reels me in?  Don’t I get enough reality watching one disaster after the next every day in the news?

I’m trying my best to figure it out and I think it’s watching real people do outrageous things that turns me on.  It happens in the news, too, but by the time I see the news it’s usually over and done.  With reality TV you’re not quite sure what will happen.  So, I find myself rooting for Adam to down the last pastrami sandwich with fries or the NYC prepster to toss his hair and say something totally obnoxious or the hotties in Miami to go clubbing all night.  When they do something like that, I feel a touch more normal.  Is that normal…who knows?  All I know if that when Anthony Bourdain goes to Vietnam and rants about the food and the booze, I wish I could be by his side.  So, while Tony gets plastered, I stay plastered to my plasma. 

Will I be able to free myself from my reality habit?  Probably, but it might take a 12-step program and RA (reality anonymous) meetings. And at the moment, I’m just having too much fun.

No Turkey For Me!

I guess you could call me a “healthy eater.”   I don’t love desserts and think twice about the number of fries I steal from someone else's plate (usually someone actually at my table).  I also eat a variety of foods – from pasta with veggies and salmon to a cheeseburger with everything on it. 

So, it’s Thanksgiving, and the Holidays, and turkey is naturally front and center.  I’m heading to NYC to meet with family and friends and turkey was sure high on my list…that is, until I saw the Sarah Palin/turkey slaughter plant video.  It was like something out of an SNL skit.  There’s Sarah near the camera to our left and not too far behind her on the right, in clear view, is a guy in a white coat taking bound, live turkeys and stuffing then head first into like this wood chipper metal bin.  Every now and then he would turn to the camera while Sarah was going on…smiling and saying what a pleasure it was to be there.  Turkey feet were twitching and blood was pooling and there I was…glued to this scene that looked like something from SAW V and really trying not to gag.  Was this a local TV reporter playing a joke on Palin?  Was it a PR person who just forgot to advance the scene for the shoot?  Who knows?  But the moral of the story for me is that I’m off turkey for the time being and have changed our Thanksgiving reservation to an Italian restaurant.  Pasta with basil and olive oil is looking pretty good to me about now.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!
Risë

If you want to see it for yourself, here it is but I warned you: