Back to life, back to reality...

As some of you may know, the TV show Survivor is to me, what The O.C. is to many others in this day and age. Some seasons are better than others, yet some are down right boring.

Love them or hate them, I've often wondered how these cast members of Reality TV incorporate the shows with their everyday lives. For example, how many of you can honestly say that you could just set aside your entire life for any extended period of time, to go gallivanting in front of a TV camera for the world to see? Who pays their rent/mortgage during this time? Who pays their bills? What does their employer do with their position? Do they quit their careers?

I'd sell a kidney to be able to go on Survivor, but I'd never give up a promising career. And if you can leave a company for X amount of time and the company doesn't loose a step, how valuable are you to that company really? Would your employer let you take weeks/months off at a time to go play on TV?

Am I missing something? Unless you're planning on wearing a t-shirt with the company logo on it the entire time, I'm thinking that life after Reality TV (provided you don't win) isn't going to be all peachy.

Now, I'd like to take a moment to point out the one exception; MTV's The Real World. If you're lucky enough to be on People Magazine's list of 50 most beautiful, yet insane, people, you can be on The "Real World". (Because we all know that "real" means living with 6 other model-like people in a pop star's mansion and given a cake job that a 4 year old making Kathy Lee Gifford's clothes could do.)

But if you are picked, consider yourself set for life. Because the 6-12 year old demographic that MTV now reaches, loves to see cast members who are now pushing 45 from the first Real World. Seriously, I was flipping though channels and I was like "I remember that guy! I was in 7th grade when he was a cast member!" Don't even get me started on Puck, people.

Do you realize that there has been FIFTEEN Real Worlds?!?!? I was 12 when the first one aired. So sad. I know I'm waiting for The Real World: Dover, where I hear they all commit mass suicide from lack of social activity. In the meantime, they could put them up at Dover Downs and focus the whole season on the two NASCAR races. Ye-HAAA!

I am personally embarrassed for letting something like this become a pop culture icon. I'm so glad my parents didn't have cable growing up. I had to go over to my friends to watch TV.

So I'm not as warped as the rest of you...