Celebrity

One of the most popular booms in reality TV shows these days are ones that revolve around celebrities.  For decades, people have fantasized about what life would be like to be a movie star or a rock star or the wife of a mob boss.  Now, we know, because as US Weekly reports, ”Celebrities: They’re just like us.”

At least once a week we get to enjoy a hearty slice of a celebrity’s life and there’s more new shows coming revolving around celebrities.  MTV’s The Osbournes kicked off this trend, as Americans couldn’t resist the zany antics of the Osbourne’s clan.  Who couldn’t help but chuckle when former Black Sabbath singer and renowned metal god/rock king, Ozzy Osbourne, couldn’t figure out how to work his VCR.  The man who sang Crazy Train and terrified parents during the 1980s is on TV figuring out how to discipline his now-famous kids, Jack and Kelly?  This is amazing TV, and there’s more shows than ever like this on TV.

These other celebrity driven reality TV shows include the latest MTV hit, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.  Who would ever think that a show about marriage life between a member of B-level boy band 98 Degrees and a B-level pop singer would ever become such a hit?  Once you’ve watched an episode of this charming show, you’ll be able to understand why this show has been such a smashing success.  Whether you love the show because you enjoy laughing at Jessica Simpson’s attempts to move from a pampered teenage life focused on trying to reach pop success or you enjoy empathizing with down to earth Ohio native Nick Lachey’s reacting to his wife’s crazy hi-jinks, the joke may be on us.  Both Nick and Jessica have managed to parlay the incredible success of this show to acting opportunities that are destined to make them the big stars that they’ve always wanted to be.

The success of Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica has paved the way to a number of new celebrity driven reality TV shows.  For Carmen Elektra fans, you’re now able to watch her and her fiancé, Jane’s Addiction guitarist, Dave Navarro prepare for their nuptials.  If you love Jessica Simpson, you may be interested in learning more about her younger sister, Ashlee Simpson, on The Ashlee Simpson Show.  Of course, for the reality TV lovers that just enjoy watching celebrities on the road to marriage, then you might get a kick out of Tying the Knot: The Wedding of Melissa Joan Hart.  I know that whenever I watch Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, I thought to myself, ”that’s a girl whose wedding preparations is something that I want to see.”  Of course, I always assumed that she’ll be getting married to me but at least I can watch her upcoming nuptials with someone probably more deserving with mixed emotions.

On top of this, there are other inspired reality TV shows that place celebrities in a fresh new context.  The Simple Life has been a huge hit the last two years on the simple premise of showing a fish (in this case two) out of water story.  Wealthy, young, socialites Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are taken out of their Beverly Hills community and go through the American heartland doing odd jobs, surviving without their numerous credit cards.  Have you ever wanted to see Paris Hilton make a sausage?  Judging from the show’s ratings, most Americans have.

Also, if you’ve ever wanted to learn the deep philosophies of bad boy icons like Ted Nugent and Gary Busey, now you can.  Watch the shenanigans that Ted Nugent creates on Surviving Nugent or watch Gary Busey drop some crazy science on you on I’m With Busey.  Of course, you can always the fascinating Anna Nicole Smith run her life on The Anna Nicole Smith or watch Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban arbitrarily give one million dollars away on The Benefactor.  With these celebrity driven reality TV shows, you’ll never know what ride you’re about to embark on.  The only guarantee is that it’ll be a fun ride.  Except for that Melissa Joan Hart show: what the hell were they thinking when they decided to make a reality TV show about her wedding?