Reality Bites [ March 22, 2011, 11:24 pm ]

I made a really dumb decision.

It's not dumb in the sense that it's going to ruin my life or hurt anyone. It's dumb in the sense that I had no idea what I was thinking when I made this particular decision. I can't blame alcohol or drugs because I haven't had anything to drink in months and I don't touch drugs of any kind. So I can't even blame this on being under any kind of influence. Instead I have only myself to blame.

Which makes this decision even harder.

I, Krissy P, have decided to give up reality television for Lent.

I know. I know! This is crazy talk, I realize. I am the girl who thinks that spending a Sunday afternoon with the Kardashians is an afternoon well spent. I'm the one who obsessively follows the dance crews on ABDC and the dancers on So You Think You Can Dance. And votes. Lots. (Shut up.) I can name all of The Girls Next Door and their various friends from their spin-offs. And while I loathe the antics of the Jersey Shore gang, I am powerless to their stupidity. And marathons. Vh1, TLC And E are my go-to channels when I'm bored.

Maybe it's because of these reasons that I decided to give up reality television for Lent. Hmm.

I work at a religious institution. Lent talk was the buzz a couple of weeks ago. Yet, I didn't give any thought to giving anything up until the night before Ash Wednesday. (My bad.) After a brain-storming session with friends via Twitter, I was convinced that giving up my beloved tv shows was a brilliant idea.

I was less convinced of its brilliance the next day during lunch when I went to switch on Vh1 and developed a twitchy eye because I really wanted to watch a Jersey Shore marathon. Instead I clicked on CNN and educated myself a bit. Now during my lunch hour I spend quality time with John Stewart and Steven Colbert. This is a definite upgrade from The Situation and Hugh Hefner.

I did make a couple of concessions to this Lent cold-turky...thing. I refused to give up RuPaul's Drag Race. And it isn't just because I love me the drag queens. I live in the middle of uber-conservative Minnesota. I can't find a gay man to save my life and I miss cavorting around gay bars with my friends so much sometimes that it hurts. The only connection I have to the LGBTQA community that I adore (and miss so SO much) is through Drag Race. It's not reality tv--to me it's a link to a part of myself that I can't find around here. I'm not giving that up. I think Jesus will understand.

The other show I can't bare to give up is What Not to Wear. (I'm catching up on the antics of Stacy and Clinton as I write this. Heaven!) I don't really consider this to be reality television in the truest sense of the word. Stacy and Clinton are helping to transform lives. It documents the journey of different people embracing their true selves via the fabulous world of fashion. I'm a sucker for it. I draw inspiration and ideas from it. It's not about to get the boot. (Sorry, God.)

I'm two weeks into the reality fast. Its gotten easier but truthfully? It was hard at first. This has made me realize how much television I watch, just for the sake of watching. I don't need to watch these shows. I don't get a lot from it. I've pinpointed what I want and need from the two shows that I watch enthusiastically and gratefully. The rest? I'm finding I can do without. And I'm getting a lot from it. Instead of watching a marathon on E, I'm tackling art projects and apartment stuff. In lieu of staring passively at a screen, I'm cracking open more books and engaging friends in hilarious phone conversations.

I once confessed to a date that I was addicted to reality tv. He wrinkled his nose and I knew he was judging me. And then he said something that changed how I viewed things. "Why would you watch somebody else live instead of going out and living your own life?" Touche'. Now instead of watching others' (very edited, likely set-up) realiies, I'm out creating my own. Maybe it wasn't such a dumb decision after all.

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