1, 2, 3, 5: WORD.

Nine is kind of stupid, though, because the nature of reality dating shows is stupid.
"Step 1: Put a bunch of random women in the same house with Some Guy.
Step 2: ?????
Step 3: True Love!"

I generally agree, but the writer is showing his coastal/urban bias. People in my part of the country would recognize Ty Murray long before almost anyone else on that show, 1/2 of the contestants on Celeb. Apprentice, and Jewel (who is mostly noted for marrying Ty).

Annoying voice over announcer guys who tell us what is coming up and even worse, what we just saw 3 minutes prior.

Speaking of food competitions, I'm sick of competitors looking down their noses at anything that 's not organic & market fresh. Of course you will be asked to jump through hoops. That means cooking with canned food, frozen food and food from vending machines. Climb down off your high horse, suck it up and cook.

I agree that #3 is just wrong--everyone on those shows is famous for something. But for some reason, some people decide that people they're familiar with are famous, while people they don't know are automatically disqualified from fame. Every round of Dancing With the Stars, some airheads online declare that 2 or 3 of the contestants are undeserving because they haven't heard of them--and those are often the ones I'm most familiar with.

Somewhat related to #1, they seem to pad out the shows with endless previouslies and previews of what will happen in 4 minutes. By the time the series is done, I've seen some scenes over a dozen times.

My biggest pet peeve is reality contestants using "I'm from a small town" to excuse ignorance. Shut the fuck up dumbass, I'm from a town of 6,000 in the middle of freaking NE and I know how to not be a complete asshole. Stop making all small towners look like inbred hicks.

I wouldn't say that the CT/Adam fight is the most exciting Challenge moment in ages. Of the top of my head, there's CT blowing his cool after losing his Duel to Brad, Beth fucking up her Duel, Eric/"Big Easy" almost dying and taking shit for it, Evelyn's "fuck you" speech to an alliance, etc. And I'd keep the "no fighting" rule, especially in an event such as CT trying to murder Adam. I don't even see why Adam had to go because he accidently hit Dunbar. However, since Tina barely -- BARELY -- got a piece of Beth, I think she should've stayed in The Duel. But it's that rule that keeps the Challenge from becoming a full-blooded, trashy VH1 show.

How about fewer douchebags? I mean, do we need Benjamin/Coach AND Tyson?

The honorable mention goes for every breaking news feature ever (sorry, we tuned in to see the show. Not the latest celebrity trial). And if people are going to be scripted to forget its a game, you might as well make backstabbing against the rules so that we get some kind of logical reason for people to blow up.

Clip shows masked as real episodes with new footage that adds nothing of interest.

I wish I could explain it. I used to be like you, not getting it, not watching and then one day someone convinced me to watch Project Runway. Someone else convinced me to try the Amazing Race. Suddenly I was watching Real World/Road Rules Challenge and Tool Academy. Once you start the downward spiral, you just get sucked in.

Peeves about reality TV: 1. All the women who are doing it for their kids. If you were doing something for your kids you'd be at home instead of spending 6 weeks away from them! (Especially bothersome on the really trashy shows like Rock of Love, slightly less bothersome on The Amazing Race).
2. I agree completely about the ones who bloat with recaps between commercial breaks. Dude, I was here 3 minutes ago, let's just continue the episode. I'm not totally brain dead.

When reality shows that used to feature regular folks get bloated with recruits direct from whatever bar in Los Angeles that the casting director likes to hang out in, that's a problem. It's nearly destroyed Survivor, and seeing the same contestants from "Scream Queens" show up as hopefuls on "Millionaire Matchmaker" makes me think that not one of the people shown with an interesting job (matchmaker, gym owner, salon owner) is actually seen doing his or her actual job.

I understand what some people are saying about who is a celebrity and who is not but I think in general a celebrity should be someone that majority can identify. Anything else and it takes away from a show being about celebrities. But more importantly, being a briefcase model on deal or deal does not make a celebrity. The main problem is that these days, if you have had a chance to be on television at some point that automatically makes you a celebrity and that makes no sense to me.

Recruiting failed actors for Survivor to make sure it's padded with attractive (yet empty-headed) Californians. Bleh. I want to see real people, preferrably fans, who know the show and can plot and scheme with the best.

There is nothing I hate more than "Coming up next!" teaser right before comercial. I am here, watching your stupid show, stop ruining what is gonna happen next and get on with it! This season TAR has added a "Tonight on The Amazing Race" right before the credits, and I HATE it! Thank god I watch most of my TV on the DVR so I can FF through all that crap.

I am so sick of any mention of anyone throwing anyone else under a bus. Can't they come up with new, unique bitchery?

60 MINUTES is a good lead-in, which is a double-edged sword: it brings potential viewers but also won't be pre-empted when a basketball game or golf tournament runs long. I just set my DVR to record both TAR and COLD CASE so it catches the overrun.

The three-hour Survivor finale is awesome, but otherwise I totally agree.

On Project Runway, before the fashion show, Heidi Klum has to come up and repeat what we just watched for the last 40 minutes. Does she have it in her contract that she has to say so many words an episode?
The express " throwing someone under the bus" should be banned and whoever uses it should be shot. On National Television.

My pet peeve (a corollary to No. 6) is that ANTM frequently makes the competition all about who is friends with who. Like cycle 5, when one girl got the least number of pictures to take because everyone hated her. Yeah, like Heidi can decide how many pictures Adriana can take for Victoria's Secret.

Could we also stop the vote for the Sprint (?) Survivor of the week which airs in the commercial break before Tribal Council and often gives away who's going home?

I agree about the Amazing Race "Coming up on..." nonsense. I'm already watching the show! You don't need to entice me further.

Ty Murray is a HUGE star in rodeo, one of the biggest. I'm a rodeo fan myself and there are not a few of us here in New York. I only tuned in to DWTS to watch Ty.

American Idol is seriously pissing me off. Since when did the show start ignoring SINGING TALENT and prize "showmanship" and "making it your own" over everything else? I think it started a couple of seasons ago, with the beat-boxing guy. Last year it was David Cook, mixing up Lionel Richie and shit. This year, everybody is gushing over Adam, who butchers a good song every week with his whiny screeching. I liked the show SO much more when it was actually about singing talent. Remember Kelly Clarkson? I doubt she'd last past the first few weeks if she'd been in this year's crop, and yet Kelly has put out some high selling albums with great R&B/pop songs on them. Why? Because Kelly wouldn't destroy a beloved classic song in the name of "art" and "putting your own spin on it, dawg." Can't we just get back to listening to people sing, and sing WELL?

And yes, absolutely they need to cut out the padding. There is no reason why we need to put up with 45 minutes of Ryan Seacrest. He's just not that interesting, Fox PTB.

I get tired of all the pimping for other shows or products. When the contestants on DWTS go backstage to get their scores, the show fills the time with a promo for some other ABC product. (And why can't they just get their scores in front of the judges anyways?). And the poor trainers on Biggest Looser have to pimp products they probably don't believe in anyways.

For some reason I've gotten used to the Travelocity Gnome on TAR, maybe that's because at least the leg winners get a trip from them.

Oh, and one other thing: Paula, please stop standing up and dancing when the singers are performing. Can we say "Upstaging?" Thank you.

Speaking of spin-offs, let's not forget the upcoming Daisy of Love.

My question is: Why do they do all this padding ("coming up next," "what happened before the commercial break," etc.)at the expense of footage that would be really interesting? You know they cut a lot out to fit in that stupid shit. For instance, on Project Runway, they could show more about the contestants actually designing and constructing things, or have more about the models, as they did in the first season or two.

I am in favor of having more people who are stars in their own right and are known for actually DOING something, like Ty Murray, Lawrence Taylor, Helio Castroneves, etc., and fewer pseudo-reality-celebrities like dumped B'ette Melissa. Sure she can dance--she is A DANCER!

The no-physical-violence rule will never go away due to the liability inherent in the show accepting and implicitly encouraging violence. Besides, I don't like to see people get beat up. There is plenty of violence on TV and in everyday life as it is.

I think someone has mentioned this already, but couldn't they give basic first aid to the contestants on Survivor so that they don't get infections and have to leave the game?

FOR GOD'S SAKE, I do not need a preview of what's going to happen after the commercial break, then a retread of the last 2 minutes before the commercial break when you get back from one. All the Bravo and VH-1 reality shows do this, and even Hell's Kitchen does. The shows could have 10 more minutes of interesting stuff instead of this lamest of padding.

The one exception to this would be The Biggest Loser, where it makes sense to go away for a while and go to extreme measures to finally lose a shitload of weight, for your kids. That actually serves a purpose.

Love reality tv, but hate what the shows apparently have to do to stay on the air, including over-the-top product placement, and over-the-hill celebrities. Apprentice was much better with real entrepreneurs. In fact, I LIKE the z-listers on this year's apprentice more than the scary-looking d-listers because they at least seem to have some actual business acumen without the gargantuan egos. The show was originally about business, not celebrities who can beg the most.

Just started watching TBL and it annoys me that the scale flashes all the different weights before landing on the real weight. Why superficially add to the tension? Stand on the scale, reveal the weight.

I get sick of people crying and acting like they've been apart for months or years when reunited with loved ones after about THREE WEEKS, like on Survivor. C'mon, I love my family, but I could (and do) go without seeing them for weeks or even months at a time. What's the big deal?

Yeah, yeah, I know that they are hungry, stressed out, etc., but sometimes they get all verklempt when they see somebody that they probably don't even see very often in the real world. Like a college friend, or their dad, who lives hundreds of miles away from them.

Well, I guess they were trying to figure out if it was more girls or more gay guys.
But yes, the Bravo polls kill me. Also, the completely random 30 second interstitials they do so that you'll stop in the middle of fast-forwarding through the commercials. Ugh!

Gotta stick up for Ty Murray here. I knew who he was before I ever heard of Jewel. In the world of PBR and rodeo, he's a true celebrity and fits on DWTS as well as any other athlete. Now Melissa, as much as I like her and enjoy her dancing, is another story. One of my pet peeves is solely owned by Survivor. They need to get this show off the beach and into some colder and more challenging weather. Mark Burnett has said he'll never do that so I'm not holding my breath but it would be interesting to watch a Survivor with parkas rather than bikinis.

A lot of stuff I agree on in there, but word to the max to that last item, the Honorable Mention.

I agree with a lot of the gripes here, especially the honorable mention. One thing that drives me nuts is when there is a contestant that the audience never gets to know beyond what makes them different. Stop reminding us that Contestant X is gay, deaf, blind, short, transgendered etc. and wants to prove that they can do this show to at every opportunity. Tell us once or twice and then let the person's actions tell the rest of the story just like every other contestant.

I agree with everyone who hates the padding of most reality shows. I can't watch them live (especially Biggest Loser and American Idol results nights) because I tend to fall asleep watching the flashbacks, lame interviews, and "dramatic tension". The DVR is absolutely necessary for those shows.

How would that tell them how many women vs. gay guys watch the show? Wouldn't they BOTH want to skinny dip with Tyson?

Now the straight guys would want to skinny dip with Nicole, I assume.

I'll disagree about Ty Murray - he's a star in his own right in his field, and it's a pretty big field to a lot of people. Professional bullriding, as a professional sport in itself, is just as valid a career for "stardom" as baseball, singing, writing, you name it.

How about reality shows (I'm talking to you, REAL HOUSEWIVES) in which the entire episode is nothing more than housewife meetings with creators/marketers of their worthless products?

11. TERRIBLE MUSIC

Terrible, terrible, terrible music to fill out the terrible pacing and humiliation rituals. I'm so confused about why so many people want to stand in front of a panel of judges and be critiqued.

My pet peeve is calling these reality shows. They are cheap fillers because the TV executives don’t want to pay for the filming of good drama, western or comedy shows.

As far as being real, only a small percentage of American women wear a size six or smaller, try to dress like their teen age daughters and routinely use foul language. What’s the deal about constantly portraying men as slightly stupid shallow individuals who think with the organ between there legs and have trophy wives. They must be fairly intelligent to provide the trophy wives with their phony boobs, bleach jobs and pedicures.

Real American women are size 12 and up, relatively polite, who many times work outside the home to make ends meet. American men are hard working, family loving guys trying their best to hold it together in a bad economy. Guess what…most of us even have fairly good moral standards. Many even go to the church, synagogue or temple of our choice.

What kind of example are you portraying for our young and those who do not have contact with normal Americans. No wonder the rest of the world thing Americans are sleaze balls. Just watch “reality TV”