(To the surprising number of you who actually called and emailed asking where's Part Deux already, two things - thank you sooo very much for reading and caring, and.... get a life!!)

   It occurs to me that few people, in or out of "the biz", really know the real effects of Reality TV on the real tv/entertainment industry, (did I say "real" enough?). Real actors, those poor, hard-working schmucks (affectionately said) who've chosen a life path of playing out someone else's words and deeds for the enjoyment of the rest of us, have easily taken the biggest hit. But that's just the tiniest tip of the iceberg. Writers, producers, directors, editors, casting, assistants, script supervisors, camera operators, hair, makeup, wardrobe, set decorators, craft services, grips, best boys (what the ...?), music supervisors, graphic artists, agents, managers (oh, god, me!).....and, holy shit, I'm just warming up!! 

   Factor in the guy at the supermarket who no longer gets that carrying-out-the-bags tip from the third lead actress on even the lowest rated sitcom, (on UPN?), because she's been replaced by fucking Joe Rogan and his merry band of buffalo-testicle-eating fifteen-minutes-of-fame-seeking hanging-by-your-left-nut-from-a-helicoptor-while-plucking-a-flag-from-a-tower morons from Intercourse, PA and you start to get the idea. Not that I have anything against Joe Rogan. He's actually a pretty nice guy. But he was a mediocre stand-up comic struggling to be an ACTOR, scrambling for auditions, and now he's got a job that basically puts other actors out of work. C'mon. Where's the goddamn justice?

   Common sense, and basic math, will tell you that for every half hour of this mindless dreck on air there are approximately 12 actors NOT acting. That's 24 per hour per week times about 60 hours of Reality programming per week. That's 1,440 actor-hours per week going unfulfilled!! And, again, all that "below the line" talent it takes to keep (or try to keep) the actors acting. And believe me, this is a conservative estimate.  

   The Screen Actor's Guild, Aftra, Actra, etc, when pressed, will tell you that only about 5 - 10% of their membership makes a living wage plying their craft. Those "trade unions" are supposed to be protecting their members, yet seem to be looking the other way while all this happens. And at the same time they're greedily taking their dues and deductions. And renegotiating deals with the conglomerates and the networks and giving away "back end money" (DVD and Internet-broadcast residuals, for instance) like it was theirs to give away. While real working actors become an endangered species. And go hungry, taking all the affiliated workers with them. 

   But, (thank the gods who've been Lost on Wysteria Lane), I see the trend swinging back. So far this year, more pilots for shows based on the written word, requiring actors who act and support people who support them, have been commissioned and shot than in, at least, five years. And some of them may actually see life as series. And some of those may actually succeed. (Ooooh, I just got a chill).

   I'd like to say it was because the suits saw the error of their ways and wanted to right their wrongs. That they tuned in to those mindless abominations and were shocked to see what came out of that weekend in that bunker in South Dakota. I'd like to, but I can't. Because it's really about the almighty dollar. You see, Reality TV may be cheap to produce and create windfall profits accordingly, but it's a short-term windfall, and networks can't survive on only tomorrow night's returns. How many times will you watch Bambi Bachelorette ride off into the sunset with Gary Goodyear? Not many, they're finding out, considering that before the first year cycle's been re-aired, Bambi and Gary broke up. There's no rerun return on reality programming. They've started to realize that Jerry, Elaine, George and Cosmo will bring in Billions, and will be watched for years and years and years, (think Lucy, Desi, Ethel and Fred).

   And that's the Reality of it.

   Next up - "I'm Neil, and I'm a loveaholic". (Everyone together now -) "Hi Neil" !!!