Celebrities compete for the fittest bodies, people eat ants for a chance to win a million dollars... Staff Viewpoint: Reality t

Celebrities compete for the fittest bodies, people eat ants for a chance to win a million dollars and women undergo dramatic surgeries to become beautiful. This is everyday television.

With the continuing rise in popularity of reality television, I have to wonder how far is too far. Are the morals and ethics of society going down the drain?

When I'm not going to school, studying, working, editing or trying to find time for fun, I occasionally turn on the television and find myself becoming a viewer of these types of shows. I know that I'm not the only one who has watched a reality episode where people have humiliated and embarrassed themselves on national television.

Are Americans today more entertained by people making a mockery of themselves, or is it that some shows are so appalling that we just cannot resist the urge to watch? I think what makes reality television popular is the fact these shows are based on reality. If they weren't successful in reality, producers would not air them and proceed to create more.

"Survivor," "Temptation Island," "The Surreal Life," "The Bachelor," "Big Brother," "The Apprentice," "Real World," "Celebrity Fit Club," "Fear Factor" and "The Swan" are just a few shows that are a part of this craze.

Although the viewing public has shown a large interest in watching this brand of entertainment, the "entertainment" has also destroyed lives and even promoted some violent behaviors.

Take "Cheaters" for example, a show during which lovers confront their cheating spouses. One episode backfired after a woman, the host and camera crew went to face her cheating boyfriend, who happened to be with his new girlfriend on a yacht. When the show crew made their way onto the man's boat, the man became upset and stabbed host Joey Greco in the stomach.

Hosts such as Montel Williams, Sally Jesse Raphael, Ricky Lake, Jenny Jones, Jerry Springer and a variety of others are among the diverse group of people who have brought viewers this wide range of subjects. Although many of these shows have been canceled, what viewers may have failed to see were the effects that they had on those who "participated" in the discussions.

Love affairs, hidden secrets, badly behaved teenagers and lie detections were some of the main discussions shown. The emotions of the "guests" were exposed. Some news hurt the guests or threw them into an outrage. Fights and arguments on stage often happened and some shows even got the audience members involved, as viewers shared opinions on the subject. While chaos broke out at the show studios, people sat back at home and watched for entertainment.

Other talk shows have also been considered trashy television. For instance, Jerry Springer filmed "Too Hot for TV," with issues of prostitution, cross-dressers, sex and scandals. My biggest concern with these racy shows is that they were aired on basic television channels and were accessible to children of all ages.

Critics have said that rather than promoting therapy for talk shows' featured guests, the shows encouraged violence and aggression. Many of these shows do not represent American values of real life.

Negative programming has not gone without fatalities. The Jenny Jones Show had a major catastrophe in 1995. The show was about a gay man, Amedure, who wanted to reveal that he had a crush on another man, Jonathon Schmitz. Three days after the taping, Schmitz killed Amedure out of rage and embarrassment and testified that it was the show's fault for his humiliation. A jury ordered the producers of the Jenny Jones Show to pay $25 million to the gay man's family for pain and suffering.

Those who have social, mental or physical problems and would like to seek help should first address their problems through counseling. After a little bit of guidance, these individuals can then decide if cameras, talk shows and reality television are right for them.

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