guilty pleasures

Ok, so I'm an intelligent girl/I'm as likely to read a good book as to watch a movie, I'm nearly done with my fifth year of university taking gut-wrenchingly difficult science classes, and I listen to NPR (public radio) enough to stay caught up on current events (when I'm not watching the news).

So I wonder how exactly I've managed to get myself neck-deep involved in watching so many trashy, horrible reality TV shows.

I don't just watch them either... I'm talking, getting involved, reading about the episodes in other blogs, discussing them with friends... it's sick. I know it is.

First of all, don't get me started with America's Next Top Model (also known as ANTM... don't get it twisted). I have been watching since the 2nd cycle, and I'm hooked. I love how terribly cheesy the challenges are, how Tyra is absolutely ape-shit crazy, and all the faux drama hat goes on in that house between the models. Who are all, by the way, very unconventional looking. As in, I've tried to get my man to watch it with me, and he lost all interest after 5 minutes because, he complained, "all the chicks are ugly".

Still, you will see me glued to the TV during that hour every week, and reading the hilarious recap that Four Four does every Monday.

Ok, so Bravo is a channel that deserves an entry of it's own. I loved Project Runway last season (but this time around I just haven't gotten that into it), Top Chef (who doesn't love Padma?), and my two ABSOLUTE favorites of all time... The Real Housewives of Orange County, and My Life On the D List.

For the former: there is nothing (NOTHING) more entertaining than watch the drama that unfolds in the lives of highly plasticized, injected, toned, and colored ladies with too much money and not enough brains... Anything that happens in their love lives, with their children... man it's surreal. I eat it up.

And the latter... I. Love.Kathy. Griffin. I would turn gay for her. In fact, I sometimes wish I were a gay male so that I could be part of her posse. I'm not afraid to admit I have kind of a lesbian crush all up on her. In fact, the best present I have ever gotten was tickets to see her show for my birthday this year... my man def. knows me well. When he surprised me with the tickets, he didn't come straight out with it. He just said, "Well, I don't know if you could pass me off as gay, but..." and I flipped out. Love her.

And since I don't have cable TV at home, most of the TV shows on like MTV and things have been unavailable to me... until this year where all the episodes are online. And you can be damn sure that I have lost a scary amount of sleep catching up on seasons of shows I had never previously watched or was interested in before.

My favorites:

The Hills: I hate this show. I hate the girls on it. I hate how set-up and fake it all is. But I still freakin' love this show. Sue me.

A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila: This one is new. I have had marathon Tila sessions at home on my bed... and I'm not gonna lie. I love it. The premise of the show is that Tila Tequila is bisexual, so she has both guys AND girls competing for her love, Bachelor style. I've learned two things: 1) there are some crazy lesbian chicks out there... I'm now slightly afraid of them... BUT at the same time... 2) I'm afraid to say that I may or may not have a crush on like all the lesbians on the show. (!). I'm 100% straight, but there is just something about them that's so sexy.. especially Dani. I know, it's weird.

Anyways, if you are wondering how I manage to have a part-time job and be a full-time student and still have time to watch all this TV, all I can say is that sleep is over-rated and the internet is amazing.