The rest is still unwritten...

I'm still working on the books for next week, so I've decided to do a TV post. Everyone likes TV, right? Plus, I've recently seen the preview for season 5 (!) of The Hills, that "reality show" shown on MTV.

I’ll admit it—I’m addicted to reality TV. I’m not entirely proud of this fact, but I can’t deny it. When watching reality shows, I sometimes question the actual “reality” being portrayed. How real are these shows? Are they scripted? And who are the “stars” of the shows?

The Hills, a prime staple of MTV’s primetime offerings, is called a “reality show,” but there has been a great deal of speculation over how “real” it actually is. It’s hard to believe that the conversations always take place in front of the camera, and with the perfect amount of lighting, no less. And some of the dramatic “confrontations” seem too staged, and the “stars” seem all too well to know the characters they are supposed to be playing.

The show follows the lives of Lauren Conrad and her friends as they live, work, and play in Hollywood. It is actually a spin-off of the show Laguna Beach, which chronicled Lauren’s high school experience in ritzy Orange County. The “villains” are Heidi and Spencer, a pair who used to be on friendly terms with Lauren but are currently her sworn enemies.

Nevertheless, The Hills is one of MTV’s highest rated shows, and it has even spawned a spin-off of its own, The City. I think teens and preteens like it because it depicts the glamorous LA life that they would like to lead, complete with swanky clubs, beautiful clothes and accessories, and trendy jobs. What the show doesn’t make clear is that Lauren gets all these lucky breaks because she is on a popular reality show. Additionally, she can afford to buy these clothes because she is getting paid to be on the show. Also, the stars of the show are constant tabloid fodder, which I think is another draw for kids. They see gossip from magazines concerning Lauren and Co., so they tune into the show to learn more.

There is a fair share of subtle drinking and partying on the show, but it is never the main focus and it is known that Lauren and her friends are of the drinking age. I might even go as far to say that Lauren is actually a sort of role model, as she holds down a good job and also goes to school for fashion design. While at times the show is bogged down by petty arguments and partying, I’d say the overall message is a positive one: support your friends, find a significant other that respects you, and stay true to yourself in the process of making your way in the world. Whether or not the show is an accurate description of real life is a different story.