I Miss Mayberry: Reality Roll Call!!!

I don't watch a lot of TV, but last night I was glued to my chair. It was a reality show heaven. Just let me tell you. I am so tired right now cause I was up past 11:00 watching TV. I had to, I was drawn into the fantasy lives of reality TV. Let me fill you in.

First I started out at about 6:00 with an appetizer of Andy Griffith. I know, Andy Griffith is not reality...I just wish it was. Anyway, that took me up to the main course of American Idol with a side of Duggar's 17 Kids and Counting.

AI was so sad. Those people were up there just singing their little hearts out and winking and jerking all

over the stage. But even with my severe lack of musical training or talent even I could see how bad some of them were. I felt so bad for them. It was really very sad, cause they all can sing way better than me, but not good enough to face "The Judges". Dawg, I just wasn't gettin' it. In fact I really even kind of felt sorry for the judges cause they were trying so hard not to be harsh.

There were a couple shining stars though. And the guy I am pulling for was the final act. Danny Gokey is not only a good vocalist, but seems like a nice guy. Ricky Braddy, Alexis Grace, Annop Desai were also good.

There are still 24 more to hear from and that will take two more weeks to hear them. After all 36 contestants have performed, the group will be pared down to the top 12. I will spare you the details of how that will be determined.

So during the commercials of AI I was flipping over to TLC to watch 17 Kids and Counting. It is the show about Michelle and Jim Bob (not any relation to the Jim Bob on the Waltons) Duggar and their 18 kids. Yes, they have 18 children and Michelle, bless her heart has birt

hed every single one of them. The show is called 17 Kids and Counting because the 18th baby was born just a few months ago....I imagine they will change the name to 18 Kids and Counting, but I'm just guessing on that.

Besides Michelle the mom and Jim Bob the dad there is Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedediah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johanna, Jennifer and Jordyn-Grace. Please be amazed that I typed those all from memory....not really, but that would be impressive!!

This week the older kids got to go with Dad to El Salvador to give Christmas gifts to the orphans there. I just love this family. The make their own soap, each month they buy $1200 worth of groceries from Aldi's, buy their shoes in bulk from the Salvation Army and still have time to serve the orphans in a foreign country. They are amazing.

So as American Idol/17 Kids faded into Toddlers and Tiaras my eyes were getting heavy, but I was NOT giving up. There was still some good reality yet to come. So Tods and Tiaras is about beau

ty pageants for little girls newborn to teens. Oh my gosh, Puleeeeze....there was a woman on there that took a 2nd job to pay for her 11 year old daughters pageants and all the dresses that go along with it and her Dad had to walk when he golfed 'cause all the extra money went to fru fru stuff and not the basic necessities of life such as golf carts. This young girl hung her heart out on the line just to take third runner up in a competition of 4 girls in her age bracket. How and why would anyone do that to their little girl? Don't we women grow up with enough self-esteem issues, insecurities and self image problems without dragging our daughters all over the land and parading them up against teeny tiny little sprites whose only goal in life is to become Miss South Carolina and maybe even Miss America? Really.

So the only reason I tolerated the ego pummeling of pre-adolescent young girls is because at 10:00 the season opener of Real Housewives of New York was on. YEAH!!!! These women crack me up. They are a bunch of women who are true legends in their own minds. I don't watch the housewives of Orange County cause there is just too much bleach, botox and bosom for me on that one. I watch the Atlanta wives, but the New York girls are my favorites.

First you have Jill, she grew up on Long Island and married money, so now she is a serious socialite.

Bethenny, is single. It appears as though Bethenny made a visit to Dr. 10121 (that is a zip code in Manhattan...clever don't you think?) over the break. She had way less waist and way more .... um....let's just say her string bikini top runneth over.

Ramona is just a ditz. A mean ditz at that.

LuAnn de Lesseps is married to a count which makes her a countess. She really has to be careful when it rains cause her nose is so high up in the air she could drown.

Then there is Alex and Simon. Alex is the wife and Simon is the husband and they both are some serious wannabes. They are pathetic little social climbers. They had to rent their home in the Hamptons while Jill, LuAnn and Ramona all own their summer get aways. How pitiful is that.

And now there is a new wife....Kelly something, I don't know. I was dazed by the time she showed up. I will have to pay more attention next week when the show comes on a little earlier in the evening.