Living on the Reality TV List

Thursday night also brought the premiere of this week's episode of "My Life on the D-List" on Bravo. There are tons of shows following celebrities around as they live their lives, but this is one of my favorites. I've watched every episode from Season 1 on. Sometimes, I don't like Kathy Griffin. She seems so self-absorbed. But, she's funny. She has also provided us with a real look at her life, from divorce to the death of her father and her trip to Ireland in his memory. She took us on her USO visit to Iraq, giving us two of the most memorable episodes ever. This year, we see her poignant relationship with her aging, widowed mother.

There is also a lot of fun to be had. This week's visit to a "Bear" convention was a trip. Watching her perform at Madison Square Gardens was a joy. Last week, when she officiated at a wedding, it was audaciously disturbing. It must be a lot of hard work to balance the funny and dramatic moments, but she succeeds. No wonder she earned that Emmy that she almost gave away to the "Dog Whisperer".

Only two other shows of this type captured my full attention, both on VH1. One was "Scott Baio Is 45... And Single" followed by "Scott Baio Is 46... And Pregnant". I had no idea he was such a shallow person, as he was shown to be in the first season. I suppose I stuck around to watch him try to make a better man of himself with the help of a life coach. Would he grow up? Could he change. By the end of the first season it appeared that he could and had. The second season confirmed that.

Probably my favorite reality series of the celebrity life sort is "My Fair Brady". I was a fan of Adrianne Curry from "America's Next Top Model", so I looked forward to her being on "Surreal Life". I had never been a big fan of the "Brady Bunch", but, like Adrianne, I fell in love with Christopher Knight. (Well, not in love the way she did.) Sap that I am, I saw the attraction between the two of them on the show. I thought there was something real there. Maybe I was right, or maybe they are just masterful actors, who cares. I love their chemistry and hope we'll see more of them. We did, a little, when Adrienne was in the audience when Christopher was on "Celebrity Circus".

I love learning about the lives of celebrities and read lots of biographies, but I've never been a fan of tabloids. I don't want to intrude on someone's life. However, when they invite us in, then I'm there, especially for people who are both funny and genuine. Like Kathy Griffin.