Television fads in the past have always spawned copycats that later die out. This year we have the craze of reality television. Every major network seems to be trying their hand at reality television. CBS has “Survivor,” Fox has “Temptation Island,” and “Boot Camp,” ABC has “The Mole,” CBS will have a second round of “Big Brother”.

Cost effectiveness, curiosity, and laziness of network execs, coupled with the current stupidity of society, have all attributed to the reality show craze.

MTV created the modern reality show 10 years ago with “The Real World.” It was created because MTV did not have the money to create what it wanted, a soap opera.

TV history was created by a lack of funds. Television audiences were curious and wanted to know what would happen when seven attractive strangers were put in a loft, or how one person would survive on an island or in Australia’s Outback?

Well not me. Everyone who ever wanted to know what boot camp was like can finally get his or her appetite filled with the aptly titled “Boot Camp.” An angry burly man yelling at people; it sounds like my early childhood.

You do have to admire the gall of the t.v. executives. Their meetings must have gone something like this:

Executive No. 1: “Should we attempt to have writers come up with a new series that could be poignant and insightful?”

Executive No. 2: “No way, let’s put some ordinary people on an island and see what happens.”

Executive No. 1: “You are a genius!”

The WWF’s scripted matches or a cartoon are more creative than a reality show. It must be “real” difficult to come up with a sitcom or drama.

The music world has come under fire for its lack of music with depth. Shows like “Making the Band” and “Pop Stars” illustrate why the recording industry is taking a turn for the worse. The premise of these shows is to teach youngsters how to dance, look pretty, and if there’s no time to show them how to sing, how to lip-sync.

Why do people watch this crap? Fans of reality shows don’t have lives. Ironic if you think about it. Maybe these viewers should try living a life, rather than watching one.

Some say sitcoms and dramas are not very good these days. Granted, a show like “Moesha” lacks the writing and acting skill of a past show like “All in the Family.” Yet, I would rather hear, “You go, girl” a few hundred times than watch a dozen or so people living in a house together.

Are reality shows a window into our own lives, or like a car wreck that you can’t help but watch? I would go with the latter. People can’t help their curiosity or their stupidity.

These are the same people who watch car chases and tabloid t.v.

The reality t.v. fad cannot be ignored. It is an epidemic that has yet to find a cure. With the writers’ strike looming, the disease of reality TV will continue unless the multi-million people who watch these programs take my advice and get a life.

Now there’s an idea for a reality series, a show about people getting a life.