Tag Archive for 'Sink or swim'

Show the Power of Social Networking – Sink or Swim Kindle Book on Pixel of Ink

Published on January 8, 2012 in General News. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

My mystery novel with a touch of romance, Sink or Swim, is now live on Pixel of Ink, a wonderful web site and newsletter that features bargain e-book titles. Any help spreading the word is much appreciated.

Here are three simple ways to help:

1. If you have Facebook, it would be a great help if you could click the Facebook like button at the top of the Sink or Swim post.

2. Tweets of the Sink or Swim post would also be appreciated. Here’s a sample:RT @stacyjuba Don’t miss Sink or Swim 99 cent sale as seen on Pixel of Ink. #Kindle #Nook #mystery http://ow.ly/8m6gH

3. If you receive the Pixel of Ink newsletter in your in-box, then please forward the January 8th edition to any friends who have Kindles. (It’s also a good chance to tell them about a terrific resource.)

Here is the Amazon product description:

Sink or Swim was an easy read and extremely well written… I would love to see it come out as a movie one day! Stephenie LaGrossa, former contestant Survivor: Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains

I was so excited to read this book because I loved her previous book, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, and she did not disappoint! There was action, mystery and romance all tied into one very well-written story. Book-Club-Queen

A wonderful, clever and entertaining distraction. Coffee Time Romance and More

I thought it was a great read and kept me in suspense. Michelle Costa, former contestant Big Brother 10

Personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained fame for starring on a hit reality show, but not only does she lose, she discovers she is being stalked. She’s also being shadowed by Zach Gallagher, a hunky photographer assigned to capture her personal moments for the local newspaper. As her former competitors get killed off one by one, Cassidy refuses to play by the stalker’s bizarre rules. When the stalker forces a showdown, Cassidy must play to win.

Bonus material (equivalent to 15 printed pages) – Includes excerpts of the author’s mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Dark Before Dawn, an extra scene, an excerpt of the novel The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle, and the complete short story Only Time Can Divide Us by Maria Savva.

Taking Kindle World by Storm – Starting With Sink or Swim Sale

Published on January 6, 2012 in General News. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Well, I am working very hard in 2012 to take the Kindle world by storm. I’ve lined up Pixel of Ink and E-Reader News Today ads for a couple of my books, and I’ll be experimenting with Amazon’s Kindle Select program, which means the e-book versions for a few of my titles will be exclusively available through Amazon Kindle for at least 90 days.

The current focus of my attention is my mystery novel with a touch of romance, Sink or Swim, which is on sale for 99 cents. It is scheduled to appear on Pixel of Ink this Sunday. In the meantime, it is featured on a great site called Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less), a must-read blog if you’re seeking bargain Kindle books and are eager to discover new authors.

As for Sink or Swim, I would very much appreciate tweets, Facebook likes, Google buzzing, and any other word of mouth to help get the word out. At this moment, the book is #20,188 Paid in Kindle Store. My goal is to make The Top 100 Paid List. Here is the product description from Amazon: (and at this time, the book is also available for Nook and other e-readers, as well as in trade paperback)

Reviews:
Sink or Swim was an easy read and extremely well written… I would love to see it come out as a movie one day! Stephenie LaGrossa, former contestant Survivor: Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains

I was so excited to read this book because I loved her previous book, Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, and she did not disappoint! There was action, mystery and romance all tied into one very well-written story. Book-Club-Queen

A wonderful, clever and entertaining distraction. Coffee Time Romance and More

I thought it was a great read and kept me in suspense. Michelle Costa, former contestant Big Brother 10

Personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained fame for starring on a hit reality show, but not only does she lose, she discovers she is being stalked. She’s also being shadowed by Zach Gallagher, a hunky photographer assigned to capture her personal moments for the local newspaper. As her former competitors get killed off one by one, Cassidy refuses to play by the stalker’s bizarre rules. When the stalker forces a showdown, Cassidy must play to win.

Bonus material (equivalent to 15 printed pages) – Includes excerpts of the author’s mystery novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Dark Before Dawn, an extra scene, an excerpt of the novel The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle, and the complete short story Only Time Can Divide Us by Maria Savva.

Send some good thoughts!!

Sink or Swim 6: Signs of Love’s Vaughn Jackson Plus Kindle Giveaway!

Published on November 3, 2011 in General News. 16 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Today’s contestant on the fictional reality show Sink or Swim is Vaughn Jackson, 37 years old from San Antonio, TX. Vaughn is a character from the new book Signs of Love by Chanta Jefferson Rand. Vaughn is no stranger to reality shows, but more on that later. For now, the rules of “this” game show. Here’s a recap: the three literary characters with the highest number of unique commenters to their post will be chosen as winners at the end of the year, so be sure to leave a comment. Chanta is also giving away a gifted Kindle copy of Signs of Love to a commenter. To enter, leave your name and email address in the comments by November 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Here are Vaughn’s answers to the Sink or Swim 6.

1. Tell us about the book you’re from.
I’m the hero from the reality TV show romance called Signs of Love by Chanta Jefferson Rand. I get to choose my soul mate from 12 lucky bachelorettes who each have a different zodiac sign – thus the title, Signs of Love. Pretty catchy huh? Yeah, I know. The author is one smart Pisces. You can find Signs of Love on Amazon here.

2. What is something about yourself that no one else knows?
No one except my best friend and manager knows that I’m on a self-imposed hiatus from sex. I’ve got too many damn paternity suits against me, so I’m very distrustful of women. The sad thing is I’ve never even met some of the women accusing me of being their “baby daddy.” But I guess the promise of a huge pay day lures gold-diggers from around the world.

3. Tell us about an unusual job or hobby that you’ve had?
Fifteen years ago, I was the hottest singer on the R&B charts. I was known as the man with the velvet voice. But when I refused to conform to the changing trends in music, my record label turned its back on me. Ever since then, I’ve had a sour taste in my mouth for the entertainment business. But I still got it, baby. I can sing the panties off any woman.

4. What is the strangest or most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?
The most exciting thing was winning four Grammys. The strangest thing would be appearing on Signs of Love. Unfortunately, it’s the only way I can make enough money to pay the IRS the $700,000 in back taxes that I owe them. Correction: I don’t owe them – my sorry ass accountant, Willie Armstrong put all the money I made up his nose and now, the sonofabitch has been missing for six months. So, guess who’s left holding the bag?

5. What would you do if you won a million dollars?
If I won a million dollars, I would try to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. My grandmother, Elsa (who raised me because my parents cared more about drugs than children) is suffering from this devastating disease. Back in the day, she was a gorgeous German burlesque dancer. To me, she’s always been “Grams.” I provide round-the-clock care for her every need. She’s always been there for me and I intend to do the same for her.

6. Please tell us briefly about your author and list web sites.
My author’s site is www.ChantaRand.com. This site showcases all of her and links to other sites and charities she supports. Each month, a percentage of the proceeds from her books goes to charity.

Chanta’s radio show site is www.TheChantaRandShow.com. This site provides information on all the authors she interviews on her bi-monthly internet radio show. The guests are limited to romance authors only, but they have a ball (no pun intended) discussing love, romance, and all things related to the romance industry.

For newcomers, this on-line “game show” is inspired by the reality TV-themed mystery novel Sink or Swim. Mark your calendar for January 17, 2012 when Stacy and Chanta will chat about reality TV show novels on The Chanta Rand Show!

Book Launch Party-Win $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card & Free Books

Published on October 2, 2011 in General News. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

I’m embarking on a double book launch this fall, with the e-book versions of my young adult paranormal thriller Dark Before Dawn (on sale for 99 cents in Kindle, Nook and Smashwords formats as a special Halloween promotion) and my young adult family hockey novel Face-Off. Both are now available in e-book formats with the paperback versions due out later this fall. I’ll be posting lots more about these books this fall, and in the meantime, you can be the first to read them.

Goddess Fish Promotions is helping me to celebrate my two new e-book releases today during their group launch party on the Goddess Fish Party Pavillion. I’ll be posting about the books and sharing excerpts, and other authors who are launching new titles will also be posting to the blog, so you’ll find lots of new titles for your to-read list.

Commenters on the Party Pavilion will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card, sponsored by Goddesh Fish. Many of the participating authors will also be giving away great prizes. I’ll be giving away two e-book copies of my adult mystery novel with a touch of romance, Sink or Swim in a drawing for commenters on any of my three Goddessh Fish blog posts, scheduled for 10 a.m. EST, 12 p.m. EST, and 4 p.m. EST. Stop by throughout the day to learn about exciting new releases and to be entered for prizes. Here is the link to my first post.

Looking for the Top 50 Blogs Every Personal Trainer Should Read?

Published on July 7, 2011 in General News. Closed Tags: , , , , .

If you’ve read my mystery novel Sink or Swim, then you know that the main character, Cassidy Novak, is a personal trainer who works in a health club. She goes on a reality TV show hoping to win enough money to launch her own chain of fitness centers, but unfortunately, Cassidy loses and must return to her old job.

Now that Cassidy is being stalked and is hiding out, she’s had a lot of time to surf the Internet and came across this informative post Top 50 Blogs Every Personal Trainer Should Read, which offers links to advice on training, nutrition, marketing and business strategies, and more. If you’re interested in fitness and/or personal trainers, then head over to this site. Then be sure to check out Cassidy’s adventures in Sink or Swim!

8 Tips On Trying Out For A Reality Television Show

Published on June 22, 2011 in Reality Show Rundown. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I hope readers have enjoyed my Reality Show Rundown Month, a series of interviews with reality show contestants to celebrate the release of my mystery novel Sink or Swim, a fun summer read with a reality show premise. In conclusion, I am wrapping up the series with tips on trying out for a reality show. If getting picked for a reality show is one of your goals, then don’t miss these valuable tips from former contestants Natalie Getz of Bachelor Pad, Hashim Trends Locario of I Love New York, Leslie Haywood of Shark Tank, David Olsen and Shawn Bakken of Beauty and the Geek, Betty Fraser of Top Chef, and Billy Garcia of Survivor: Cook Islands. Where can you get better advice than from people who have been through it and survived to tell the tale? Here are the tips, straight from the horse’s mouth, and if you’d like to read the full interviews, click on the hyperlinks.

1. Natalie Getz, Bachelor Pad winner: If you are not yourself, a producer will see right through that. When people go over the top trying to get on these shows, it more then likely annoys the producers more then anything. Just be yourself. If you are what they are looking for, they will pick you. If not? Well, don’t quit your day job. They are looking for several different personality types. When you audition, there are probably 100 of you with the same character and it’s only a matter of luck if they pick you.

2. Hashim Trends Locario, I Love New York: I would tell them to not hold back. If you hold back, you don’t make good TV and they will cut out a lot of your screen time. I would say be yourself, but bring out the part of yourself that is the most interesting.

3. Leslie Haywood, Shark Tank: Going into it with the right attitude is KEY! Make your decision based on “what if nothing goes the way I hoped”… would you still do it just for the experience? If the answer is YES, then do it! It truly is a once in a lifetime EXPERIENCE, but there are no guarantees. You could be the “William Hung” (whom we all laughed at and along with) or the “Omarosa” (whom we all loved to hate). If you go into it “expecting” a certain outcome, you run the risk of tremendous disappointment. Instead, go into with the attitude “No matter what happens, this is an amazing OPPORTUNITY and a once in a lifetime EXPERIENCE.” And no matter what, try and HAVE FUN!

4. David Olsen, Beauty and the Geek winner: If I had the silver bullet to get on a reality show, I’d use it myself as I had too much fun and have been trying to get back into that world, so I don’t know any top secret information that will get someone a callback. That said, there are some tricks. As much of a cliche that it is, be yourself. Casting directors are very good at spotting phony people and they’re looking for authenticity above all. Another is try to be unique. If everyone is playing the Jersey Shore angle by appearing like a dirtbag, wear a suit (but only if you feel comfortable in one, as per my first piece of advice). Finally, there’s the old show biz adage of show, don’t tell. Don’t say you’re edgy, be edgy (I leave it as an exercise to the reader of how exactly one becomes edgy).

5. Shawn Bakken, Beauty and the Geek: Aside from “Don’t do it”? Someone asked me about that while the show was on the air (he ended up getting cast for Season 2) and I told him, “Just be yourself.” The problem is that being yourself in front of the cameras isn’t always what ends up on people’s TV screens. If you want to be on a reality show, don’t be surprised if the producers decide to flush your reputation down the toilet.

6. Betty Fraser, Top Chef: First thing I’d suggest is to learn about Pandora’s Box. Because once you reach people in their living rooms, that box is opened and there’s no going back. Reality shows are entertainment so big personalities have become a prerequisite. But what a lot of people don’t think about is the criticism you are opening yourself up for. I think people watch reality TV as much for who they like as who they don’t like. And people aren’t shy about sharing their feelings on chat boards. When the comments are nice, you feel great. But when they lay in to you, especially when they have no idea of the kind of person you really are, it can really hurt. If you don’t have a thick skin, then being on a reality show might not be the best decision.

7. Billy Garcia, Survivor: Cook Islands: Watch Wile E Coyote. That will be how you will look in the edit if you make it on a show and don’t win it. So if you have a problem with being the butt of the joke, then this isn’t for you. Otherwise, good luck.

8. Michelle Costa, Big Brother 10: The best advice I can give is to be yourself never try to be who you think they want. BE YOURSELF.

This concludes Reality Show Rundown Month. To read other interviews and articles in this series, click here. Do you have a few minutes to help me give some buzz to Sink or Swim? Get 8 ideas here that can make a big difference!

Reality Show Rundown Interview with “Bachelor Pad” Winner Natalie Getz

Published on June 20, 2011 in Reality Show Rundown. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

This is the eighth in a series of interviews with former reality show contestants, an idea inspired by my new reality show-themed mystery novel Sink or Swim, Where Reality TV Turns to Murder. For more information on Sink or Swim, and the interview schedule which features contestants from Survivor, Top Chef, Beauty and the Geek, Shark Tank, Bachelor Pad, Big Brother and I Love New York, please visit this link.

Today’s interview is with Natalie Getz, who viewers will know from The Bachelor, Season 13 and Bachelor Pad. Last fall, David Good and Natalie were the winning couple during the finale of Bachelor Pad, an ABC reality competition which featured former The Bachelor bachelorettes and The Bachelorette bachelors competing for a $250,000 cash prize.

1. Natalie, if you could boil down your experience on the Bachelor Pad to one paragraph, what was your overall feeling about being on this show?
By far the most entertaining, craziest, challenging and rewarding four weeks of my life. The entertainment factor came with the territory due to the fact that I got to film a reality TV show with some of my best friends! All of our inside jokes and ridiculous statements that we said on air to make each other laugh will always be with me. It was crazy in a sense that we had no clue what to expect going into it, except that we were competing for money. I had no clue I would fall for Jesse Beck and get dumped in the first week and then go on to explore my romantic feelings for my bestie David Good. The dating/love component was something I didn’t expect nor want. I think the biggest challenge was to orchestrate the game with Dave to ensure we kept our closest pals in the game at whatever cost to keep us safe. They didn’t show a lot of us brainstorming, but BELIEVE me, that was pretty much all we did. It was nerve wracking- I lost 5 lbs during filming! Dave and I were very fortunate to never be in hot water, simply because we were neutral and friends with everyone- the lives of the party so to speak. All of this paid off in the end when David and I were each rewarded with $125k and gained financial freedom from our debt.

2. What was it like to have cameras rolling all the time? How hard was it to get used to being in the public eye?
During my stint on The Bachelor Season 13, I could NOT get used to the cameras. They scared the be-jesus out of me and I got sweaty and nervous whenever they approached causing me to be way too shy and guarded with every word or statement I spoke. It doesn’t matter, however, because through the power of editing, I looked like an idiot. Bachelor Pad was incredible to film, because at that point I had already went on to do so much more with reality television and honestly didn’t even recognize the camera anymore. We even had them on us when we were sleeping (on The Bachelor and Bachelorette they do not) and it didn’t phase me. I maybe got a little too comfortable now looking back at some of my make out scenes…..it was like a less glorified version of Days Of Our Lives- hahaha. As for the public eye, that wasn’t hard at all. I already am a total Midwest chatter box who has long conversations with complete strangers all throughout the day, so for me, I love talking to fans about the show. I’ve actually made a couple friends from girls who have approached and recognized me. So fun! The first couple times I saw myself in a magazine or googled my name, I found it hilarious and embraced it as a once in a lifetime experience;) I’m not one to change my personality or watch what I say for an interview because that’s me and that’s reality TV! I do not have a filter, I’m raw, slightly obnoxious, and I have no intentions of hiding that. Works for me!

3. What was the best part about being on the show?
Hands down being back together, with no distractions from life’s daily interruptions, with some of my best friends and a bunch of other cool people! I can’t tell you how many incredible lifelong friends I’ve made whether they are cast, crew, or friends of cast mates. It’s real life Facebook! The fact that all of us already did Bachelor/ette, some of us got super close before filming. It pretty much felt like they filmed an ultimate dream vacation of me and my friends- AND I got paid! The next best part was living in a mansion, traveling to Vegas in a private jet and staying in a villa, being waited on hand and foot, and crazy expensive experiences I would never had done had it not been for the show. Thanks, Mike Fliess:)

4. What were your favorite challenges on the show? Least favorite?
My favorite challenges were the water balloon toss and the DWTS competition. Reason being they were the only athletic challenges, and being an athlete and ex college soccer player, I love active challenges! David and I would have won the dance competition if we hadn’t completely forgot the routine. Reason we forgot the routine? Well, because I know David as a man’s man and he is ALL dude, and all of the sudden it hit me how feminine he looked and I started laughing so hard and we completely got off track….whoops! Up until the performance that mattered, our dance was flawless. The music ran out before our awesome finish….dang! The Pie Eating Contest and Twister Contests were so lame. Hello- BORING!!! I’d rather watch paint dry. I hate cherry pie and the reason I lost Twister is because there were too many of us on the board and the board ran out of dots! They said right hand red, and there were zero red dot’s left to place my hand on! Gah! I thought the survey challenge was juvenile and ridiculous, but secretly thought it was damn good TV.

5. What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying for a reality show?
If you are not yourself, a producer will see right through that. When people go over the top trying to get on these shows, it more then likely annoys the producers more then anything. Just be yourself. If you are what they are looking for, they will pick you. If not? Well, don’t quit your day job. They are looking for several different personality types. When you audition, there are probably 100 of you with the same character and it’s only a matter of luck if they pick you.

6. What else have you been up to lately?
I have been keeping extremely busy focusing on fashion. I attend as many fashion shows as humanly possible, write about fashion, style clients, style cast on commercial and movie sets, and most importantly myself for all of my events! I am involved in hosting events and TV shows, as well as having fun as a commercial actress. I’M DEFINITELY NOT trying to be an actress or in commercials, but people keep asking me so I’m not going to say no! It’s a nice little side job;) Socially, I spend as much time with my family as possible back in Chicago and when I’m home in LA, I frequent comedy clubs and hang out with good friends and drink good wine. Riding my bike to the beach, shopping (of course), and style research is a daily must. I’m currently in the process of developing my website www.GetzStyle.com. The site will be all things fashion with a comedic twist. I will be blogging style about TV shows, movies, etc. I will also write weekly articles based on trend and style and have a Q&A advice section. The site will also feature interviews I will conduct with fashionistas, Bachelor/ette contestents, and others. Stay tuned and keep up with me on Twitter: @nataliegetz and Facebook: Search “Natalie Getz” and like my public page for all updates, interviews, articles, and nonsense!

This series will conclude June 22 with 8 Tips On Trying Out For A Reality Television Show. To read other interviews in this series, click here. Do you have a few minutes to help me give some buzz to Sink or Swim? Get 8 ideas here that can make a big difference!

Reality Show Rundown Interview with Dating & Relationship Expert Hashim Trends Locario of “I Love New York”

Published on June 15, 2011 in Reality Show Rundown. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

This is the seventh in a series of interviews with former reality show contestants, an idea inspired by my new reality show-themed mystery novel Sink or Swim, Where Reality TV Turns to Murder. For more information on Sink or Swim, and the interview schedule which features contestants from Survivor, Top Chef, Beauty and the Geek, Shark Tank, Bachelor Pad, Big Brother and I Love New York, please visit this link.

Today’s interview is with Hashim Trends Locario, an author and expert on relationships and dating who is no stranger to television. He has appeared on I Love New York on VH1, ABC’s Family’s Switched Up, You Rock Let’s Roll and The Weekly Riff on Fuse, The Tyra Banks Show, The Montel Williams Show, and he also used to host a show on The Dish Network called Live from Midtown.

1. If you could boil down your experience on the reality show I Love New York to one paragraph, what was your overall feeling about being on this show?
I was so excited when I found out I was going to be on that show. I knew that it was going to be big, but I didn’t realize how big it was going to be. Overall, I had a great time but I wished that I could have stayed on the show longer.

2. What was the premise of the show/season that you were on?
The show was 20 guys trying to get with this girl “New York” who was one of the contestants off of “Flavor of Love”. She tried to get with Flava Flav on that show, and since it didn’t work out, they gave her a show to try to find love.

3. What was it like to have cameras rolling all the time? How hard was it to get used to being in the public eye?
I was used to it. I’ve been on reality shows before this one and I’ve done films so I’m used to that type of atmosphere. The difference with this show was they would film almost 24 hours a day.

4. What was the best part about being on the show?
The best part about being on that show was when it actually aired on television. That was a crazy experience because everywhere I went, people recognized me.

5. What were your favorite challenges on the show? Least favorite?
I don’t think I had a favorite. There was a part of the show where we had to model in underwear for New York. I wasn’t really feeling that.

6. What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying for a reality show?
I would tell them to not hold back. If you hold back, you don’t make good TV and they will cut out a lot of your screen time. I would say be yourself, but bring out the part of yourself that is the most interesting.

7. You’re an expert on relationships and dating. How has appearing on reality shows helped your career?
I think it helped a little as far as promoting me and getting my name out there.

8. What have you been up to lately?
I’ve just been writing a lot and I’m coming out with a new book for men called How to Have Sex with 2 Women a Day. I also have a short movie coming out with the same title. I also have two other books out right now called The Magnificent 10 Crucial Dating Tips for Men and I have a book for women called It’s Your Fault You’re Single: Tips on Finding Mr. Right for women. I also started a web series called The Truth About Relationships. You can check all of this out on my website www.mrlocario.com

9. Where can fans find you online?
You can find me at www.mrlocario.com or my blog site and you can follow me on twitter @realmrlocario

My next interview is with Bachelor Pad winner Natalie Getz on June 20. Bookmark the full interview schedule, with clickable links to the interviews as they become available, here. Do you have a few minutes to help me give some buzz to Sink or Swim? Get 8 ideas here that can make a big difference!

Reality Show Rundown Month Media Release – Get the Full Scoop

Published on June 14, 2011 in Reality Show Rundown. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

Please share the below press release detailing Reality Show Rundown Month. Here’s the full scoop about what this month is all about – the who, what, why, when and where!

Reality Show Rundown Month: Examining the Relationship Between Reality TV and Us

Published on June 11, 2011 in Reality Show Rundown. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

I was fortunate that talented writer Steve Kamps was willing to create an article for my blog specifically to celebrate Reality Show Rundown Month,
my series of interviews with former reality show contestants. Reality Show Rundown Month was an idea inspired by my new reality show-themed mystery novel Sink or Swim, Where Reality TV Turns to Murder. For more information on Sink or Swim, and the interview schedule which features contestants from Survivor, Top Chef, Beauty and the Geek, Shark Tank, Bachelor Pad and I Love New York, please visit this link.

Steve’s article makes a wonderful addition to this series as it examines the relationship that television viewers have with reality TV and how reality shows have evolved over the years. Here are his words below.

If you ask anyone what they think of reality TV, you will get a lot of different perspectives on the subject. Most common will be “no” because of the image that many people perceive about the subject: it’s stupid. These opinions are not invalid, but sometimes these opinions are only voiced to fit in. Inversely, many people also only watch reality shows in order to fit in. Maybe it’s what everyone talks about at the office. Either way, you can’t downplay reality TV; there is a reason it is still around.

Reality TV sprang up in the late 90’s and early 2000s. One of the first shows was Survivor. I remember that my dad and I would watch it together every night. I can’t say that I agreed with everything that went down on the show. I consider myself a very loyal individual, who could never backstab another individual in order to win a large cash prize, or at least I don’t think I can. One of the reasons why people watch these shows is for just that reason: drama.

This is a real situation. The drama is real. What was being said in front of the camera was so savory, it kept viewers coming back for more every episode. This wasn’t a sitcom or written drama, this was real people. Real people who had regular jobs and had regular lives outside of this documentary. The competition was real. Individualism. It began with a team, but ended with one lone survivor. Who was it going to be? Obviously the one with the least scruples of engaging in dirty strategy. And we bought it. Why not? We also formed relationships with these people. We hated those conniving schemers and encouraged the straight arrows. It was like a real good versus bad. And sometimes we won and sometimes we lost. Incredibly brilliant in keeping viewers to the last episode.

Reality TV also gave us the chance to be stars. As I stated above, these were real, regular people who made it on TV and sometimes they retained their new celebrity. For example American Idol contestant Kelly Clarkson. American Idol is a great example of this. In the beginning of each season, viewers get to see the weeding process. The three judges go through the auditions and choose who is going to perform on the show for the rest of the season. This filled the chasm between A list celebrities and the normal person.

Unfortunately, we as a people have an unstable fascination with celebrities. We all want a chance to be one and live the penthouse life. And after this show, so many other shows sprang up, including America’s Got Talent. This show in particular is even more interesting because viewers get to see any sort of talent. From those who aren’t so talented and those who are ridiculously talented.

The last thing that Reality TV has that keeps us coming back is the dose of real people living real life. I’m not talking The Simple Life! When William Hung gave his performance and Simon Cowell laughed at him, we were surprised how well Hung took it. He was happy that he at least tried and he said he had no regrets. Things like that really hit hard. The underdog at least giving his all and whether he succeeds or not, still seeing the sunny side. It was a very mature reaction considering all the others who stomped off thinking Simon didn’t have a clue.

There are also many shows that show people doing amazing things for people who can’t do things for themselves. Holmes on Homes did an episode where a man was living in an unstable house with his children and he was unable to make the changes that needed to be done. Holmes fixed the entire home and it looked amazing. That story really hit me too. Just another good man doing a good deed for another.

Whether you like reality TV or not, it’s irrelevant. It’s here to stay and there will be plenty of good and bad moments to see. Hopefully if you haven’t seen any, you will give it a try. You might be amazed to see some of the character that real people have.

Thanks, Steve! Check out the full Reality Show Rundown Month interview schedule, with clickable links to the interviews as they become available, here. Do you have a few minutes to help me give some buzz to Sink or Swim? Get 8 ideas here that can make a big difference!

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