About reality blurred

reality blurred is a frequently updated digest of the most intriguing, newsworthy reports from the world of reality television, edited by Andy Dehnart. As the first publication dedicated to covering the genre of reality TV, reality blurred has, since July 5, 2000, presented the latest news in reality TV, original reporting on trends and rumors, and biting analysis of the day's news.

Mission statement

Despite reality blurred's comprehensiveness, its mission is not to cover every moment of every reality show in existence. Instead, it exists to cover those reality shows that are newsworthy or interesting. As a journalist, I cite and link to primary sources whenever possible, and as a writer and critic, I offer analysis that's informed by my observations and knowledge. Comments and corrections are always welcome, as I am a fallible, opinionated human being, and people do disagree. Just let me know.

The focus here is primarily on US shows that meet my definition of reality television. The best of the best are covered the most thoroughly, and have their own archives, while news about other shows is collected together. Also, while I love the competition, reality blurred isn't a message board, a recap site, a repository for links to every single thing written about reality TV, or a bulletin board for propaganda. But I always welcome suggestions, tips, or press releases.

About reality television

This site covers reality TV, but not many people agree about what constitutes reality television. While Survivor broke new ground in the summer of 2000, the genre had been around for years—on MTV (The Real World) and even in the early 1970s, when PBS aired An American Family). In truth, reality-based programming has been around since the dawn of commercial TV; game shows and talent programs have been part of television essentially forever.

Reality TV, then, is a subset of nonfiction TV, which is television that involves real people, but nonfiction TV is not reality TV. In other words, I consider reality TV to be dramatic, soap-opera like TV shows that follow real people in real or artificial contexts for a period of time. Reality TV can have a game element, and in some cases, it can even have different casts from week to week (like Fear Factor), but for me to cover it here, the show has to focus primarily on the human drama that results from the situation its cast members are in.

Disclosures

As a freelance writer, I contribute essays, features, and other pieces to various publications. Presently, I am a regular contributor to msnbc.com, a news web site backed by NBC and Microsoft. I also write a monthly column for RealScreen Magazine, which covers the nonfiction film and television industry. As someone who's covered reality television since 1999, I have sometimes communicated with the people who appear in stories here, from cast members to producers, usually while reporting a story. Advertisers on this site may advertise programs or other content that I happen to write about, although I never write about a show in exchange for advertising or anything else. Public relations representatives sometimes send complimentary review and press materials in advance of a show's broadcast, facilitate interviews, or provide other access.

As I hope my writing demonstrates, none of the above affects my decisions about what to cover or what to say about these subjects. However, I welcome feedback and criticism designed to keep me accountable.

Advertising

reality blurred's advertising is managed by Federated Media. Please visit their site for more information, or contact me with questions.

Disclaimers

There are a few things I shouldn't have to mention, but I will, because some people (not you, of course) are a few quarters short of a nickel, if you know what I mean. I am just a writer, critic, and fan. I am not the producer, cast member, camera operator, or rat from any reality TV show, and if you send me an e.mail message addressing me as if I'm one of the people I've written about, I'll probably suggest you seek help. I will not give you the e.mail addresses of your favorite cast member so you can send them frightening messages, and beyond what is posted in the casting section, I do not know how to get you on a reality show.

Privacy policy

In general, reality blurred does not collect personally identifiable information from its users, unless you decide to send an e.mail message or enter a contest. If you choose to send an e.mail message, its contents may be published, but e.mail addresses and names will be kept private unless otherwise requested; contest information, such as a mailing address or date of birth, will be used only as specified in the contest rules, such as to verify eligibility or to send you a prize. Any personal information you send will never be sold to anyone. As a result of your visit to our site, ad server and traffic monitoring companies may collect anonymous data, sometimes using cookies, in order to help improve the site; in addition, third-party advertising companies may use non-personal identiable information about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide relevant ads. Any changes to this policy will be posted here. And thus ends the legal jargon crap.

Et cetera

For those who care about such things, reality blurred is produced using Movable Type. The icons used are the work of Mark James; everything else was created, designed, and coded by me. Thanks for reading all of this. Slow day at work?