Dear VH1 (re: Basketball Wives)

Let me say this before I go on: I hate reality television. A) It's barely reality. In fact, the only things that might be real are the names and locations. Other than that its scripts and typecasting. B) It encourages people to lay down their scruples and shame in lieu of some fast cash and 5 minutes of fame. Aspiring actors and models see reality TV as a highway to fame when it's really a deathtrap. C) Reality TV turns people into leeches. Heads really walk around talking about Real & Chance, or Hot Wangz or whoever like these people's lives matter in the long run. Not to say that they're insignificant, but do they really deserve 40 minutes of our time on Sunday nights? I think not.

One of the main culprits of the reality TV takeover is you, VH1. You started out as a music channel, slowly switching your programming up to music specials, to specials with musicians in them, to specials about musicians and their ridiculous lifestyles, to plain old lifestyle TV, the worst of which is reality TV. Your latest foray is 'Basketball Wives,' a show documenting the trials, tribulation and hardships scripted drama, lack of substance and idiocy, of some of the National Basketball Association's best and brightest mediocre yet fame-hungry players. You guys picked a doozy of a concept this time. Not only will there be tons of rich, yet ignorant black people (on the network that refuses to show hip-hop or R&B consistently), you found a way to include basketball!!

But seriously though, VH1. Is this the best you could come up with? After quality (sarcasm) TV like Flava of Love and For the Love of Ray J, you guys take Shaq's ex-wife, Dwight Howard's crazy baby momma, and the exes/significant others of Michael Olowokandi (bust), Antoine Walker (compulsive gambler) and Eric Williams (joruneyman/benchwarmer) and make a reality show about it? Along with being a ridiculous premise, you guys got 'wives' with the depth of a kiddie pool, and inject storylines about groupies, loneliness and money. I'm sorry, VH1, but that is the saddest excuse for a reality TV show ever. If you think I give two flying f*cks about where some trophy wife goes to get her quiche every Tuesday, you're sadly mistaken. As a matter of fact, I'd be hard pressed to find any half-sentient human being who would seriously watch this. Actually, on second thought, this show is probably going to have skyrocketing ratings. You guys have successfully mastered the art of peddling pointless bullshit and making exorbitant amounts of money doing it. At this point, it'd be more surprising if no one watched it, than if people did. Ahh well, VH1, I guess if this venture fails, we can go back to watching I Love New York #7 and hope this year's Hip-Hop Honors doesn't suck...