You might not have noticed this, but here at CollegeCandy, we’re kind of TV addicts. Comedies. Dramas. Dramedies. It doesn’t really matter. As long as it’s on, we’ll watch it. And if we’re not there to see it, we’ll DVR it and watch it later.

But there’s one genre in particular that holds a special place in our hearts. That’s right, you guessed it, I’m talking about reality TV. Who needs actors and scripts when reality is just so damn entertaining all on its own? The people we watch, the situations they put themselves in, just can’t compete with figments of the imagination. And love ‘em or hate ‘em, reality shows have altered our lives and pop culture as we know it.

So, since it’s early on a Monday morning and there’s nothing on but the news (boring) and some Proactive infomercial (it’s too early for Avril Lavigne’s skin problems), let’s count down the top ten reality TV shows that changed our lives.

10. The Real Word. What? Do you think I have no sense of history? This is the longest running show on MTV. One of the longest running reality TV shows of all time. It set the standard for hot tubs and co-ed bathrooms and super dramatic fights that often involve throwing things. It’s a classic. It had to be here.

9. Iron Chef America. Or Top Chef. Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. Or Throw down with Bobby Flay. Basically any show that makes me hungry… while also teaching me what an amuse-bouche is. Or how to reduce cooking wine. Or the beauty of scallops. Seriously, why do I know these things? Oh yeah, TV. Read More »

So, Jon and Kate’s “big announcement” has been the talk of town for days. And while many people ask “Who the hell are these freaks and why do I care?” all I can say is, “THEY ARE JON AND KATE GOSSELIN, DUH! They have the cutest kids ever and I’ve been watching them since they were BORN!!!”

Ok, so maybe I’m a little invested, but I was there for their first dentist appointment that’s what happens when you watch a show for so long and feel like you get to know a family. That is why people care. We’ve been watching the Gosselin children grow since they were born, so we’ve been dreading the announcement and news of what was going to happen to this once seemingly perfect family

As I settled in to watch and heard of the couple’s decision to separate (and Kate claiming that it had “nothing to do with the show”…yeah right), I felt a sudden drop in my stomach. Although I had already been anticipating this news for weeks, hearing it straight from Jon and Kate suddenly made it very real. In many ways, this unfortunate decision seemed inevitable. Any regular viewer of the show could see the tension brewing between the couple for quite some time, but that didn’t make it any easier. Nor did it stop the tears that welled up in my eyes. I know, I’m embarassed.

I had to turn to a Butterfinger bar to make myself feel better.

It’s just hard to watch a relationship fail, regardless of who it is. And feeling so connected to those kids makes it so much worse. What is going to happen to them? How are they going to take the news? And, if having cameras in their faces/paparazzi stalking them/a mom with porcupine hair wasn’t enough, will this totally eff them up in the future? Read More »

So, three weeks later, I’m still recovering from the worst. surgery. of. my. LIFE.  I can walk and sleep without wanting to die, but sitting for long periods is hell on a few fractured ribs and one which only half-exists, so I’m still spending most of my time lying on my side, watching TV or reading.

I have been reading some great books, but I’ve also been watching some horrible television.  Seriously, people.  There are shows dedicated to moving walls with holes in them and the jumpsuit-clad morons who try to jump through.  There are shows that obviously employ monkeys to write their dialogue.  There are shows that are politically based and hours long and amount to nothing!  Even HBO and Showtime can’t save me, because besides a few great series, the movies they show during the day should never have been made in the first place.

But wait!  There is some salvation – in the form of lesser known networks and their even lesser(er?) known shows.  Shows that are fantastic but rarely seen by the normal person.  Let me use my time on the couch to your benefit and educate you on the Top 5 Shows You Don’t Know Exist But Are Awesome.

Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations (Travel Channel): We’ve featured Bourdain a few times on our site, mostly because he’s an OGIF  (Old Guy I’d Like To…).  But here’s the thing, his show is actually awesome.  Unlike a lot of TV cooks, Bourdain seems to fully understand what it is to apreciate all types of food, and is pretty fearless when it comes to A) traveling around the world and B) eating random things from random places.

Bourdain isn’t interested in comfortable hotels and beaches, he wants the raw and real experience of each place he visits.  Because of this, No Reservations tends to be less about weird food and more about the people of this world; how different we are, and how weirdly the same.  Bourdain’s narration is funny, deep, and often pretty badass…plus?  He can’t stand Rachel Ray. Obviously, the guy knows what’s what in this world. Read More »

Birthdays are days when you’re allowed to do whatever you want, eat whatever you want, and bask in amazement that you’ve actually gotten this old and still haven’t managed to find Ryan Gosling’s home address (what? Just me?). Anyhoo, being that I am now officially old enough to have a quarter-life crises, I’ve decided to share some things I’ve loved ever since I kicked my way out of the womb two months early (I’m impatient).

The Last Unicorn

Read More »

Have you cracked out the hot dogs yet? The chips? The sparklers that you fully intend to try and burn your friends with? Well, us too. July 4th — even if you do nothing but stare at a grill for three hours or eat coleslaw with your fingers while watching fireworks on TV — is a day that just yells celebration. It’s summer. It’s a long weekend. Watermelon is in abundance…what isn’t there to love?

Well, apparently, one of your editors has found something not to love. The very thing many of us equate with the 4th…

Read More »