[ ConclusioN ]

Ethics in reality TV shows is everyone's business. Everybody must be involved in deciding which programs raise the common good of society and not just satisfaction of individual needs and wants. That is why, I strongly believe in solving the problem first, at home, together with some government regulations on programs shown on regular channels. Parents should teach their children about the ethics of virtue early in life. Of course, banning one's children not to watch non-quality TV programs is the worst action as most parents would attest to it.

Communities have also a role to do because if a TV station or network shows objectionable programs could create a chaotic society. A solution presented was to boycott the products or services of the advertisers on the objectionable program. This forces the TV network to air quality programs. Non-profit organizations must be active in educating not only parents about good and quality TV programs but also producers, advertisers and executives officers of the different TV networks.

I end with a quote from one of the Saints.

“Where over one may turn, one finds extreme tension, anxiety and suspense prevailing everywhere. The root cause of this universal chaos is restlessness in individual minds. Man has made tremendous progress in various spheres of life, but unfortunately has not cared to know anything about the spirit within and is altogether ignorant about it. He has unraveled the mysteries of the starry welkin, sounded the depths of the seas, delved deep into the bowels of the earth, braved the blinding blizzards of snowy Mount Everest, and is now out exploring spaces so as to establish interplanetary relations, but sad to say, has not found out the mystery of the human soul within him."

[ American idoL ]

American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the UK reality programPop Idol.

The program seeks to discover the best young singer in the country, through a series of nationwide auditions. The outcomes of the latter stages of this competition is determined by public voting by phone. The format features three judges who critique the contestants' performances in order to facilitate the voting: record producer and bass player Randy Jackson; former pop star Paula Abdul; and producer and managerSimon Cowell. Ryan Seacrest is the host.

The show usually airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and has millions of viewers. In its six seasons, its six winners have been, in order of their season, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks. All of the American Idols are from the Southern U.S, five from the South and one, Jordin Sparks, from the Southwest. Hicks was the oldest winner at 29, Sparks the youngest at just 17.

In the show, hopeful contestants are screened by preliminary panels to be selected for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest. The audition process is long and tedious, beginning with tens of thousands of candidates strategically interviewed and eliminated before being individually auditioned by show producers Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe (often slide shows of horrendously terrible candidates are shown from this interview).

Contestants then audition before the three main judges - Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson - in selected cities across the United States. Sometimes a celebrity fourth judge may be added. These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. Contestants are required to sing a short one-minute a cappella snatch. Those who impress the judges enough move on to the second-round auditions, which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on).

Much like the original Pop Idol, one of the most popular segments of each season are initial episodes showcasing Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel. These early episodes feature a mixture of the finer auditioning singers and many of the outright "rejects"; these included Season 1's portrayal of Lady Marmalade, Season 2's performance of Madonna's Like a Virgin by Keith Beukelaer and Season 3's rendition of Ricky Martin's She Bangs by William Hung.

[ Amazing racE ]

The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants strive to arrive first at the end of each leg of the race to avoid the possibility of elimination. Teams are progressively eliminated until three teams are left; at that point, the team who arrives first in the final leg is awarded a large cash grand prize.

Contestants travel to and within multiple countries in a variety of transportation modes, including planes, taxis, rental cars, trains, and boats. The clues in each leg point the teams to the next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member. Each task showcases the geographic region or indigenous culture and customs it is held in. If a team is in last place at the end of a leg of the race, they may be forced to stop competing or have a significant disadvantage in the following leg.

Each of the eleven or twelve teams (10 on the first Asian edition) on The Amazing Race is composed of two individuals who have some type of relationship to each other. Season 8 was a family edition of the race that featured teams of four, but Season 9 returned to the two-person team format.

The teams represent a wide demographic of different ages, races, sexual orientations, and relationships. Relationships have included long-time married couples, siblings (including twins), parent/child, friends (roommates, fraternity brothers, platonic friends, high school friends, lifelong friends etc), romantic partners, and couples who are separated or formerly dating.

At the beginning of each leg of the race, each team receives an allowance of cash with their first clue. During the race, all expenses (food, transportation, lodging, attraction admission, supplies) must be purchased from this allowance. The exception to this is the purchase of airline tickets, which the teams pay for using a credit card supplied to them by the show. Any money left over after a leg of the race can be used on subsequent legs.