Survivor? Big Brother? Jersey Shore? Fear Factor? (shows were picked based on familiarity of name from a list I found on the Internet of over a hundred reality shows)

Even back in the day I was never a fan of reality tv. I never saw the point. Why would I want to watch other people do stupid things? Television was, for me, mostly sports and news, along with the entertaining tv shows that let you laugh and enjoy an escape for a bit. I never understood the fascination people had watching other people do stupid things. I do enough stupid things on my own and don't need to watch other people do them.

Rav Eliyahu Abergil, an Av Beis Din of the Beis Din of Yerushalayim, published a psak saying that people should not watch reality tv shows. He called on parents to stop their kids from watching such programs.

Rav Abergil explains, as if any explanation is needed, that these programs are extremely harmful to the education of the children, as they are exposed, via these shows, to people who curse, speak rudely, and discuss their sexual preferences and orientation. These shows, he says, have absolutely no educational messages for the children who watch. (source: NRG)

I would add that perhaps there are some reality shows that are based on more educational messages and themes, and perhaps those would be ok, but it seems that the bulk of the shows are basically mindlessly following a bunch of idiots around doing stupid things.

To remind you, I once before discussed a different interesting psak of Rav Abergil's.