Cows Don't Care Who Your Daddy Is

I don't watch much reality TV. Truth to tell, like a lot of people, I think it's incredibly stupid. But I just caught a few minutes of a show that tops all the others I've seen and/or heard about. It's E!'s "Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive." What strikes me beyond the obvious "fish out of water" concept so prevalent in other reality TV shows like "The Simple Life," is that how the theory of Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs is so obviously displayed in these shows. Here are people, often from second or more generation extremely wealthy families, who obviously have only had the two most basic need levels met (if that): Physiological and Safety. Their extreme wealth hasn't enabled them to meet higher needs. Part of that may be age-related, but most of it is a skewed view of reality due to living in an echelon of class that is separated from most of society, and an obvious lack of the fulfillment of Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs being met in these so very wealthy families.

Aside from being really bored with these people who fret over having to sleep on a cot or use an out-house, I feel sad for them. They're really screaming for someone to pay attention to them and to make them feel important. Obviously having the world cater them because of their wealth just isn't enough. The need for 15 minutes of fame isn't mitigated by wealth.

That latter part may seem really petty, but the more I watch these shows -- the more I watch others of these kinds of shows to see how the uber-rich and celebrities are catered to -- the less I feel bad about being petty. These are people who are invited to events where they're given huge amounts of merchandise that cost more than some countries' Gross National Product. I'm no Communist, but these people could pay off the national debt or end poverty in some nations, and still live a very comfortable life. How do you live with yourself knowing you could bring that kind of relief to other people and aren't doing it? Celebrities who become spokespersons for global social programs are just practicing good PR.

OK, back to writing now. I promise.