For Realz?

Beloved child actress and former Sassy cover girl (and now Ph.D-holding) Mayim Bialik gets ritually humiliated on What Not To Wear. I'm not super happy about it.

If I were in a same-sex relationship in California and looking to formalize my commitment to my partner, this new show on the CW, Hitched or Ditched, would not be improving my mood right about now. They pick a straight, non-engaged couple and surprise them with an ambush wedding in one week? Srsly? And they won't let couples who've been together for over 20 years and have children together be at each other's bedsides in the hospital?

OK, Gretchen Bonaduce and Danielle from Real Housewives of NJ are both maybe a little psycho, but can we get a little bit of love for these two plucky divorcees trying to pick themselves up and move on with their lives? No?

I'm late on this one (I blame Memorial Day weekend!), but hey, Judge Nigel Lythgoe issued a sincere-sounding apology for his comments and the editing of a same-sex dance tryout on the season premiere of his hit show So You Think You Can Dance last Tuesday that came off fairly homophobically on the air (video clip at the link).

Move over, Jon and Kate, and scoot down the bench, all you Duggars -- there's a new big family reality show on the block! It's called Fostering Love, and it's got a uniquely Californian twist on the genre: a same-sex couple expanding their family through pretty much every type of reproductive technology available. Also, they move to an alpaca farm. It's awesome.

Click read for the rest of the post.

Because of sweeps, it's a little bit of a lull in reality TV land the past few weeks, since a bunch of shows are either about to end (American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, ANTM, Amazing Race, Celebrity Apprentice, Hell's Kitchen) or just about to begin (Bachelorette, So You Think You Can Dance, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jon and Kate Plus 8). So click the read button for a partial list of some other summer reality TV shows that look promising, from a feministy angle.

I have yet another reality TV confession for you -- out of all the Real Housewives of New York City, I think I like Alex McCord the best. The vaguely superior-acting social climbery one with the crazy clingy husband (in the red pants in that picture)? With the nude photos? [NSFW] Yeah, her! I know, I can't believe it myself! But you know, I think I like her brand of Real Housewives feminism the best.