It was 12:00am Sunday morning, or Saturday night, which ever one prefers, and I was wide-awake. As I set down, sipping my third cup of Pepsi from a mug that my roommate bought at a second season taping of Fox's American Idol, I brainstormed as to what I would write my research paper about. I found myself very lost. I wanted to talk about something interesting and unique, but I just couldn't put any one topic together. I knew that I was expected to produce a coherent, focused, interesting research paper based on some aspect of advertisement and the media, while demonstrating the ability to utilize sources effectively and properly, but yet I felt confused and frustrated. I did some previous research on what I thought I'd like to talk about, but I found the advertising efforts of "healthy" food products a bit boring. There are so many elements of advertising and the media that affects our society, both positively and negatively, that I couldn't figure out just what I could practically and thoroughly research. But as I set on my sofa, flicking through channel after channel of cable, I came to realize what I felt was interesting and unique enough to research.
             Like millions of other Americans, I sometimes arrange my day around the programming schedule of my favorite reality show. Intrigued by the tasteless, self-absorbed, egocentric, outrageous display of an unrestrained cast of "everyday citizens" edited to portray a producer's ideal reality character, I rush home after school or work to catch my favorite realty show. Unknowingly, I am exposed to endless youth targeted products by vicious money hungry businesses throughout the show. Yet, I find myself inclined to sit for hours watching a great deal of pointless TV. The American love affair with reality television, conceived by network giants and heightened by advertisers, has encouraged America's youth to conform to a lifestyle of imitating and commemorating the notion of being a realit...