I watch a lot of reality TV. A lot. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not entirely embarrassed about it either. I work hard and every night sometimes I need to flop in front of the boob tube and watch some truly spectacular crap. I’m not stupid, I’m not vapid, I’m not shallow, and it’s not like this is all I watch (and, yes, I do read) but, to me, reality TV is like a good cocktail on a Friday night. It goes down smoothly and it takes the edge off.

But I AM starting to realize that maybe I’m watching too much of this stuff and I need a reality check. When I scan through my list of recorded shows, it looks something like this:

• The Amazing Race. This actually doesn’t qualify for crappy reality TV. I love this show. And I’m determined to get on it with Bill. With my brains and his beauty, we could totally win!

• Rock of Love Bus. I’ve chronicled my love for this show on my blog before, but really, it bears repeating. Bret Michaels and his mid-life crisis rock. Yes, the chicks are skanky and not so bright, and they frequently get stinking drunk, but for some reason it’s my crack. I need my fix every Sunday morning.

• Celebrity Rehab 1&2/Sober House: It’s basically like Celebrity Intervention. Dr. Drew gets a lot of crap for selling out but there is some good advice in there and he doesn’t make it pretty or tie things up in a neat package.

• The Real Housewives of Orange County/New York/Atlanta. They’re casting for a Las Vegas version. You know these women are gonna be more gaudy awesome than the Atlanta Housewives.

• The Girls Next Door: Holly, Kendra and Bridget have all left Hef, and I actually shed a tear. Hef suddenly looked old without the girls. It won’t be the same with the new twins (nope, not a euphemism).

• Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Ru is more fierce than Heidi Klum any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

• Dancing With The Stars: It’s back! And it’s got Steve-O, Little Kim, the Naked Guy from the Sex & The City movie, and the usual selection of football players, Olympic athletes and Z-List “stars” (that’s you, Denise Richards).

• Top Chef: It’s got drama, knives, good food and snarky judges.

• American Idol: I tried to stay with it this season, but I decided to break up with it a couple of weeks ago. I just can’t do it. It does nothing for me. Delete.

You know it’s bad when your reality show collide. Holly Madison and the dumped chick from The Bachelor on DWTS? Is this show becoming the consolation prize for reality stars?

This list, by the way, doesn’t even cover the real TV I watch. Seeing it in print is a little scary. Acknowledgement is the first step, right?