When a person receives shocking news, time seems to stop for a few brief seconds.  In retrospect, we remember specifics about that exact moment.  Where we were, what we were wearing, sights, sounds, smells.  It all evokes the memories and emotions of what we were feeling.  For me, June 09, 8:50 a.m., wearing a black dress from the Gap, an Old Navy white linen shirt, and burping up the taste of my morning vitamin, was my moment of catharsis.   It’s the instant I read a note from my friend, “I started watching the Kim Kardashian show, and I like it.”

What does one say when receiving this kind of news?  I’m sorry?  Congratulations?  Seek help?  Questions race through your brain.  How did this happen?  How did I miss the signs? Was I not supportive enough as a friend?  Self doubt is always the first to creep in.  It takes time to process the news. You reflect on how this affects your life, your world view.  You question your own choices.  Maybe I am being too rigid, maybe staged “reality” shows are just the way things are.  The future of all entertainment.

Would it be so bad?  I would watch the Minions run around hours on end. I’m sure they have interesting personal lives off-screen.  Or Lego Batman. OR THE MINIONS WITH LEGO BATMAN.  Breathe, remember to breathe.

Aren’t cooking shows reality?  I like watching those. Although obviously, magical elves don’t come clean my kitchen after I’ve cooked a 7-course meal.  Nor would I look rail thin after eating it.  I’m sure these shows also come with some enlightenment benefits.  Like how to take a selfie, what shoes to wear when trying to avoid paparazzi, tips on wrestling an alligator.  This can all be useful information for negotiating the challenges of daily life.

I sigh and smile.  My friend has found enjoyment in lip gloss and mindless banter.  Not a whole lot different from watching the nightly news.