Reality Television and all of its goodness.

Call me ratchet, but I started watching reality television again this weekend.

I divorced the Love and Hip Hop’s and Basketball Wives about a year ago, after feeling convicted with taking a stance against Sorority Sisters. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Mona Scott Young is the creator of all things ratchetly addictive. Love and Hip Hop is just one of her many babies, and this past year she brought another potential reality goddess to the forefront: Sorority Sister’s, a show following the lives of 6-7 Divine 9 sorority members, who happened to be at very least 5-6 years post-grad.

This show didn’t even make it 2 episodes before every NPHC sorority member vocalized their disdain, which eventually resulted in the show being pulled from Vh1’s line-up. I was one of them – completely against everything that it “stood” for.

Conversations around the portrayal of black women on reality television programs were born, and I decided to stop watching all shows that portrayed my people in a, prominently, negative light.

Fast-forward about 9 months later, and I found myself binge watching Basketball Wives LA and the recent Love and Hip Hop ATL reunions.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Talk about reality television GOLD.

I know what you’re thinking – “Ashley. How could an educated and socially conscious woman like yourself get caught up in that trash?” I missed the Puerto-Rican Princess and Stebie J. Seriously. Watching their dysfunctions makes me feel so much better, and secure, about my life. I couldn’t help it.

Blame Facebook. I got sucked into watching the reunion after seeing memes of MiMi Faust giving a “Let’s be Sister Wives” speech to Joselyn on that black hole of a social media site. And I missed Jackie Christie. She makes me feel better about myself as well. There’s something about seeing 50+ year olds throwing drinks and spitting on young women my age that just gets me going. Like, I’m amped to start my day every morning. Like, knowing that a senior citizen is somewhere acting less mature than me makes me feel on top of the world.

Shade? Not really. Just facts.

My life is pretty simple (I’m not kidding. Check my Instagram), so living vicariously through some of the most distasteful women on television reminds me that I’m not missing out on much. Half of the things they’re doing or going through, I’ve already dealt with during my college years. The life lessons they seem to be stumbling upon have already been written in my early-twenties diary.

I’m reminded that being the weird chick will always trump the too familiar / booty model / Instagram boutique owning / ratchet Hollywood socialite any day.

But they get money, though. *insert sarcastic emoji here*

Ashley Rey is a young, single mom residing in Los Angeles, by way of Detroit. She blogs about her life’s experiences on her personal site, bashinla.com, and is also a contributor for HipHopBattle.com where she writes on topics ranging from racism in America to Hip-Hop “Think” pieces. You can find her on instagram and twitter @bashinla, and keep up with she and her 2-year-old son by watching her weekly recap vlogs on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/bashinlavlog.