With the apparent Aug. 15 suicide of Russell Armstrong, the estranged husband of Taylor Armstrong of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," reality TV is once again coming under fire — a convenient fall guy yet again for those who would blame all of society's ills on such an easy target.
This isn't the first time reality TV has been scrutinized.
Jeff Conaway, who played Kenickie in "Grease" and appeared on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," was found dead in May, succumbing to years of drug addiction.
A former chef featured on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares," Joseph Cerniglia, died after jumping from the George Washington Bridge in New York in 2010 — the second former Ramsay TV show chef to do so. Former "Hell's Kitchen" contestant Rachel Brown shot herself to death in 2007.
And Paula Goodspeed, an "American Idol" hopeful who didn't make it past the final audition round, committed suicide outside judge Paula Abdul's home in 2008.
Reality TV has been lambasted for showing the worst in society ("Jerry Springer"), giving a forum to the lowest common denominator ("Jersey Shore") and breaking up marriages ("Kate Plus 8"). In fact, TLC announced last week it was canceling "Kate Plus 8," the show once called "Jon and Kate Plus 8" in its happier days. America watched as Jon and Kate's marriage fell apart, right before their eyes.
But reality TV can't bear the brunt of the blame.
Casting directors look for certain types of personalities to star on these high-stress shows. Stable, sensible and normal is not the kind to audition for reality TV. Producers look for drama, and, unfortunately, drama too often comes with tragedy.
In the case of Russell Armstrong, a millionaire venture capitalist and investment banker, he had problems before "The Real Housewives" came along. He was arrested in 1997 for a physical altercation with his then-wife, Barbara, and he filed for bankruptcy as far back as 2005.
Those problems heightened during the show's previous season. He and Taylor's marital woes were one of the prominent storylines on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and were, until Russell's death, expected to again take center stage on the coming season (the season was filmed over the summer).
Taylor Armstrong, who told People magazine the marriage was sometimes abusive, filed for divorce a month ago.
And just weeks before Russell Armstrong's death, MyMedicalRecords.com sued the couple for more than $1.5 million, alleging they misused funds meant to be invested in the company to live their lavish lifestyle.
While "The Real Housewives" certainly plays some role in this most recent tragedy, The Armstrongs did agree to be on the show. One — or both — sought the spotlight and likely enjoyed whatever paycheck and celebrity they received. They chose to be a part of the series when, like Jon and Kate Gosselin, they could have just said no.
Stars couldn't possibly know, until they're in the thick of it, the kind of unimaginable stress that comes along with cameras watching your every move. They're suddenly in the spotlight, being judged, while their most personal problems are aired, and all for something as petty as our entertainment.
In a perfect world, reality TV producers would be especially judicious in who they choose for their shows and would be as responsible as they can in watching out for the best interests of its stars. But in the end, the cynic in me knows that reality TV is a business and that ratings will drive everything else to the detriment of those seeking fame.
Bravo says it plans to re-edit the next season of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." It's still unclear whether the show will still premiere Sept. 5 as originally planned.
Reworking the show is a good move on Bravo's part, out of respect to Armstrong's family — the only real thing that matters at this point. Forget the entertainment value.
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