TVSquad

Okay, I admit it. I like reality TV. Or maybe I should say unscripted TV. These days the parsing of the term "reality" has become as much a discussion as the genre itself. And don't kill me for calling it a genre. It is. It's here to stay. As long as producers can come up with ideas that make money and networks give them air time, reality/non-fiction/unscripted television is going to continue to proliferate the tube.

It's not with any great pride that I admit I'm hooked on reality shows -- some reality shows. My favorites include the high quality, classy shows, like The Amazing Race and Top Chef and Project Runway, as well as trashy ones, i.e. The Real Housewives of Orange County (and New York), Hell's Kitchen and Bridezillas. I like some of the competition-oriented shows, but that doesn't stop me from gazing in astonishment at the train wreck docu-series like Hey Paula and Being Bobby Brown. In fact, when I hear Kathy Griffin riffing on those shows -- her imitation of Whitney screaming "Bobby!" is classic -- I want to cry out, "Yes, yes, I watch that one, too."

Shocker! Whitney Houston, who provided the world with wonderful catchphrases such as "Hell to the no!" and "Crack is wack", has filed for legal separation from Bobby Brown. The couple, whose tumultuous marriage was showcased on Bravo's Being Bobby Brown, has been married for 14 years. If you've ever seen their show, you probably question the validity of the separation because Whitney tends to whine and pout and go off the deep end when she's mad at Bobby or doesn't get her way. So, a legal separation might just be a tactic... or the first step towards divorce. The court papers show Whitney and the couple's 13-year old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, moved out of their Georgia home and to Laguna Hills, CA.

I can't imagine what happened to spur Whitney to move across the country and file for separation. Their marriage survived drug addiction, Bobby's arrests, and a domestic abuse trial. Maybe he forgot to put the toilet seat down.