The Moment of Truth

Has anyone else seen this train-wreck of a show? I've chuckled at many of the creations FOX has produced over the years (who doesn't remember the scene with Deborah what's-her-name sticking her hand through a screen to get engaged to a millionaire she's never met?!). And I admit that I was thoroughly intrigued when the promotions for "The Moment of Truth" played incessantly over the holidays.

It's really a no-brainer of a show... the host asks 20-something questions about your life—questions you've already been asked, and questions you know the answers to—and you answer them again in front of your loved ones and a studio audience... and ultimately in front of millions of people.

Seems easy, but these questions are absolutely evil! Whoever does the interviewing pre-show really knows how to dig up the dirt... on even the nicest person! If you have a flaw, they find it. They reveal your sins, your slip-ups, your regrets and your fantasies. And many times, the sad faces of your family the cameras zoom in upon confirm that as you tell the truth, they are learning things about you they never wanted or dreamed to know.

What's most interesting about this show is how adamant the host is about how he disagrees with the premise of the show. Over and over he says that "some things are better left unsaid" or "I don't want to ask this question," and my favorite, "I don't think you should answer this question." While I know this helps to create extra tension and drama, I really do think this guy might hate his job... or at least the slimy way he brings home the bacon.

In the shows I've watched (yep... busted), I've seen a woman tell her husband she thinks she should have married another man AND that she's committed adultery; nearly all the contestants admit to ripping off either their company/customers; anyone who's married reveals that like we already know, no marriage is without its secrets.

And then there's the more mundane secrets—plastic surgery revealed, parenting flaws amplified, and all other little white lies ousted. Little bits of our lives that left unsaid do no harm, but once brought to light make mountains out of mole hills.

It's painful to watch, but I just can't turn away. Maybe it has something to do with our natural propensity to gossip. Flaws in others help all of us feel better about our own shortcomings. Or maybe it's the fact that you can't believe people are on national television admitting to heinous violations of trust, marriage vows and privacy.

What a train wreck, yet I still slow down to watch. Guess those FOX folks really know what they're doing... or maybe I should take better stock of what I'm doing. Or, maybe it is what it is...just another TMI reality TV show. That's all.