Lights, Camera, Reality
Wannabe TV Stars Hope to Be Casted in Reality Shows and Win Big
By GIGI STONE and MELIA PATRIA

July 28, 2008—

In a large studio space in midtown Manhattan, men and women of all ages
actually line up to be individually insulted. In front of a raucous
crowd, they are booed and told they are terrible, awful people.

It's one of the key exercises at the New York Reality TV School, and the
point is to build emotional endurance to criticism and rejection. The
students engage in a variety of wacky drills like this because they all
desperately long for a few precious seconds on reality TV.

When -- and if -- they get that chance on "American Idol," "The
Bachelorette" or "Flavor of Love," they want to be prepared.

"Reality television is that dirty addiction that we all get stuck to,"
explained 24-year-old Reality TV student Christina Powis. "It's booming.
I would love to get into it."

"I love reality TV and I think my personality would be great for a
reality show," said fellow classmate Ebony Coles.

It's of note that Kevin Kolack was hired by the school to see how the
students would react to his "rant"