Cable television has changed its stripes numerous times within the last few years. Being in the business of entertaining and making money, it appears these stations will do what ever it takes to ensure that couch potatoes and other creatures of habit tune into their station on a regular basis.

In the past, critics have taken shots at the music television company, MTV, for their lack of music videos and abundance of alternative programming.These are programs like “True Life,” “Made” and “Newlyweds,” to name a few. However, MTV is not the only offender. VH1 has now jumped on the bandwagon. It comes as no surprise since both stations are owned by Viacom. However, at least in the past it was easier to catch a music video on VH1. Don’t get me wrong, they certainly should be credited for adding VH1 Soul to their rotation.

I’m not really bothered by the amount of “other” programming that stations have started putting into their regular schedules. I like watching “True Life” on MTV because it gives an inside look into the lives of different types of people and for the most part the shows are usually informative and entertaining.

“Diary” also proves to make good use of a programming slot. As the title reveals, “Diary” is a way to gain entry into the exclusive circle of trust of a celebrity for an hour.

But, I am bothered by shows that boast about the lives of celebrities. There are shows like, VH1’s “Fabulous Life of: (insert famous person’s name here),” this show is the revamped version of daytime classic, “The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Funny enough, it’s also hosted by Robin Leach. The VH1 Web site describes the show as:

“A fast-paced, first class joy ride of lavish living, as we check out the fortune building careers and businesses of the extremely rich and famous and the incredible indulgences that come with it. From their lifestyles filled with non-stop VIP treatment, endless entourage and $1,000 dollar face creams, to fleets of cars, massive estates and multi-million dollar wardrobes. A lighthearted blend of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and the Forbes 400 list, each episode focuses on one particular person or subject. Weaving expert interviews, investigating field segments and voyeuristic footage, the series gives an extraordinary glimpse into what we call, ‘The Fabulous Life.'”

The E! Channel has more of a subtle version of this show called “It’s Good to Be:” the show isn’t all bad because it does manage to chronicle the artists/musician/actor’s rise to fame. The downside to this is the fact that in an effort to do so, they also go on to talk about the outrageous spending habits they have.

This show takes us through the lives of entertainment heavyweights like Jennifer Lopez, Courtney Cox Arquette, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, which is nice and dandy, but it can get sickening at the same time. It’s as if there is so much of a focus on the things celebrities have, rather than the things they actually do. I’m not sure how I’m going to benefit from knowing that Jennifer Lopez has one vehicle, namely a Bentley, that is worth over $300,000. All of this while most of us are struggling to pay for college, J.Lo can afford to send at least two Northeastern students to college with the cost of that car.

Another show that is close to my heart is “Cribs.” Let’s face it, this is the only way most of us are going to get into the homes of our favorite stars. But you’ve got to admit it does hurt a little bit when you see what these people have. From extravagant foyers to indoor movie theaters like Russell Simmons and his wife Kimora Lee Simmons.

I feel as if shows like those mentioned above have put stress on children to dress a certain way and to maintain a certain image. I have become victim of this system of want, want, want and never being satisfied. Realistically how can the average person be satisfied with the things they have in life when everyday they turn on the television and see the larger than life things these celebrities have? I guess it’s a matter of letting reality set in. The reality being, they have millions of dollars and the rest of us don’t.

I guess the solution for me would be to simply change the channel, but as much as I hate to admit it, the shows are a little addictive. In a way, these programs can be a motivational force to achieve the same kind of success of those people.

-Camila Crews can be reached at [email protected]