Any reality show is all about entertainment and ratings. The fact that the show is the subject of a thread here proves they succeeded. These entertainers do know what they're doing if entertainment and ratings is their goal. Heck, I want to watch the show to see why I don't want to watch it.

From my observation, the common theme for a successful "reality" show is drama. The drama can be real or totally fake. It doesn't matter, just as long as there's drama.

Related issue, I believe the entertainment industry is nearly recession-proof. People will pay their cable bill before they pay for proper health insurance. If I could be a youngster again, I'd base my career in the entertainment industry from the beginning. I could get paid for having fun, making up drama and not thinking too much!