Russell Armstrong From Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Is Reality TV To Blame?

I like to call myself a reluctant fan of reality television. I really didn't like it in its early days. Even back in high school when everyone was watching Real World on MTV, I wasn't interested. Of course, unscripted television was new and it would be another two decades before reality television would dominate the airwaves and family sitcoms almost completely die off. I still prefer a drama series or a funny sitcom but when over 80% of television programming is reality television, it's hard not to get into a couple of shows.

I watched the first season of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I got into it late and only because famed psychic Allison Dubois was scheduled to be on an upcoming episode. I was a fan of the show Medium and was really excited to see the woman that the show was based on. The episode I watched was a trainwreck and went down in reality tv history as the most cattiest dinner party ever. I was hooked and managed to watch all the earlier episodes, thanks to On Demand.

I know that most of what we see on reality television is staged or heavily edited. That doesn't make it less easier to love or hate a 'character' on the show. I hated Camille Grammer in the beginning but then had a change of heart towards the end of the season. It was the opposite for Taylor, Lisa and Kyle. I despised them by the time I watched the reunion show. I always liked Kim.

Of course, your only seeing what Bravo wants you to see. A lot of the cattiness is magnified while the sweet and nice stuff is left on the cutting room floor. Therein lies the problem.

A few days ago, Russell Armstrong, estranged husband to Taylor Armstrong, hanged himself in a friend's home. Taylor allegedly found his lifeless body. Taylor and Russell were in the middle of a messy divorce and Russell was having heavy financial problems. A company that he worked with was reported to have sued him for 1.5 million dollars.

While watching the show, it appeared that Russell and Taylor were an elite Beverly Hills couple with an endless supply of money. Sadly, that was not the case. Russell and Taylor actually went into more debt because of the show. Being on TV in front of a million or so viewers with Beverly Hills women that really were rich put pressure on them. They just spent and spent to keep up. Even spending $50K on a toddler's birthday party.

The new season was set to start in September and in a seemingly calculated way, details of Taylor's divorce from Russell was being reported in the media. Taylor was accusing Russell of spousal abuse and just weeks before Russell's suicide, she had given an interview detailing her marital problems.

In the first season, Russell did not come off too well. He appeared detached and somewhat controlling. Taylor cried and complained to the other women about him. The other women riddiculed him, especially Lisa Vanderpump. It was cruel but any sympathy anyone had for Russell was quickly squashed by the show. We never heard his side and unfortunately, his appearances were edited to make him look bad.

Before his death, he told his mother he was nervous at how he would be perceived in the new season. He admitted to the press that he may have pushed Taylor but that the show was putting stress on their marraige. The pair certainly had some problems before deciding to do the show. After the show, financial problems were so bad that Russell Armstrong could no longer use his credit cards. His wife was leaving him and criticizing him to the press. Then he had to deal with viewers judging him based on the television series.

That's a lot for one person to go through. Is it fair to blame the show? Well, according to one of his close friends and his own mother, he certainly did blame the show. Maybe he didn't know what he was getting into. After all, it was his wife's show, not his. Many close to him are coming out to say that Russell suffered from depression for a long time. The Bravo TV show may have not drove him to the edge, but who can argue that they didn't push him once he was already there?

Russell Armstrong's suicide comes as a shock to many but tragically he is not the first reality television star that decided to end his life.

Ryan Alexander Jenkins was a contestant on VH1's reality show Megan Wants a Millionaire and I Love Money. His wife's body was found in a garbage dumpster. A nationwide manhunt for Jenkins was launched. Days later, he had commited suicide in a Canadian motel room. It's unlikely that the show played a role in his murder and suicide, however, VH1 was scrutinized for not doing thorough background checks. Jenkins had a record. Megan Wants a Millionaire was abruptly canceled and I Love Money never aired. The scandal put an end to the VH1 era of trashy dating shows.

Paula Goodspeed was an American Idol contestant who became obsessed with Paula Abdul. She ended her life with a bottle of prescription pills in her car, parked right outside Abdul's home.

James Scott Terrill appeared on the reality show Supernanny. Due to financial and parenting issues, he shot himself in a cemetary near his father's grave.

Simon Foster and his wife, Jane, decided to be on an episode of the British version of Wife Swap. He and his wife had an open marraige, both having girlfriends outside their marraige. After the show wrapped, Foster lost his home and his wife. He was found dead after consuming large amounts of methadone and alcohol.

Sinisa Savija was a contestant on the Sweedish show Expedition. He had thrown himself under a train after being voted off the island. Expedition was renamed Survivor and is still a hit in the US.

Nathan Clutter threw himself from a cellular tower after wrapping up production on Paradise Hotel 2. The network tried covering it up, saying his death resulted from a climbing accident. Clutter had deprssion and bipolar disorder.

Jo O'Meara attempted suicide after appearing in Celebrity Big Brother. She was protrayed as a racist and a bully. She received death threats after the show aired. O'Meara tried to kill herself with a bottle of pills and whiskey. A friend found her and was able to revive her. In 2007 her mother said although she was recovering from the suicide attempt, she had stopped eating and was still severely depressed.

In ancient Rome, there was the Colloseium. Gladiators were prisoners and fought until their death. Other criminals were fed to lions. Torturing human beings was a form of entertainment in those barbaric days. We look back at those times in disgust and perhaps a bit of arrogance.

Are we, in our modern and civilized culture any better than the Romans? No, we may not watch and cheer as a man is being eaten by a wild animal but now there is a new kind of torture that has become a regular past time. That is the mental torture inflicted on people in these reality shows for our selfish entertainment.

It's not just the obvious shows. "Family" shows like American Idol riddicule people. My friend and I decided to watch American Idol one evening with her little boy. As we laughed at the judges' jokes towards the contestants my friend's boy became tearful. "Why are they making fun of him?" He exclaimed. I immediately felt guilty. Have we become so desensitized as a society that we can call a show that makes fun of people a 'family show'? It doesn't even matter if the person being riddiculed is okay with it. It's the message being sent.

I read an article earlier today that accused Bravo and viewers for this tragedy. The writer of the article proclaimed that we all have blood on our hands. It's a strong statement and a bit unfair. The viewers may be watching but networks like unscripted television. It's cheaper to make and contestants usually are not paid very well. People have been demanding quality television for years but nobody is listening.

Then again, maybe the writer has a point. There is a solution to all of this madness and it's a simple one. I think it's about time we turn off the t.v.