Reality TV- just unrealistic

Is there really a need for reality TV anymore?  I actually canceled my cable service months ago and I haven't missed it.  I catch up on news online and still do watch TV (only CNN though) at the gym or at my Dad's house.  The news is all just bad lately.  The whole first section of the Sunday New York Times this weekend was just depressing.  Then I came across an article in the Arts & Leisure section, 'Have I got a show for you...' which contained true or false summaries about reality shows being considered for spring programming lineups.  Do we really need to watch any of these?  With the current junk programming, I was ready to believe all of them were being considered- no matter how absurd they seemed.  It appears couch potatoes will be tuning into shows with titles like 'Extreme Couponing' (TLC) which sounds like typical American consumers buying what they don't need just because they clipped a coupon.  Or how about 'Moonshiners' (Discovery) documenting techniques for making hooch in Appalachia.  Why not one on meth?  That seems to be a bigger problem in that region.  Would you watch 'Pregnant in heels'  (Bravo) focusing on the pseudo-problems of overly wealthy pregnant women in NYC?  Give me a break, please!  I won't be getting cable service anytime soon if this is an indication of what viewing choices I would have.