Edd’s MANtra: Reality sucks

I mean, I’d write him in on my ballot Nov. 4 if I thought he had a chance of winning. He’d use his powers of love to whip this country into shape, trust me. All I need are some campaign buttons – I Sweat for Change.

So anyway, a friend of mine pointed out this news nugget on theybf.com last week:

Lisa Wu-Hartwell, who is currently starring in the Bravo series “The Real Housewives Of Atlanta,” is putting her ex-husband singer Keith Sweat on blast. While she has re-married NFL baller Ed Hartwell and had her youngest son Eli with Ed, she’s been at odds with Keith over her other kids being on the show.

Hartwell and Sweat have two sons together, 13-year-old Jordan and 11-year-old Justin. And she dished to E! about Keith keeping their kids off the show:

“He didn’t sign a waiver,” Hartwell complains. “He’s like, ‘Lisa, it’s nothing personal. I just really don’t know how they’re going to edit and if they’re going to make you look crazy. I just don’t want the kids to be, you know, overexposed or anything.'”

But Lisa’s not buying it. She says, “They asked their dad if could they be involved, and he [said] no. It could have been a Disney show and I don’t think he would have signed it.”

So tell me this – why is Keith the bad guy here? He doesn’t want his kids on a raggedy reality show and I don’t blame him. Can you name a reality show that doesn’t depict people, especially celebrities and their families, in a horrible light?

I won’t front, I enjoy the occasional reality show. I watched Flavor Flav embarrass the African-American race, saw New York get more plastic as the weeks went by and witnessed the sheer boredom that was the original “College Hill.” In fact, I suffered through the entire season of “I Love Money” and I caught the reunion show Sunday – even though I literally slept through half of it.

Even though I watch it, I wouldn’t want my kids prancing around on TV. Everyone likes “Run’s House,” and yes, it’s one of the more “normal” reality shows, but those kids should be running around bugging people behind closed doors. Our mischievous childhood wasn’t televised, why should theirs? Why does America need to see all that? Other than to say, “Well, at least my kids aren’t that bad.”

We make ourselves feel better by laughing at the misfortunes of bad/ghetto/crazy/slutty/mentally challenged reality show losers. That’s why we tune in every week. Don’t front – at least I’m willing to admit it.

Hartwell is trying to make Keith sound selfish, like he’s doing his kids a disservice by keeping them off TV, but it’s clear whose interest she’s looking out for. She’s trying to become a TV star – at the expense of her kids. That’s a shame.

But this woman divorced Keith Sweat so she’s obviously not the brightest.