But is it really real?

Let me share an awful secret with you (my girl, everyone, whomever): I love VH1's "I Love Money."

I just can't help the way I feel. I'm strangely drawn to these gaggle of rejects and weirdos from "Flavor of Love," "I Love New York," and "Rock of Love," who are all - some, desperately - competing for $250,000.

To call it a reality show is a stretch. There's people on there who are openly crafting their public personas, willfully clowning it up for the cameras. There's folks who go by their often degrading stage names of Nibblz, Toastee, White Boy and fan-favorite, The Entertainer. There's a guy like Chance - probably my favorite of the bunch - who says things like: "He lucky I didn't have an Uzi. I would have put holes all in that ass, man."

In short, this is not a show in the running for an Emmy. But it's funny and doesn't take itself seriously.

Contrast "I Love Money" with the one of the forebears of the reality TV genre, "The Real World." I'm speaking in particular of the most recent crew from Hollywood, which ultimately proved to be absolutely devoid of any likable characters (sad, because this season had the most black cast members ever).

I could hardly stomach the reunion show.

A few reasons: three of the guys call themselves "The Three Amigos," offered up some T-shirts with that moniker and are "performing" on the road together; one of the girls, a very talkative one at that, tried to promote her new album; and one of the "Three Amigos" also insisted on mentioning his recently released record and wore a T-shirt telling agents that he is available to deejay. For whatever you're willing to pay, I suppose.

There were other promo moments but let's just end it here - MTV will show the reunion 100 more times if you're really that interested. These were actors playing real (obnoxious) people on television, and now they feel as if they've arrived. They are very serious about themselves and their ridiculous careers. They think they're famous.

And maybe they are.

But let me tell you this: the Three Amigos ain't got shit on the The Stallionaires.