They are simply a cheap, tacky idea that was funny for the first couple of shows, but quickly became jaded, monochromatic and dealing to the lowest common denominator. It was funny to watch the public make fools of themselves the first few ties, but to have people become famous for it is ridiculous. They simply play to the cult of celebrity and to the people who just want to get famous and rich fast without having any talent or skill, and without doing any work to earn it.
The TVs companies will keep churning it out, because it is cheap to make and appeals to those in society that don’t want to think for themselves, try to make anything of themselves or do anything for themselves.
Any totalitarian government would love what we are doing to ourselves in this country. We are voluntarily making thinking to be the exception to the rule and promoting and rewarding lack of intelligence, ignorance and apathy. This is the absolute dream of any government that wants to be able to do whatever it wants without anyone trying to stop them, because the less educated or motivated the populace is, the less chance there is of anyone asking “where did all that money go?” or “Why are you doing that when no one wants you to?”