Why do Americans love Reality TV?

Remember the days when all shows on TV were either soaps, or sitcoms or movies? Now it is hard to even find a good sitcom that doesn't have a reality spin on it. Lets see, I guess it started with Real World on MTV and that just gave way to a whole new culture defined by reality TV. Now there is 8th & Ocean, A Model life with Petra, Amazing Race, Americas Got Talent, Americas Next Top Model (which I unfortunately like), obviously there’s American Idol, The Apprentice, Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader, The Bachelor(ette) (which someone has 11 seasons--how?), Big Brother, The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Fit Club, The Contender (Stallone needs to give it up), Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Dancing with the Stars, Deal or No Deal, Extreme Home Makeover (one the only ones that does something good each week), Flavor Flav (of Love), For Love or Money, Hell's Kitchen, Hey Paula (how that made it past the pilot I don’t know), Laguna Beach, Last Comic Standing, Project Runway, Real Desperate Housewives of OC, Real World, Road Rules, Survivor, etc etc etc. Now let me just name a few obscure shows that I, a TV fanatic, have never heard of; National Bingo Night, Married by America, Have Fork Will Travel, Invasion Iowa, Surf Girls, Taquita & Kaui??? Anyways, I believe there are approximately 4,000, many having to do with love or money and if you could choose between the two-what would it be. Four thousand reality TV shows. Absolutely INSANE. And I will admit I watch a few myself, but Project Runway is too good to give up.
Aside from about half having to do with extreme moral values (1 million dollars or the supposed love of your life-and most choose money), the other half are about Top this top that..Top Model, Top Chef, Top Interior designer, Best singer, Best dancer, Best talent, Best outdoorsman, Greatest businessman, Smartest Adult, Smartest Model (?)....America is obsessed with being the best in every part of life, and it has now consumed the media.
Now ask yourself how many reality shows you watch and why are you drawn to them? What makes you just want to turn to that channel, or watch the marathon of seasons 1 & 2 all day Saturday? We might never know the answer to that, but as long as we American keep tuning in to these crazy shows, more will keep popping up and who knows what American TV will become. I guess we will have to wait and find out.